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diff --git a/old/52303-0.txt b/old/52303-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index f0ba600..0000000 --- a/old/52303-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,23450 +0,0 @@ -Project Gutenberg's The History of Lumsden's Horse, by Henry H. S. Pearse - -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/license - - -Title: The History of Lumsden's Horse - A Complete Record of the Corps from its Formation to its Disbandment - -Author: Henry H. S. Pearse - -Release Date: June 11, 2016 [EBook #52303] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE HISTORY OF LUMSDEN'S HORSE *** - - - - -Produced by KD Weeks, Brian Coe and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was -produced from images generously made available by The -Internet Archive/American Libraries.) - - - - - - - Transcriber’s Note: - -This version of the text cannot represent certain typographical effects. -Italics are delimited with the ‘_’ character as _italic_. - -Errors, when reasonably attributable to the printer, have been -corrected. Please see the transcriber’s note at the end of this text for -details. Corrections made to the text are summarized there. - -Footnotes have been resequenced to be unique across the book, and have -been gathered at the end of each chapter. - -The illustrations have been moved to avoid falling within a paragraph. -The captions will appear here as [Illustration: <caption>]. A large map -and accompanying legend was bound as a fold-out inside the end cover. -The Reference, included in that image is presented here, and contains a -daily location of the unit. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - LUMSDEN’S HORSE - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: D.M. Lumsden.] - - THE HISTORY - OF - LUMSDEN’S HORSE - - A COMPLETE RECORD OF THE CORPS FROM ITS - FORMATION TO ITS DISBANDMENT - - EDITED BY - - HENRY H.S. PEARSE - (WAR CORRESPONDENT) - - AUTHOR OF ‘FOUR MONTHS BESIEGED—THE STORY OF LADYSMITH’ ETC. - - WITH MANY PORTRAITS AND OTHER ILLUSTRATIONS - AND A MAP - - - - - LONGMANS, GREEN, AND CO. - 39 PATERNOSTER ROW, LONDON - NEW YORK AND BOMBAY - 1903 - - - [All rights reserved] - - PREFACE - - -Although this History of Lumsden’s Horse embraces a period in the South -African campaign that was crowded with great issues, it makes no -pretence to rank among the many able and comprehensive works dealing -with those events. Elaborate descriptions and criticisms of operations -as a whole have been purposely avoided, except so far as they serve to -explain and emphasise actions in which the corps took part. - -First of all, the book is intended to be no more than a regimental -record, enlivened by the personal experiences of men who helped to make -history at a time when the whole British Empire was moved by one -impulse. India’s part in that movement is the inspiring theme, and one -object has been to show how the idea of organising an Indian Volunteer -Contingent for service in South Africa passed from inception to -accomplishment, through the efforts of a Committee in Calcutta which -made itself responsible for every financial liability in connection with -the corps from its formation to its disbandment. - -The cost of publication is being defrayed out of a balance of funds -remaining in the hands of the Committee, and each member of the corps -will receive a copy as a souvenir of his interesting experiences and a -proof that his services are still remembered. Publication, however, is -not restricted to members of the corps, and the Editor ventures to think -that this book will suggest to general readers many points worthy of -consideration. It illustrates the facility with which British subjects -in India are able to band themselves together, and affords yet another -instance of many in which the Indian Government has shown itself capable -of utilising instantly its resources for the Empire’s benefit. And, more -than this, it will stand as a proof of the cordiality with which the -Indian public—British and Native—came forward at a time of Imperial need -with offers of personal service or liberal subscriptions, which enabled -the Committee to raise and despatch a Mounted Contingent completely -equipped in every detail. - -Among those who have assisted the Editor with information that has -enabled him to produce this History, he has especially to thank the -Committee, the Adjutant of the Regiment (Major NEVILLE TAYLOR, 14th -Bengal Lancers), whose sketch-map of the positions at Houtnek was made -from personal reconnaissance, and Messrs. D.S. FRASER, GRAVES, -BURN-MURDOCH, KIRWAN, and PRESTON. He is also indebted to Major Ross, -C.B., Durham Light Infantry, for interesting material. Acknowledgment is -due to Messrs. JOHNSTON & HOFFMANN, Messrs. F. KAPP & CO., Messrs. -BOURNE & SHEPHERD, and Messrs. HARRINGTON & CO., of Calcutta, and -others, who have kindly placed photographs at the Editor’s disposal; and -to the proprietors of the ‘Englishman,’ ‘Pioneer,’ ‘Indian Daily News,’ -‘Statesman,’ ‘Times of India,’ and ‘Madras Daily Mail,’ for permission -to reproduce from their columns the personal narratives that brighten -many pages of this book. - - H.H.S.P. - -ARTS CLUB, LONDON: _January 1903_. - - CONTENTS - - - CHAPTER PAGE - - INTRODUCTION 1 - - I. HOW THE CORPS WAS RAISED AND EQUIPPED 7 - - II. PREPARING FOR THE FRONT—DEPARTURE FROM CALCUTTA 40 - - III. OUTWARD BOUND 68 - - IV. NEARING THE GOAL—DISEMBARKATION AT CAPE TOWN AND - EAST LONDON 85 - - V. AN INTERLUDE—THE RESULTS OF SANNA’S POST 96 - - VI. BY RAIL AND ROUTE MARCH TO BLOEMFONTEIN 109 - - VII. IMPRESSIONS OF BLOEMFONTEIN—JOIN THE 8TH MOUNTED - INFANTRY REGIMENT ON OUTPOST 127 - - VIII. THE BAPTISM OF FIRE—LUMSDEN’S HORSE AT OSPRUIT - (HOUTNEK) 144 - - IX. AFTER OSPRUIT—SOME TRIBUTES TO MAJOR SHOWERS AND - OTHER HEROES 175 - - X. PRISONERS OF WAR 191 - - XI. TOWARDS PRETORIA—LUMSDEN’S HORSE SCOUTING AHEAD OF - THE ARMY FROM BLOEMFONTEIN TO THE VAAL RIVER 208 - - XII. JOHANNESBURG AND PRETORIA IN OUR HANDS 230 - - XIII. ON LINES OF COMMUNICATION AT IRENE, KALFONTEIN, - ZURFONTEIN, AND SPRINGS—THE PRETORIA PAPER-CHASE 248 - - XIV. ALARMS AND EXCURSIONS—BOER SCOUTING—A - RECONNAISSANCE TO CROCODILE RIVER—FAREWELL TO - COLONEL ROSS 270 - - XV. A MARCH UNDER MAHON OF MAFEKING TO RUSTENBURG AND - WARMBATHS—IN PURSUIT OF DE WET 286 - - XVI. EASTWARD TO BELFAST AND BARBERTON UNDER GENERALS - FRENCH AND MAHON 313 - - XVII. MARCHING AND FIGHTING—FROM MACHADODORP TO - HEIDELBERG AND PRETORIA UNDER GENERALS FRENCH - AND DICKSON 340 - - XVIII. HOMEWARD BOUND—APPROBATION FROM LORD ROBERTS—CAPE - TOWN’S ACKNOWLEDGMENTS—FAREWELL TO SOUTH AFRICA 359 - - XIX. THE RETURN TO INDIA—WELCOME HOME—HONOURS AND - ORATIONS—DISBANDMENT 377 - - XX. A STIRRING SEQUEL—THE STORY OF THOSE WHO - STAYED—MEMORIAL TRIBUTES TO THOSE WHO HAVE GONE 409 - - ------------------ - - _APPENDICES_ - - I. ROLL OF LUMSDEN’S HORSE, INCLUDING TRANSPORT 427 - - II. MOBILISATION SCHEME FOR LUMSDEN’S HORSE 437 - - III. THE ADJUTANT’S NOTE-BOOK 446 - - IV. LIST OF OFFICERS, N.C.O.S, AND MEN WHO HAVE BEEN - AWARDED DECORATIONS, COMMISSIONS, OR CIVIL - APPOINTMENTS 454 - - V. HONOURS AND PROMOTIONS 456 - - VI. HONORARY RANK IN THE ARMY 461 - - VII. LUMSDEN’S HORSE EQUIPMENT FUND 462 - - VIII. FRIENDS AND SUPPORTERS OF THE CORPS 476 - - IX. LUMSDEN’S HORSE RECEPTION COMMITTEE 480 - - X. THE FINAL ACCOUNTS 483 - - XI. REPORT OF TRANSPORT SERGEANT 485 - - XII. TOPICAL SONG BY A TROOPER 490 - - INDEX 491 - - LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS - - - _PLATES_ - -_From Drawings, and from Photographs by Messrs._ JOHNSTON & HOFFMANN, - KAPP & CO., BOURNE & SHEPHERD, _and_ HARRINGTON & CO., _Calcutta_; - _Messrs._ ELLIOTT & FRY, _London_, _and others_. - - LIEUTENANT-COLONEL D.M. LUMSDEN, C.B. _Frontispiece_ - (_Photogravure_) - - SIR PATRICK PLAYFAIR, C.I.E. _facing 1 - page_ - - HIS EXCELLENCY LORD CURZON, VICEROY OF INDIA ” 8 - - BEHAR CONTINGENT OF LUMSDEN’S HORSE ” 14 - - MYSORE AND COORG CONTINGENT ” 18 - - THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE ” 26 - - COLONEL LUMSDEN, C.B., SIR PATRICK PLAYFAIR, - C.I.E., COLONEL MONEY, MAJOR EDDIS, MR. HARRY - STUART - - OFFICERS OF THE CORPS ” 30 - - COLONEL LUMSDEN, MAJOR SHOWERS, CAPTAINS TAYLOR, - BERESFORD, NOBLETT, RUTHERFOORD, CHAMNEY, - CLIFFORD, AND STEVENSON, LIEUTENANTS CRANE, - NEVILLE, SIDEY, AND PUGH - - MESSING AT CALCUTTA ” 34 - - HORSES IN CAMP AT CALCUTTA ” 40 - - ON PARADE, CALCUTTA ” 44 - - TAKING HORSES ON BOARD TRANSPORT 28 ” 52 - - EMBARKATION AT CALCUTTA ” 56 - - H.E. THE VICEROY ADDRESSING THE CORPS ” 60 - - B COMPANY LUMSDEN’S HORSE LEAVING CALCUTTA ” 64 - - THE REGIMENT IN CALCUTTA ” 72 - - MAXIM-GUN CONTINGENT ” 76 - - CAPTAIN HOLMES, SERGEANT DALE, C.V.S. DICKENS, - N.J. BOLST, P.T. CORBETT - - SURMA VALLEY LIGHT HORSE. CONTINGENT OF ” 80 - LUMSDEN’S B COMPANY - - - MAJOR (LOCAL COLONEL) W.C. ROSS, C.B. ” 117 - - TRANSPORT AND WATER CARTS ” 132 - - OUTLYING PICKET TAKING UP POSITION ” 136 - - HOUTNEK, SHOWING POSITIONS OF BRITISH AND BOER ” 144 - TROOPS - - N.C.O.S AND TROOPERS ” 156 - - SERGEANT F.S. McNAMARA, LANCE-SERGEANT J.S. - ELLIOTT, CORPORAL A. MACGILLIVRAY, R.U. CASE, - C.A. WALTON, A.F. FRANKS, J.S. SAUNDERS, R.N. - MACDONALD, L. GWATKIN WILLIAMS - - BRINGING HALF-RATIONS UP TO NORMAL ” 213 - - N.C.O.S AND TROOPERS ” 214 - - H.J. MOORHOUSE, A.K. MEARES, W.K. MEARES, H.W. - PUCKRIDGE, R.G. DAGGE, R.P. WILLIAMS, R.C. - NOLAN, T.G. PETERSEN, S. DUCAT - - N.C.O.S AND TROOPERS ” 230 - - CORPORAL L.E. KIRWAN, J.S. CAMPBELL, C.E. TURNER, - E.S. CHAPMAN, G. INNES WATSON, C.E. STUART, C. - CARY-BARNARD, E.S. CLIFFORD, H. GOUGH - - INVALIDED HOME AFTER THE SURRENDER OF PRETORIA ” 248 - - J. SKELTON, R.P. HAINES, H.W. THELWALL, C.K. - MARTIN, H.S. CHESHIRE, H.B. OLDHAM, M.H. LOGAN, - J.V. JAMESON, H. HOWES - - NIGHT IN CAMP ” 296 - - PHILIP STANLEY ” 306 - - TRANSPORT DRIVERS ” 320 - - T. HARE SCOTT, H.G. PHILLIPS, R.P. ESTABROOKE, J. - BRAINE, R. PRINGLE, W. BURNAND - - TRANSPORT DRIVERS ” 324 - - L. DAVIS, LEO H. BRADFORD, C.W. LOVEGROVE, S.W. - CULLEN, F.C. MANVILLE, F.C. THOMPSON - - THE LAUNDRY ” 328 - - H.P. BROWN, A TYPICAL TROOPER ” 340 - - N.C.O.S AND TROOPERS ” 346 - - SERGEANT A.H. LUARD, CORPORAL G. LAWRIE, F.G. - BATEMAN, L. KINGCHURCH, IAN SINCLAIR, PERCY - COBB, HARVEY DAVIES, C.E. CONSTERDINE, D. - ROBERTSON - - N.C.O.S AND TROOPERS ” 360 - - SERGEANT G.E. THESIGER, CORPORAL W.T. SMITH, E.B. - MOIR-BYRES, J.A. BROWN, H. EVETTS, J.L. STEWART, - H.N. SHAW, E.S. CLARKE, B.E. JONES - - - GAZETTED TO THE REGULAR ARMY ” 366 - - CORPORAL F.S. MONTAGU BATES, H.S.N. WRIGHT, J.D.L. - ARATHOON, S.L. INNES, F.W. WRIGHT, R.G. COLLINS, - A.E. NORTON, W. DOUGLAS-JONES, T.B. NICHOLSON - - RECEIVING THE MAYOR OF CAPE TOWN’S FAREWELL ” 372 - ADDRESS ON THE SOUTH ARM - - CHEERING IN RESPONSE ” 372 - - HOME FROM SOUTH AFRICA—N.C.O.S AND TROOPERS ” 378 - - SERGEANTS STOWELL, DONALD, RUTHERFOORD, FOX, - FARRIER-SERGEANT EDWARDS, LANCE-CORPORAL GODDEN, - S.C. GORDON, E.A. THELWALL, A.P. COURTENAY - - HOME FROM SOUTH AFRICA—N.C.O.S AND TROOPERS ” 384 - - SERGEANT J. BRENNAN, H. NICOLAY, A. ATKINSON, C.H. - JOHNSTONE, G. SMITH, N.V. REID, W.R. WINDER, - R.M. CRUX, L.K. ZORAB - - MEMBERS OF LUMSDEN’S HORSE WHO JOINED THE ” 410 - JOHANNESBURG POLICE, DECEMBER 1900 - - SILVER STATUETTE, PRESENTED TO LIEUTENANT-COLONEL ” 418 - LUMSDEN - - TABLET IN ST. PAUL’S CATHEDRAL, CALCUTTA ” 424 - - - _OTHER ILLUSTRATIONS_ - - PAGE - - CAPTAIN NOBLETT (MAJOR ROYAL IRISH RIFLES), COMMANDING 142 - B COMPANY LUMSDEN’S HORSE - - CAPTAIN H. CHAMNEY 152 - - CAPTAIN NEVILLE C. TAYLOR 156 - - H.C. LUMSDEN (KILLED IN ACTION, HOUTNEK, APRIL 30, 159 - 1900) - - LIEUTENANT C.E. CRANE 162 - - J.H. BURN-MURDOCH 163 - - HERBERT N. BETTS, D.C.M. 167 - - MAJOR EDEN C. SHOWERS (KILLED AT HOUTNEK) 175 - - BUGLER R.H. MACKENZIE 187 - - E.B. PARKES 187 - - DAVID STEWART FRASER 193 - - WATERVAL PRISON, PRETORIA 206 - - - PERCY JONES, D.C.M. 228 - - LIEUTENANT G.A. NEVILLE 234 - - LIEUTENANT H.O. PUGH, D.S.O. 242 - - WALTER DEXTER, D.C.M., CUTTING THE TELEGRAPH WIRES AT 243 - ELANDSFONTEIN - - P.C. PRESTON, D.C.M. 244 - - CAPTAIN RUTHERFOORD, D.S.O. 263 - - CAPTAIN W. STEVENSON, VETERINARY SURGEON 268 - - SERGEANT ERNEST DAWSON 269 - - A TYPICAL BOER 275 - - CAPTAIN CLIFFORD 277 - - J.A. GRAHAM, D.C.M. 278 - - BERNARD CAYLEY 279 - - L.C. BEARNE 280 - - A HALT ON THE MARCH TO BARBERTON: GENERAL MAHON AND 339 - COLONEL WOOLLS-SAMPSON - - SERGEANT STEPHENS 346 - - CAPTAIN C. LYON SIDEY 352 - - D. MORISON 354 - - CORPORAL J. GRAVES 355 - - LANCE-CORPORAL JOHN CHARLES 376 - - J.S. COWEN 382 - - SWORD OF HONOUR PRESENTED TO LIEUTENANT-COLONEL 407 - LUMSDEN - - A. NICHOLSON 414 - - G.D. NICOLAY 416 - - H. KELLY 417 - - K. BOILEAU 418 - - - _MAP_ - - PART OF SOUTH AFRICA, SHOWING THE ROUTES TAKEN _facing page_ 490 - BY LUMSDEN’S HORSE - -[Illustration: - - _Photo: Elliott & Fry_ - SIR PATRICK PLAYFAIR, C.I.E. -] - - - - - THE - - HISTORY OF LUMSDEN’S HORSE - - INTRODUCTION - - - - -To Lumsden’s Horse belongs the high honour of having represented all -India in a movement the magnitude and far-reaching effects of which we -are only beginning to appreciate. While the stubborn struggle for -supremacy in South Africa lasted, no true sons of the Empire allowed -themselves to count the cost. Some were prepared to pay it in blood, -others in treasure, to make success certain, and none allowed himself to -harbour even the shadow of a thought that failure, with all its -inevitable disasters, could befall us so long as the Mother Country and -her offshoots held together. At the outset only those blessed with -exceptional foresight could have believed in the completeness of a -federation the elements of which were bound together by no other ties -than sentiment. Selfish interests were merged in combined efforts for -the common weal, and, while the necessity for action lasted, few cared -to reckon the price they were paying for an idea. - -Even the long-looked-for advent of Peace has hardly brought home to us a -knowledge of all that War in South Africa meant, not only in a military -sense, but also in its greater imperial significance. The men who fought -and bled for the noble sentiment of British brotherhood never dreamed -that they were doing more than duty demanded, though they had perhaps -given up every chance of success in life to answer the call of -patriotism; and among those who stayed at home there are millions -untouched by the bitterness of personal bereavement who can have no -conception of the sacrifices that were made to keep our Empire whole. -Casualty lists, with all their details of killed and wounded, do not -tell half the story. To know it all we must dip deep into the private -records of every contingent, British and Colonial, that volunteered for -active service, and deeper still to fathom the motives of men who, when -their country seemed to need them, threw aside all other considerations -and rallied to her standard. - -Continental critics may sneer at us for making much of this idea, but -none know better than they do the difference between loyalty expressed -in such a noble form and the mere instinct of self-preservation that too -often passes current for patriotism. They tell us that it is every -citizen’s duty to be a soldier and every soldier’s duty to die, if -necessary, for his country; but when they see self-governing nations -from every quarter of the world coming into line by their own free will -and all welded together by one sentiment, they have no better name for -it than lust of empire. Nevertheless, they know it for what it is, a -thing of which they had previously no conception, and they recognise in -the impulses that led to this mighty manifestation the secret of Great -Britain’s world-wide power. Let envious rivals say what they will. Let -them magnify our reverses and minimise our triumphs, if the process -pleases them. In spite of everything, the South African War stands a -great epoch of an age that will some day come to be reckoned among the -greatest in British History, and all who have helped towards the shaping -of events at this memorable time can at least claim to have earned the -gratitude of posterity. - -And India may well be proud of her share in the work. Measured by the -mere number of men whom she sent to the war, her contribution seems -perhaps comparatively small; but when we remember the sources from which -that contingent was drawn, the munificence of gifts from Europeans and -natives alike for its equipment and maintenance, and all the sacrifices -that war-service involved for every member of the little force, we -cannot but admire the spirit that called it into being. A great crisis -was not necessary to convince us that British residents in India would -fight, if called upon, with all the valour that distinguished Outram’s -Volunteers of old. Few, however, would have been bold enough to predict -that for any conceivable cause hundreds of men would readily relinquish -all that they had struggled for, give up the fruits of half a life’s -labour, and calmly face the certainty of irreparable losses, without -asking for anything in return, except the opportunity of serving their -country on a soldier’s meagre pay. Still less could anybody have -imagined that a time might come when Indian natives, debarred from the -chance of proving their loyalty by personal service, would give without -stint towards a fund for equipping a force to fight in a distant land -against the enemies of the British Raj. If Indian princes had been -permitted to raise troops for the war in South Africa, our Eastern -contingent would have numbered thousands instead of hundreds. What -natives were not allowed to give in men they gave in cash and in -substance, according to their means, thereby showing that they were with -us in a desire to defend the Empire against any assailant. In reality -this meant more than an offer of armed forces, and to that extent it was -worthy to rank with the self-sacrifice of Anglo-Indians who gave -personal service, and thereby took upon themselves a burden the weight -of which cannot be readily estimated. It must not be forgotten that -raising a corps of Volunteers in India is a very different matter from -the enrolment of a similar force at home, or wherever there are dense -populations and ‘leisured classes’ to be drawn upon. There are no idle -men in India, everyone having gone there to fill an appointment and earn -his livelihood. When the call came, therefore, it could only be answered -by sacrifices or not at all, and nobody is more conscious of this fact -than the man whose laconic appeal for Volunteers brought three or four -times more offers than he could possibly accept. In his opinion ‘the men -who vacated appointments worth from 300 to 500 rupees a month and went -to fight for their country on 1_s._ 2_d._ a day have given a much larger -contribution to the War Fund than they could afford.’ As an instance he -mentions three members of the medical profession, Doctors Charteris, -Moorhouse, and Woollright, each of whom threw up a lucrative practice -and joined the ranks as a trooper. These are not exceptional but simply -typical cases. Scores of other men gave up equally remunerative -appointments with the same noble unselfishness to enrol themselves in -Lumsden’s Horse. - -To Colonel Lumsden alone belongs the honour of having evoked this -splendid manifestation of patriotic feeling. The idea of forming a corps -of Indian Volunteers was his; and though similar thoughts may have been -in many minds at the same moment, nobody had given a practical turn to -them until his message—electric in every sense—startled all -Anglo-Indians into active and cordial co-operation. How all that came -about will be told with fuller circumstances in its proper place, but -some reference must be made here to the man whose firm faith in the -patriotism and soldierly qualities of Indian Volunteers led him to the -inception of a scheme which events have so abundantly justified. - -Lieutenant-Colonel Dugald McTavish Lumsden, C.B., needs no introduction -to the East, where the best, and perhaps the happiest, years of his life -have been spent. Without some details concerning him, however, -completeness could not be claimed for any record of the corps which is -now identified with his name. The eldest son of the late Mr. James -Lumsden, of Peterhead, Aberdeenshire, he was born in 1851. At the age of -twenty-two he obtained an appointment on the Borelli Tea Estate, in the -Tezpur District of Assam, and sailed for India. Consciously or -unconsciously, he must have taken with him some military ambitions -imbibed through intimate association with leaders of the Volunteer -movement in Scotland. At any rate, he soon became known as a keen -Volunteer in the land of his adoption, and when in 1887 the Durrung -Mounted Rifles was formed, he was given a captaincy. A year later that -corps lost its identity, as other local units did, in the territorial -title of Assam Valley Light Horse, with Colonel Buckingham, C.I.E., as -commandant, while Captain Lumsden got his majority and took command of F -Squadron in the Durrung District. Subsequently he commanded the regiment -for a time, and, though he left India in 1893, he did not lose touch -with his old comrades. Every year he returned to spend the cold weather -among his friends in Assam, showing always undiminished interest in the -welfare of his old regiment. Thus, when the time came for a call to -active service, he had no sort of doubt what the response would be from -the hardy, sport-loving planters of Northern Bengal. Himself an -enthusiastic _shikari_ and first-rate shot, he knew how to value the -qualities that are developed in hunting and stalking wild game. And his -experience of Indian Volunteers was not confined to his own district. He -knew every corps in Bengal by reputation, and could thus gauge with an -approach to accuracy the numbers on which he would be able to draw for -the formation of an Indian contingent. Much travel in many lands had -also made him a good judge of men, as evidenced by the first thing he -did when the idea of calling upon India to take up her share of the -Imperial burden came to him. - -At that time he was travelling in Australia, and had no means of knowing -how deeply the feelings of British residents and natives of the East had -been stirred by news of the reverses to our arms in South Africa. The -dark days of Stormberg and Magersfontein had thrown their shadow over -Australia as over England, chilling the hearts of people who until then -had refused to believe that British troops could be baulked by any foes, -notwithstanding the stern lesson of Ladysmith’s investment. Through that -darkness they were groping sullenly towards the light, and wondering -what national sacrifices would have to be made before the humiliation -could be wiped out. It is in such moments of emergency that natural -leaders come to the front. Among the few in England or the Colonies who -realised the military value of Volunteers was Colonel Lumsden. Though -thousands of miles away from the scenes of early associations, his -thoughts turned at once to the bold riders and skilful marksmen with -whom he had so often shared the exciting incidents of the chase. He made -up his mind at once that the planters, on whose spirit he could rely, -were the very men wanted for South African fighting. On the parade -ground they might not be all that soldiers whose minds are fettered by -rules and traditions would desire, but he knew how long days of exercise -in the open air at their ordinary avocations, varied by polo, -pig-sticking, and big-game hunting, had toughened their fibre and -hardened their nerves. He could count on every one of them also for keen -intelligence, which he rightly regarded as more important than mere -obedience to orders, where every man might be called upon to think and -act for himself. Colonel Lumsden would be the last to depreciate Regular -soldiers, or undervalue their discipline, but experience had taught him -that men who can exercise self-restraint and develop powers of endurance -for the mere pleasure of excelling in manly sports, adapt themselves -readily enough to military duties. To them, at any rate, the prospect of -hardships or privations would be no deterrent, the imminence of danger -only an additional incentive. On December 15, 1899—a day to be -afterwards borne in mournful memory—Colonel Lumsden made up his mind -that the time for action had come to every Briton who could see his way -to giving the Mother Country a helpful hand. He cabled at once to his -friend Sir Patrick Playfair in Calcutta his proposal to raise a corps of -European Mounted Infantry for service in South Africa, and backed it -with an offer, not only to take the field himself, but to contribute a -princely sum in aid of a fund for equipping any force the Government -might sanction. Then, without waiting to know whether his services had -been accepted, he took passage by the next steamer for India. - - - - - CHAPTER I - _HOW THE CORPS WAS RAISED AND EQUIPPED_ - - - Offer Government fifty thousand rupees and my services any capacity - towards raising European Mounted Infantry Contingent, India, service - Cape. Wire Melbourne Club, Melbourne.—Leaving nineteenth, due Calcutta - January 9. Do not divulge name until my arrival.—LUMSDEN. - -These were the stirring words of Colonel Lumsden’s laconic message -flashed by cable from Australia to Calcutta at a time when all India was -ripe for any movement in aid of the Empire, and only waiting for a lead -in the course it should take. No wonder that the spirit of a man whose -enthusiastic confidence was expressed in an offer so munificent -communicated itself to all whom Sir Patrick Playfair consulted on the -subject. Still, official susceptibilities, ever prone to look askance at -anything that seems like civilian interference with military -prerogatives, had to be considered. Tact was necessary at the very -outset to avoid all possibility of friction. Colonel Lumsden had -evidently foreseen this when he selected as the recipient of his cable -message an Anglo-Indian of diplomatic temperament, great social -influence, and varied experience. Few men, if any, could have been -better qualified for the delicate negotiations, or could have appealed -to the Indian public, Native and European, with more certainty of -success than Sir Patrick Playfair, whose services then and for months -afterwards entitle him to a niche in India’s Walhalla beside the founder -of Lumsden’s Horse. Even at the sacrifice of continuity, it is -appropriate to quote here an appreciative comment by one who knew how -much Sir Patrick Playfair did towards the formation and equipment of a -thoroughly representative force. From the moment of receiving Colonel -Lumsden’s telegram he displayed the keenest interest in its object, and -endeavoured to ensure a successful issue with all the energy that has -characterised him in his advocacy and support of many public enterprises -during a brilliant career. He was the prime mover in every social -function organised in honour of Lumsden’s Horse, and in everything done -for their benefit apart from military details while they remained in -India. After their departure for the front he never lost an opportunity -of identifying himself with them in every way, and none would have been -keener than he to share their dangers and hardships if his position had -enabled him to accompany them. In this connection Sir Patrick had an -entertaining dialogue one day with General Patterson, of the United -States army, who said, ‘What I have been wondering about is why you did -not go yourself, Sir Patrick.’ To this the knight replied, ‘Well, you -know, I am a busy man. Of course I should have liked to go above all -things, but with my engagements it was impossible.’ ‘Ah, yes!’ said the -General; ‘I guess you’re like Artemus Ward’s friend, the Baldinsville -editor, who would “delight to wade in gore,” but whose country bade him -stay at home and announce week by week the measures taken by Government, -or, like Artemus himself, who, having given two cousins to the war, was -ready to sacrifice his wife’s brother and shed the blood of all his -able-bodied relations “rather’n not see the rebellyin krusht.”’ As it -was, Sir Patrick took the pains to publish every item of interest sent -to him by the officer commanding throughout the campaign. When, after -twelve months of honourable service, the corps turned homewards again, -he took the initiative in preparing a welcome worthy of them, and after -Lumsden’s Horse had been disbanded he showed a kindly interest in the -men by endeavouring to procure appointments for all who needed -assistance of that kind, and thereby won their gratitude as he had long -before gained their esteem. This is anticipating events, but, like the -prologue to a play, it may help to give some idea of a character whose -influence on the whole story is potent though not often in evidence. - -[Illustration: - - _Photo: Elliott & Fry_ - CURZON -] - -Sir Patrick Playfair’s first step was to approach General P.J. Maitland, -C.B., Military Secretary to the Government of India, to whom he made -known Colonel Lumsden’s offer and explained something of its probable -scope. General Maitland, who warmly supported the proposal, said he -would place it before His Excellency the Viceroy, but intimated that the -matter would then have to be referred to the War Office, without whose -consent the Government of India could do nothing in connection with the -war. At that time Colonel Lumsden was on his way to Calcutta, and had -telegraphed again from Albany to find out what progress was being made, -but got no answer. Sir Patrick, knowing his man, had no misgivings that -he might turn back discouraged by the prospect of an official cold -shoulder. Lord Curzon was still absent from Calcutta on tour, and the -Commander-in-Chief, the late Sir William Lockhart, had not returned from -his official round of inspection in Burma, so that no immediate -opportunity occurred for placing the proposal before either of them at a -personal interview. General Maitland, however, did more than he had -promised by so urging the case in a communication to the Viceroy that -His Excellency took it up, and immediately on his arrival in Calcutta -telegraphed to the Commander-in-Chief, who thereupon gave his approval -promptly. The headquarters authorities asked how many men were to go, -and Sir Patrick said he thought from two hundred and fifty to three -hundred. That suggestion was embodied in a telegram to the War Office, -which, as usual, took time to consider it. Again Colonel Lumsden, who -had then reached Colombo, cabled for information as to the state of -affairs, but again no reply was vouchsafed. So he came on, fully -prepared to meet disappointment at the end of his journey. When he got -within sight of land, however, all India knew of his splendid offer and -its acceptance by the Home Government. The whole story had been -published in every newspaper two days before Colonel Lumsden steamed up -the Hooghly to find himself a hero. Crowds of his friends and admirers -were there to welcome him as chief of a corps that had neither a local -habitation nor a name, nor even a substantial existence at the moment. -With characteristic abnegation of self, he had offered his services in -any capacity, but nobody doubted from the hour of his arrival in -Calcutta that whatever force India might send to the front would have -Lumsden for its leader. The newspapers even began to give his name to -the contingent before it had assumed bodily shape or anybody knew -exactly how it was to be raised. Some days later the popular choice was -confirmed by publication of a War Office order couched in the following -words: - - ‘Her Majesty’s Government having accepted the offer of the Government - of India to provide a force of Mounted Volunteers for service in South - Africa, two companies of Mounted Infantry, to be called the Indian - Mounted Infantry Corps (Lumsden’s Horse), will be raised immediately - at Calcutta under the command of Lieut.-Colonel D. McT. Lumsden, of - the Volunteer Force of India, Supernumerary List, Assam Valley Light - Horse.’ - -With this order, giving unqualified approval of the project, came a -mobilisation scheme in which the Government undertook to provide the -necessary sea-kit for use on board ship only, the transport, the daily -rations as for other soldiers, the weapons, the munitions of war, and -pay at the rate of 1_s._ 2_d._ a day, but nothing else. The rest was -left to private enterprise working on popular enthusiasm and the loyal -sentiments of a great community. Towards the sum requisite for the -complete equipment and maintenance of a mounted force in the field, even -half a lakh of rupees would not go very far. The spirit that had -prompted one man to offer that sum and his own services to boot proved -contagious, however, and Colonel Lumsden had so little doubt what the -result would be that he immediately announced his readiness to receive -applications from men who might be willing to serve in South Africa for -a year, or ‘for not less than the period of the war.’ That call was -published by Indian newspapers on January 10, 1900, and in response -Volunteers sent their names from every district far and near, until -Colonel Lumsden might have enrolled a thousand as easily as the two or -three hundred sanctioned by Government. His one difficulty, indeed, was -that of selection, and there the experience he had gained from studying -character closely under many different conditions came in. He was -assisted by suggestions from officers commanding the Calcutta Light -Horse, the Assam Valley Light Horse, the Surma Valley Light Horse, the -Behar Light Horse, the Punjab, the Mysore, and the Rangoon Volunteer -Corps. Authorities at home had by that time learned a very important -lesson, the outcome of which was expressed in a phrase very different -from the unlucky telegram that gave so much offence to Australians a few -weeks earlier. Colonel Lumsden was told ‘preference will be given to -Volunteers from mounted Volunteer Corps, but Volunteers belonging to -Infantry corps who may possess the requisite qualifications will also be -eligible.’ One of the qualifications laid down was that they should be -‘good riders’ before joining Lumsden’s Horse. Here the value of previous -training in military duties and of something more than haphazard -horsemanship was recognised; and happily Colonel Lumsden knew exactly -the sort of men who would meet both requirements, especially as the -limits of age (between twenty and forty) brought the best of those who -had the riding and shooting experiences incidental to a planter’s life -into the category. It is not surprising if he showed a partiality for -them when rival claims had to be decided upon. The fact that many of -them offered to bring their own horses weighed nothing with him, though -he knew that the companies would have to be mounted somehow and that the -Government had explicitly declined to provide horses for that purpose. -Either by private contributions in kind or by public subscription toward -the necessary funds for purchasing, a horse for each trooper had to be -furnished; but this consideration did not weigh for a moment against the -chances of a man who could only give himself to the Empire’s service, so -long as he had in essential points better qualifications than other -candidates could boast. The wife of a prominent and popular soldier—now -a general—asked, as a great favour, that her brother might be allowed to -serve as a trooper in the corps. To such a pleader Sir Patrick could not -say ‘no,’ so he arranged a little dinner at which the fascinating lady -was to sit beside Colonel Lumsden. Whether her gentle persuasions -prevailed or the brother’s merits were too obvious to be disregarded, it -is certain that he joined the ranks of Lumsden’s Horse, and so -completely justified the choice that he is now an officer of the Regular -army and a Companion of the Distinguished Service Order. Naturally, the -selection of two hundred and fifty men to represent all India from among -a thousand who were anxious for the opportunity of seeing active service -gave rise to much jealousy and heart-burning on the part of the -rejected. Reading some of their vituperations, one might imagine that -they had been aspirants to posts of high distinction, or at least to -lucrative sinecures, rather than candidates for the khaki jackets of -privates in a regiment about to share the hardships of a perilous -campaign. One disappointed applicant, whose martial ardour was not to be -quenched by rejection, wrote angrily to the ‘Englishman,’ suggesting -that there was gross favouritism in the preference shown for planters -over townsmen. His letter is worth quoting at length as typical of the -fighting spirit that had been aroused everywhere by Colonel Lumsden’s -patriotic manifesto. Thus he wrote: - - _To the Editor of the ‘Englishman.’_ - - SIR,—I hope I am in time to draw the attention of the Government to - the _Bahadur_[1] style in which the selection to the ‘Indian Yeomanry - Corps’ of Volunteers is being conducted. Because a man is the son of - his father, and owns a few ponies and a few hundred rupees, is he to - be given the preference as a fighting unit? - - There are to-day in India, even in the city of Calcutta, men of - unquestionable merit, men who are sons and the recipients of a - heritage of blood shed in England’s and her Most Gracious Majesty’s - cause from fathers who had bled and died for England and England’s - prestige, and I beg to ask you, Sir, are these men to be shelved to - suit the convenience of a few planters? I am not a planter, and, as an - outsider, I put my claims forward as a test of merit. I am willing to - shoot a match up the range with the best man selected from Behar, run - him a given distance, ride him on strange nags (catch weights), and in - the end with my weight and other recommendations beat him. - -[Illustration: - - _Photo: Bourne & Shepherd_ - BEHAR CONTINGENT OF LUMSDEN’S HORSE -] - -There is quite a ring of mediaeval chivalry about that challenge to -‘shoot up the range.’ One cannot mistake its blood-thirsty significance, -and perhaps it is lucky for the Champion of Behar that he did not take -up the gauntlet thus ruthlessly thrown down. It will be noticed that -this duel, after the manner suggested by one of Bret Harte’s heroes, was -to precede all other events in the prolonged ordeal; and imagination -shudders at the picture of awful slaughter that would have been wrought, -as the picked marksmen of Behar and Hyderabad and Oudh and Assam went -down one by one, if they had dared to face the deadly rifle of that -truculent citizen of Calcutta, without getting a chance to prove whether -he could run or ride. Happily, the selected two hundred and fifty kept -their heads, so that the trial by single combat never came off; but one -must hope that a place was found in Lumsden’s Horse for the -self-confident challenger, and that he proved as formidable on the field -as in a printed column. Readers may scan the names of troopers, whose -occupations before enlistment are all given in the Appendix, and yet be -left speculating whether or not the writer of that letter was among the -chosen after all. He will not be found in the first or second section of -Company A, composed almost to a man of indigo-planters, or in the third -section, whose tea-planters, mainly from Assam, have not a townsman -among them; and the planters who make up an overwhelming majority of -three sections in Company B would equally disclaim all knowledge of the -fire-eating citizen. Can it be that he figures in the more casual fourth -section of either company, under the vague designation of a ‘gentleman’ -or a ‘journalist’? A little levity may be pardoned now in reference to a -matter which, at the time, aroused some acrimony. All that, however, was -swept away by the wave of enthusiasm, leaving no bitterness behind it, -even in the minds of those who at first thought themselves humiliated by -rejection. If Lumsden’s Horse were almost entirely a corps of planters, -few questioned the care and discretion with which Colonel Lumsden had -chosen his men, and none could deny that they made a goodly show at -manœuvres on the Maidan, where their camp was pitched within easy -reach of the city. Though quartered there for six weeks in circumstances -that exposed them to many temptations, those troopers behaved in a -manner that would have been considered exemplary for the best regiment -of disciplined Regulars. This is not surprising when we consider that in -civil life they had been accustomed to exercise, command, and to exact -obedience from others, even at the risk of their own lives. At the -outset Colonel Lumsden made it a condition that he would have none but -unmarried men in the ranks, and to this rule there were few known -exceptions, though some Benedicts crept in undeclared. As a regiment, -Lumsden’s Horse had an _esprit de corps_ to maintain from the day of its -birth under auspices that made the occasion imperial, and every man of -it was tacitly pledged to prove himself a worthy recipient of the honour -conferred upon him as one of India’s chosen representatives. How that -feeling prevailed over all other considerations in the moment when -Lumsden’s Horse played their manful part in battle for the first time, -and how it held them together in a comradeship that was akin to -brotherhood through after-months of hard campaigning, will appear as the -narrative unfolds itself. It began to have an influence while the corps -was as yet but an invertebrate skeleton, and it helps to explain the -anxiety of Indian Volunteers to join the ranks of a force that was -destined by the nature of things to become historical. One can -understand, therefore, the alternations of hope and depression that -passed over certain districts where men who had offered their services -waited anxiously for the decision on which their chances of distinction -hung. Some glimpses of this may be got through the letters received by -Colonel Lumsden from all parts of India at that time, and from the -diaries in which thoughts as well as actions are recorded by the men -themselves. One begins his notes—two days after Colonel Lumsden’s call -for Volunteers had been published—with the entry: ‘An express came from -—— to say he had sent in the names of twenty men from C Company.’ After -waiting impatiently several days for news that did not come, the diarist -got his friend to send two telegrams, one to Colonel Lumsden, the other -direct to the Adjutant-General at Calcutta, offering a complete company. -The next day somebody turned up with news that they had been accepted. -Jubilation on this score, however, lasted no longer than twenty-four -hours, when it gave place to dejection caused by rumours that they ‘were -not accepted after all.’ This wave of depression passed away as speedily -in its turn, dispelled by the rays of hope that burst out radiantly on -receipt of a chit from —— ‘asking me to come in at once.’ Under the next -day’s date comes the crowning triumph of that anxious time, told very -simply but in a way that makes one feel the nerves of those men -throbbing through every word. ‘Started for Chick,’ runs the entry; ‘met -——, who told me we really were accepted. Then we met —— dashing along on -his bike. He had already upset a woman.’ A week later, after many -festive farewells, that contingent was on its way to Calcutta and -foregathering with other contingents, whose experiences had all been the -same, for every man of them was buoyant at the prospect of seeing active -service, and would have regarded it as a personal slight, if not an -indelible stigma on his reputation for courage, if he had been left -behind. - -[Illustration: MYSORE AND COORG CONTINGENT] - -So day by day the ranks of Lumsden’s Horse gained strength until their -numbers were complete and recruiting had to be stopped; while many -candidates whom the Colonel would gladly have taken tried in vain for -admission. It was a regiment of which any commanding officer might be -proud, whether judged by physical or mental standards. A corps of -planters it might have been justly called, for they outnumbered all of -other occupations; but it represented many classes, and nearly every -district in India where sport-loving Britishers are to be found. In its -ranks were fifty-five indigo-planters, sixty-one tea-planters, -thirty-one coffee-planters, and five of similar occupation not -specifically designated. Beside these, the sixteen Civil Service men of -various grades, three bank assistants, twelve railway officials, -including civil engineers, three medical men from the planting -districts, one inspector of mounted police, a brewer, a tutor, a -journalist, and a few others whose peaceful days until then had been -devoted to commerce, form a comparatively small proportion. Thus -considerably more than half the fighting strength were planters. Among -the remainder, townsmen must have been fairly represented, to say -nothing of artificers who formed the Maxim Gun detachment under command -of Captain Bernard Willoughby Holmes, whose services had been placed at -Colonel Lumsden’s disposal by consent of the East India Railway Company. -The Mercantile Marine also furnished its quota in the persons of a -captain, a chief officer, a second officer, and two engineers of the -British India Steam Navigation Company’s fleet, and a chief officer of -the Hajee Cassim Line. A veterinary surgeon, police inspectors, -policemen, clerks in the Military Accounts Department, travelling -agents, hotel assistants, a photographer, a theatrical agent, and a -superintendent of the Rangoon Boating Club joined the Transport, from -which two very smart fellows were drawn into the ranks as troopers -during the campaign, and one of them was subsequently gazetted to the -West India Regiment as second lieutenant. Counting all these, the -enrolled strength was just 300. - -Then came the difficult and delicate task of appointing company officers -and section commanders—a difficulty enhanced by the fact that many -Volunteer officers had enlisted as troopers. I have said that the -Government had given its unqualified approval to Colonel Lumsden’s -project. This statement, however, applies only to the general scheme. It -must be remembered that he had made no stipulation as to his own rank, -or the right of selecting officers, and it was not in the nature of a -British War Office to let the prerogative of veto slip entirely out of -its hands. Colonel Lumsden’s own appointment as commanding officer came -directly from headquarters, on the suggestion probably of Lord Curzon. -Two other conditions, not very irksome, the military authorities made at -Colonel Lumsden’s urgent request. These were that captains commanding -companies should be Regular officers on active service, and that the -adjutant, who would also act as quartermaster, should be appointed from -the Staff Corps or have graduated in it. These nominations were left to -the Commander-in-Chief in India, and in the ordinary course of things -they involved the appointment of Regular non-commissioned officers as -quartermaster-sergeants and company sergeant-majors. Other subordinate -posts for which military experience or special training is necessary -were also filled by Regulars, who thus relieved the Volunteer troopers -of some laborious duties. An officer second in command, four captains -acting as senior subalterns, four lieutenants, a medical officer, and a -veterinary surgeon had still to be selected, and the choice must have -involved many anxious moments, seeing how much depended on the unknown -qualities that are hidden in all men and may lie dormant for years, only -to be developed for good or ill in the crisis of an emergency. How -Colonel Lumsden succeeded in this, as in every other preliminary task -that he imposed upon himself, is now a matter of history to be dealt -with in proper sequence. The wisdom of his selections could only be -proved by events, and to these, as narrated by men who were best able to -judge, appeal may be confidently made. Naturally, some who had held -commissioned rank previously, and thought their claims to consideration -indisputable, felt sore at being passed over in favour of others who -were junior to them in the Volunteer service. But this irritation was -not allowed to show itself or interfere with loyal subordination in all -military duties. - -To the inviolable pages of his diary one, whose merits were not at the -time so well known as they ought to have been, confides the pregnant -sentence: ‘Heard to-day that —— was to be a _captain_, I a _corporal_.’ -There the entry ends, leaving a blank more eloquent than any scathing -comment could have been. For all that, the captain and the corporal -remained on the best of terms, and, though they ceased for discipline’s -sake to call each other by their Christian names, there is reason to -believe that both soon came to the conclusion that no very serious -mistake had been made in estimating their relative fitness for command. -At any rate, after a little friction they shaped themselves like round -pegs to round holes. But that is the habit of Britishers, who, however -unaccustomed to discipline, are not slow in recognising its inevitable -necessity and its inestimable value. They come to see that without it no -concerted movement, whether big or small, is certain of success. You -cannot conduct military operations to a definite end, any more than you -can navigate a ship or rule a family, if individuality is allowed to -take the form of insubordination. These lessons Colonel Lumsden began to -inculcate in his peculiarly persuasive way directly he had got his men -together and placed officers in authority over them. - -Men and officers, however, are not the only things necessary to keep a -fighting unit going when once it has been formed and organised. Sir -Patrick Playfair found the full equipment of such a force no less costly -than he had estimated. Fortunately, however, he had foreseen all -difficulties in this connection and provided for them. After -consultation with General Maitland, General Wace (Director-General of -Ordnance), Sir Alfred Gaselee (then Quartermaster-General), Sir E.R. -Elles (Adjutant-General), and the late Surgeon-General Harvey, it was -decided that nearly a thousand rupees per man would be necessary for -equipping the force, buying horses in addition to those brought in by -troopers themselves, and establishing a reserve fund sufficient for all -emergencies that might arise while the men remained on active service. -This meant that a sum amounting to two and a half lakhs of rupees, or -about sixteen thousand five hundred pounds sterling, would have to be -got together by public subscription. Until this campaign proved the -depth and sincerity of Imperial sentiments among nearly all classes of -the community, few people, even in England, believed that such a sum -would be given to send a mere handful of Volunteers on active service -far from their home. And most people, having but a superficial knowledge -of Indian affairs, would have ridiculed the suggestion that native -princes or merchants would contribute in proportion little less than -Johannesburg millionaires to uphold British supremacy in South Africa. - -Sir Patrick Playfair, however, knowing by experience how liberal had -been the response of those people to all calls on their generosity, and -gauging with remarkable insight the genuineness of their loyal devotion -in a time of possible peril to the Empire, had no doubt what the result -would be. But even he was not prepared for anything like the unanimity -of enthusiasm that his appeal evoked. It took simply the form of a -general invitation to subscribe. The marvellous rapidity with which the -subscription list filled may therefore be taken as a voluntary -expression by Europeans and natives alike of staunch fidelity to the -cause for which Lumsden’s Horse were being enrolled as a fighting unit. -The contributors included His Excellency the Viceroy (Lord Curzon of -Kedleston), His Excellency the Governor of Bombay (Lord Sandhurst), His -Excellency the Commander-in-Chief in India (the late Sir William -Lockhart), their Honours the Lieutenant-Governor of Bengal (Sir John -Woodburn), the Lieutenant-Governor of the Punjab (Sir W. Mackworth -Young), the Lieutenant-Governor of the North-West Provinces and Oudh -(the Bight Honourable Sir A.P. MacDonnell, P.C.), and the -Lieutenant-Governor of Burma (Sir F.W.R. Fryer). Princes, rajahs, -landowners, mercantile firms, and European residents almost without -exception, came forward, subscribing munificently, until the sum of -227,000 rupees had been promised and received in cash, besides -contributions from tradesmen in kind amounting to another 100,000 -rupees. - -No single subscription rivalled Colonel Lumsden’s splendid offer, or -came anywhere near it in amount; but Sir Seymour King, K.C.I.E., M.P., -on account of Messrs. Henry S. King & Co., London, and two allied firms -in Bombay and Calcutta, gave a lump sum of 10,000 rupees, while -Maharajah Sir Jotendro Mohun Tagore, K.C.S.I., Rajah Sir Sourindro Mohun -Tagore, Knt., C.I.E., Nawab Sir Sidi Ahmed Khan, K.C.S.I., Mr. F. -Verner, Messrs. Apcar & Co., and Kumar Rada Prosad Roy sent 5,000 rupees -each. The last named, a zemindar, or landed proprietor, was quite -diffident and doubtful whether he ought to subscribe without being asked -directly, but he expressed a hope that his contribution would be -accepted. A great many merchants and others who were only known to Sir -Patrick Playfair by name sent cheques for amounts varying from fifty to -2,500 rupees. No fewer than twenty-eight mercantile firms in Calcutta -subscribed 1,000 rupees each, and among the most liberal donors were -native princes of nearly every State in the three Presidencies. - -His Highness the Maharajah of Bhownagar, whose palace is 2,500 miles -distant from Calcutta, sent fifty Arab chargers and saddlery; the -Maharani Regent of Mysore, twenty-two country-bred and Arab horses; and -other potentates, like the Maharajah Bahadur of Soubarsa and the Rajah -of Mearsa, gave handsome presents of a similar kind according to the -resources of their studs. The natives of Aligarh, clubbing together, -sent twenty-seven horses and one mule; while one, Mohammed Mazamullah -Khan, gave two horses, a mule, a donkey, and two small sleeping tents, -accompanied by a touchingly simple letter saying, ‘They are all I have -to help to conquer the enemies of the Great White Queen.’ Other -contributions in kind ranged from tents sufficient for the whole force -presented by the Elgin cotton mills of Cawnpore, rough serge cloth for -all coats requisite from the Egerton woollen mills at Cawnpore, puttees -from Kashmir and Cawnpore, gaiters, Cardigan jackets, hats, horseshoes -and nails, forage, tea, coffee, beer, whisky, and cigars, down to -matches, of which no fewer than 7,000 boxes were sent by one thoughtful -gentleman. The India General Steam Navigation Company, the River Steam -Navigation Company, the East India Railway, and the Eastern Bengal State -Railway combined to carry men and horses free of charge from all parts -of India to Calcutta. - -A small executive committee was formed by Colonel Lumsden to carry out -the arrangements for the equipment and despatch of the corps. Its -members were: - - Colonel LUMSDEN, _President_. - Sir PATRICK PLAYFAIR, C.I.E. - Colonel GEORGE MONEY. - The Hon. Colonel BUCKINGHAM, C.I.E. - Major EDDIS. - Mr. HARRY STUART. - -The work of organising naturally fell to Colonel Lumsden, who was also -busily engaged in selecting officers and enrolling men; while Sir -Patrick Playfair undertook the entire management of the collection of -subscriptions in cash and in kind, assisted by Mr. Shirley Tremearne, -Editor of ‘Capital,’ whose local knowledge enabled him to render -valuable aid in appealing to the mercantile community where personal -appeals were necessary, and in collecting the promised subscriptions for -which personal application had to be made in accordance with traditional -etiquette. Mr. Harry Stuart, formerly executive manager of the Bengal -State Railway, took charge of all arrangements for receiving and messing -the different detachments on their arrival in Calcutta from distant -districts until a camp could be formed. - -[Illustration: - - _Photo: Bourne & Shepherd_ - - MR. HARRY STUART SIR PATRICK PLAYFAIR, C.I.E. - COL. MONEY COL. LUMSDEN, C.B. MAJOR EDDIS - - THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE -] - -Though the mobilisation scheme—drawn up by the Indian Headquarters Staff -and sent to Colonel Lumsden after approval by the War Office in -London—promised no more substantial assistance than the provision of -arms, ammunition, rations, and transport to South Africa, it furnished -many suggestions of the greatest importance, and, as a model for use on -any similar occasion hereafter, it is reproduced at length in the -Appendix. This document will be found of interest also as giving a -comprehensive idea of the many requirements for which provision had to -be made by Colonel Lumsden and his colleagues. Their labours were -lightened by the cordial co-operation of military officials, who went -out of their way to render every possible assistance. Without the advice -and practical aid thus given by heads of departments of the Government -of India, it would have been impossible for Colonel Lumsden, or any -other commanding officer in his position, to have carried out all the -War Office conditions economically. Major-General Wace, C.B., as head of -the Ordnance Department, gave every facility for Colonel Lumsden to -indent on Government stores for clothing and accoutrements at regulation -prices, and not only so, but he and Colonel Buckland, the Superintendent -of Army Clothing, with Major-General T.F. Hobday, Commissary-General, -and Surgeon-General Robert Harvey, C.B., were ready to place the fruits -of their long experience and special knowledge of various details at the -service of Colonel Lumsden whenever he felt the need of advice in such -matters; and Captain A.L. Phillips, an officer on the Staff of Sir -Alfred Gaselee, Q.M.G., was untiring in his efforts to make the movement -a success so far as his personal efforts and influence could avail. So -everything went well from the beginning, thanks in great measure to the -lively interest taken in the corps by Lord Curzon, who was pleased to -become its Honorary Colonel, and by all officers of his personal Staff. -Her Excellency Lady Curzon was equally zealous and lent her influence to -every good work by which the ladies of Calcutta sought to express their -admiration, and perhaps their tender regard, for the heroes who were -going forth to fight. What form that expression should take was a -subject much debated and long in doubt. Of course Sir Patrick Playfair -had to be consulted by a deputation of charming damsels. He thought a -bazaar might give them the opportunity they wanted. Yes! that was just -the thing; but then—and then came a string of fatal objections. A -smoking-concert was next suggested, and the young ladies thought that -idea splendid, only—well, in short, it wouldn’t do. Then, as if it were -the last resource to be thought of—a sort of forlorn hope—Sir Patrick -hinted that a dance might meet the case. To that his fair interviewers -demurred most effusively; but then and without any hypnotic suggestion, -so Sir Patrick avers, they began to see that something might be urged in -favour of it, and at last, with a unanimity that was wonderful, they -decided that a dance was the only means of fitly celebrating the -occasion. Having come to that conclusion, all their coy objections -vanished in a moment. Sir Patrick saw his opportunity and seized it to -persuade them that, as it was to be a ladies’ enterprise, they must -manage it entirely themselves. Thereupon they formed a committee, of -which Miss Pugh was elected Honorary Secretary, invited Lady Curzon of -Kedleston to become patroness, and set to work with an energy which no -mere man could hope to rival. They had of course to enlist masculine -services for subordinate duties. This they did with a sweet despotism -that made revolt impossible. The men had to accept without a murmur the -positions assigned to them as stewards, and obeyed every mandate like -the willing slaves we all should be in similar circumstances. The -committee of ladies showed a business-like promptitude in settling every -detail and a faculty for organisation which won from a military admirer -the approving comment that they could conduct a campaign if they would -only give their minds to it. This or some other feminine attribute had -such an effect on the wine merchants of Calcutta that they sent -champagne for the ball-supper and gallantly refused to accept payment. -So the Calcutta Ball in honour of Lumsden’s Horse became an assured -success almost from the moment of its happy inception. Brilliant beyond -the dreams of a _débutante_, it left on many a susceptible heart -impressions which neither time nor the changing scenes of warfare could -dim, as the secret archives, to which an editor alone has access, -attest; and in a less romantic way it proved the unselfish devotion of -those ladies, who, after paying all expenses, handed over a balance of -6,000 rupees to the war-chest of Lumsden’s Horse. - - LIEUT. SIDEY LIEUT. PUGH CAPT. CLIFFORD LIEUT. CRANE LIEUT. - NEVILLE CAPT. RUTHERFOORD - -[Illustration: - - _Photo: Harrington & Co._ -] - - CAPT. CHAMNEY MAJOR SHOWERS COL. LUMSDEN CAPT. TAYLOR CAPT. - BERESFORD - CAPT. NOBLETT VET.-CAPT. STEVENSON - OFFICERS OF THE CORPS - -Such financial aids came not amiss at the moment. Government transports -chartered by the Royal Indian Marine for taking troops to Natal were -delayed on the return, and, one vessel having broken down, Colonel -Lumsden found that he would have to encamp his men on the Maidan for two -or three weeks longer than he had anticipated, and this entailed an -additional expenditure of nearly 1,000_l._ for extra rations and -comforts. To soldiers of Spartan mould, who pride themselves on -discarding luxuries at the first call to arms, this might have seemed -like pampering the Volunteer troopers; but it must be remembered that in -India men cannot give up the habits of a lifetime all at once and come -down to bare soldier’s rations without danger to their health. And -Colonel Lumsden’s first object after getting his men was to keep them -fit. His care in this respect was justified by events no less than his -judgment in the selection of men for mental and physical attributes. At -the end of a year’s campaigning he was able to boast that his losses -from sickness were proportionately less than in any other regiment. This -delay had its advantages in so far as it gave Colonel Lumsden and his -officers a chance of training the troopers for their duties and -accustoming them to their horses before the day of embarkation. The -postponement, we may be sure, was no disappointment to the people of -Calcutta, who felt that the Maidan would be a cheerless blank without -Lumsden’s Horse. It will be well to give here a few details of -organisation. By War Office order the corps was to consist of two -companies, each commanded by a Regular officer, and the Government also -appointed a Regular adjutant to assist Colonel Lumsden in executive -work; while Colonel Eden C. Showers, Commandant of the Surma Valley -Light Horse, offered to serve as Major, and was gazetted with that rank -as second in command. When other officers had been selected, chiefly on -the recommendation of commandants under whom they had served in -Volunteer Corps, they were posted in the following order: - - STAFF.—Lieutenant-Colonel Dugald McTavish Lumsden, Commandant. - - Major Eden C. Showers, Second in Command. - - Captain Neville C. Taylor, 14th Bengal Lancers, Adjutant and - Quartermaster. - - Captain Samuel Arthur Powell, Medical Officer. - - Veterinary Captain William Stevenson, M.R.C.V.S., Veterinary Surgeon. - - A COMPANY.—Captain James Hugh Brownlow Beresford, 3rd Sikhs - (commanding), Captain John Brownley Rutherfoord, Lieutenants Charles - Edward Crane and George Augustus Neville. - - B COMPANY.—Captain Louis Hemington Noblett, Royal Irish Rifles - (commanding), Captain Henry Chamney, Captain Frank Clifford, - Lieutenants Charles Lyon Sidey and Herbert Owain Pugh. - - MAXIM GUN DETACHMENT.—Captain Bernard Willoughby Holmes (commanding). - -Each company had a Regular non-commissioned officer as Company -Sergeant-Major and another Regular as Company Quartermaster-Sergeant for -office duties under the Regimental Quartermaster-Sergeant. Regulars from -the Artillery, Cavalry, and Infantry were also attached as -Farrier-Sergeants, Saddlers, and Signallers, and from the Indian -Commissariat as Transport Sergeant. The Maxim Gun Contingent, under -Captain Holmes was raised and equipped by the East India Railway -Company, who offered its services to Colonel Lumsden. The Calcutta -Committee had decided, with the sanction of the Government, that -Lumsden’s Horse should not want for adequate regimental transport in the -field, but, on the contrary, should leave India as a thoroughly -organised unit in that respect, with a complete train of transport -carts, ponies, and pack mules, all properly equipped. It is hardly -necessary to say that the grant of transport, saddlery, and draught -harness, for which provision was made in the mobilisation order, did not -comprise all that the committee desired; but the inexhaustible Ordnance -Stores were again open to be requisitioned ‘on payment,’ and carts of -the Indian Army Transport pattern were drawn in a similar way from the -Commissariat Department. The ponies and mules, however, had to be -collected by agents in the hill districts of Assam and Thibet, a -distance of 1,000 miles from Calcutta. When all this was done, the corps -could justly be considered fit for active service, and it is certain -that no contingent, Volunteer or Regular, landed in South Africa with a -more efficient transport than Lumsden’s Horse. It came near being upset, -however, by a War Office decision. Almost at the last minute Colonel -Lumsden was told that the native drivers would not be permitted to -accompany the corps, and that no natives could go except one personal -servant for each officer and a limited number of syces, or grooms, in -the proportion of one to each charger, as laid down in the mobilisation -scheme. This allowance of three native attendants to every officer was -on a sufficiently liberal scale, but it did not meet the requirements -for transport purposes. Therefore Colonel Lumsden had to enlist European -drivers, of whom twenty-six were needed for each company. In ordinary -circumstances Anglo-Indian prejudices would have combined to make this -an insuperable difficulty; but so keen was the anxiety of men to see war -service in South Africa that they volunteered to go in any capacity not -necessarily menial, and so Colonel Lumsden got the full complement of -drivers together just as readily as lie had filled the ranks with -fighting men. War Office conditions stipulated that officers and -troopers of the corps must provide their own horses and saddlery, though -nearly all of the latter might be drawn from Ordnance Stores at cost -price. Naturally the supply of suitable animals for Mounted Infantry -work had to be made a corps affair from the outset. Very few of the -enlisted troopers owned horses of a class that they would have cared to -ride through the rough work of a campaign, even if they could be always -sure of having their own; and Colonel Lumsden was not likely to -countenance any claims of private ownership when once horses were -numbered as of the troop. He therefore informed every man who brought a -horse with him that it must be considered corps property, and might not -be appropriated by its owner without the commanding officer’s sanction. -No other arrangement could have worked satisfactorily. In consideration -of this understanding Colonel Lumsden promised that he would endeavour -to obtain from Government a scale of compensation for horses thus -appropriated, and in the event of being successful the sums obtained -under this head would be returned _pro rata_ to the owners of horses. It -may be mentioned in passing that Colonel Lumsden’s efforts to this end -were ultimately successful, the Government consenting to allow an -average of 30_l._ per horse to the corps, so that every man who brought -his own charger was compensated at last. - -[Illustration: - - _Photo: F. Kapp & Co._ - MESSING AT CALCUTTA - _Under the Shamiana_ -] - -The men having drawn their Lee-Metford rifles with short bayonets and an -abundant supply of ·303 ball cartridges, both for practice and the -sterner work to come, were duly clothed and equipped, much to their -satisfaction. - -Not many of these things, in addition to rifles and ammunition, were -free gifts from Government, whose contributions in kind had to be -supplemented by purchases out of store at the cost of corps funds and by -gifts from the appreciative public to whom no appeals were made in vain. -The troopers, at any rate, were troubled not a whit about these things, -being quite satisfied with the completeness of their personal outfit, -even before Mrs. Pugh and the ladies of Calcutta bethought them to work -woollen comforters for presentation to every man of Lumsden’s Horse on -the day of embarkation. They did not, however, take so kindly at first -to the Lee-Metford rifle. It was a new weapon to most of the men, who -had never handled anything more complicated than the old Martini -carbine. So batches of men went to the ranges every morning to practise -and accustom themselves to the peculiarities of a firearm that made no -more noise than the crack of a whip and ‘had no kick in it.’ This was a -time of gradual but sometimes painful initiation to the hardships and -discomforts inseparable from camp life. Lessons, however distasteful, -had to be learned, and it must be said that Lumsden’s Horse took the -rough with the smooth cheerily enough, enlivening their daily routine -with many pleasantries. They were always ready to laugh at a comrade or -with him in a merry jest at their own expense. Some literary -contributions from the ranks to local papers were amusing in their -fanciful exaggerations, which nobody enjoyed more than did the troopers -whose foibles were thus humorously railed at. For sanitary reasons they -were one day ordered, by medical authority, to strike their camp and -pitch it on fresh ground, whereupon one of them wrote: - - Like a bolt from the blue has fallen upon this camp the Æsculapian - decree that we must go hence! It happened to-day that the medical eye - of Lumsden’s Horse opened wide, and beheld strange sights. What the - vision was has not been recorded owing to no ink being found in camp - capable of expressing its blackness, but it is no secret that microbes - as big as mastodons were observed freely gambolling in the immediate - vicinity of the commissariat tent. The marvel is that a number of men - can have lived on such a spot for ten days without coming to more - serious harm. - - The green sward on the banks of the Tolly’s Nullah has presented an - animated appearance within the last few days, for every train arriving - in Calcutta has brought its quota to swell the corps. A number of men - from the Assam Valley Light Horse are now in camp. The Mysore - contingent is also established, while the Behar lads are expected - to-morrow by 10 o’clock. These will number a few over fifty, and will - prove no doubt the _crème de la crème_ of the corps. In a day or two - the Maxim gun will come into quarters, and Oakley, of Kooch Behar and - Tirah fame, has gone to some up-country sequestered spot whence comes - a particularly quiet _jat_ of pony, where he will choose animals of - gentle temperament and so small that falling off them won’t hurt—for - Maxim gun men scorn to ride. - - This question of riding is no small one, and many gallant sportsmen - may be seen tearing down the lines trying to get there before their - horses. One like this was advised by a real Tommy Atkins to sit - further back and so enjoy a longer ride. Not the least pleasurable - sight in the camp is when bold Volunteers begin grooming their own - horses. Some never do more than the neck, because of the risk attached - to venturing within range of hind feet, with which country-bred horses - are notoriously handy—if it may be so said of feet. Then saddling - troubles others, because of the difficulty in distinguishing between - cantle and pommel when a saddle hasn’t a horse inside to illustrate - the difference. - -There is a touch of boyish imagination about that sketch, but it is not -altogether fanciful. Some of the Volunteers who joined first were by no -means experienced horse-masters, and, to nearly all, the equipments for -Mounted Infantry in full campaigning kit were not less strange than -military technicalities. There was a rich fund of amusement for -Lumsden’s Horse in the unauthorised version of ordinary commands as one -trooper construed them. When sections in line were crowding too much -upon him he would say, ‘Fall off, man! Fall off to the left.’ The -comrade thus admonished would murmur, ‘Hang it all, man, that is just -what I am trying not to do.’ Still, young Malaprop would repeat, in -defiance of the Sergeant-Major’s peremptory request for silence in the -ranks, ‘Fall off! fall off!’ meaning all the time ‘Ease off.’ These -simple incidents of every day gave a piquancy to camp ‘gup,’ and were -the cause of more mirth than the elaborate jokes concocted by literary -troopers could arouse. One civilian, in a playfully prophetic mood, -devised a new coat of arms for Lumsden’s Horse, which was published in -the ‘Indian Daily News’ as a clever play upon the cant of Heraldry; -though the Earl Marshal and all the Kings-at-Arms and all the learned -pursuivants of Heralds’ College might have been puzzled if called upon -to emblazon the quaint conceit with its complicated quarterings, its -proper shield of pretence, and its lurid crest of augmentation. - ------ - -Footnote 1: - - Hindustani for ‘cavalier.’—ED. - ------ - - - - - CHAPTER II - _PREPARING FOR THE FRONT—DEPARTURE FROM CALCUTTA_ - - -Life in camp on the Maidan was becoming somewhat monotonous to men whose -ardent spirits panted for opportunities of distinction in the Empire’s -service, and for freer movement on the vast South African veldt. For -traces of this yearning one may search in vain through pages of diaries, -to which men do not commit all their secret thoughts. Perhaps they -regarded a parade of warlike sentiments as bad form even in the written -impressions that were intended only for private perusal. So they -contented themselves with noting briefly the minor events of listless -days and the mild excitements of evenings that passed swiftly enough in -such social pleasures as dining, theatre-going, or listening to the -latest London melodies at a smoking-concert organised in aid of the war -fund. Even a flower-show was regarded by some as an amusement. We come -across frequent references to baths at the Swimming Club, tiffin at -Pelité’s, and luxurious little dinners at the Bristol, the Continental, -or the Grand; but only by inference, from the sudden importance given to -these everyday incidents of civilian life, can we gather what a contrast -they were to the coarser fare and rougher surroundings of meals in camp. -There is not a hint of discontent at being reduced for the first time in -their lives to soldiers’ rations or at the hard fatigue work they were -put to as a necessary part of the daily routine. These manly young -troopers were beginning to learn the soldier’s lessons of subjection to -discipline and endurance of discomforts that must have seemed -sufficiently like hardships to most of them, but they had not acquired -the habit of grumbling which is Tommy’s cherished privilege. The visits -of crowds to that camp on the Maidan every Sunday were evidence enough -of the great interest taken by all classes of citizens in Lumsden’s -Horse, who were properly appreciative of those attentions, and not quite -insensible to the sweet flattery of admiring glances from pretty eyes. -The motto that ‘None but the brave deserve the fair’ is one in which -gallant soldiers from all time have found encouragement, and Lumsden’s -Horse were beginning to appropriate it with other soldierly attributes, -for were they not all brave and resolved to prove it? Their only fear -was that the chance of doing knightly deeds might not come to them, and -that they would land in South Africa only in time to learn that the war -had been finished before the tardy transports could get there. -Nevertheless, we know that they relaxed no efforts to make themselves -fit for the fray. From contributions by troopers to the Indian papers we -may learn how zealous they were to master the least attractive duties of -military life, and Staff officers bear witness to the sincerity and -success of these endeavours. Mere forms of discipline might have been -lacking, and one cannot wonder that men who had lived similar lives, -sharing the same sports and social pleasures, found it difficult at -first to fall into their relative positions, some as officers, others as -troopers, and to keep each his own proper groove, ignoring old -associations. But the right spirit of subordination was there, and a -commander of Irregulars does not ask for more if he has the true -capacity for leadership. The daily routine of duties in camp on the -Maidan was designed to foster this spirit without making the yoke of -essential discipline too galling. A description of it as given by one in -the ranks will show that Lumsden’s Horse were by no means pampered -Sybarites even at that early stage of their soldiering: - - At 6 the ‘rouse’ sounds, and, some minutes later, men clad in khaki - breeches, putti gaiters, and flannel shirts issue from the little bell - tents into the clammy mist of early morning, and after obtaining a cup - of tea at the mess, remove the jhools—which are a most necessary - protection against the heavy dew—from their horses, and give them a - rub down. At 7 we hear the bugle call ‘Saddle up,’ and at 7.30 the men - are all fallen in on the Maidan in column of sections, and go through - the various evolutions, special attention being given to mounting and - dismounting on saddles packed with full kit, and the leading of - horses, the correct and rapid performance of which is so important in - Mounted Infantry work. The regiment is divided into two companies, - each company consisting of 120 men formed into four sections, and - these again divided into permanent sub-sections of four men each. As a - rule the sections work independently, each under its own commander. - Blank ammunition is liberally expended in order to accustom the horses - to the rattle of musketry. Most of the men are mounted on - country-breds; but several ride shapely walers averaging 14.2. - Considering that 50 per cent. of the horses are quite untrained as - chargers, they are astonishingly quiet and well-behaved; the - C.B.s—with the exception of an occasional kicker, which plays havoc in - the ranks, and is a source of some danger to his unfortunate - companions, both men and horses—are quick, handy little brutes, and - already they have learnt to lead steadily and well. There are, of - course, a good number of trained horses in the ranks; the Mysore men, - for instance, being almost without exception mounted on Silidar - horses, which are proving most satisfactory chargers and are expected - to do well in Africa. After parade the horses are watered, fed, and - groomed by their respective owners, and then, as Mr. Pepys would have - said, ‘to breakfast,’ under a large _shamiana_ placed at one end of - the camp in the shade of sycamore-fig trees. The morning passes - quickly while men are drawing and marking kit, cleaning rifles, or - doing fatigue duty at pitching tents and other healthy exercises. At - noon we water and feed the horses, and 1 o’clock is the tiffin hour. - At 4.30 there is an afternoon parade, sometimes by companies, and - sometimes the whole regiment parading under the Colonel or Major, - after which water, feed and bed-down, and then dinner, and an early - retirement to bed. But not for all is this happy rest. There are two - guard tents, at opposite ends of the camp, each company providing a - sergeant and three men for guard every twenty-four hours, while a man - from each company is on sentry throughout the night, his duty being to - see that the horses are properly secured—head and heel—and be on hand - in case of sickness. - -[Illustration: - - _Photo: F. Kapp & Co._ - HORSES IN CAMP AT CALCUTTA -] - -They were not all tyros in war. Burma ribbons on the breasts of some -Surma Valley Volunteers who were at Manipur told of previous service in -the field, though against enemies very different from the ‘slim,’ -evasive Boer. Others who wore no badges of distinction were believed to -have fought in more than one campaign; at least, the fair visitors -declared that such a martial mien as some men bore could only have been -acquired on active service: it bespoke a consciousness of great deeds -gallantly done. The heroes of these flattering tributes lived up to -their reputations by putting on an air of mystery, which the Colonel -alone could have dispelled, for none but he knew the history of every -man in the regiment. Still, nobody would have thought of looking for -suspected Boers or Boer spies in the ranks of Lumsden’s Horse. A good -story, however, is told in this connection at the expense of an officer -who overheard two men in the uniform of Lumsden’s Horse talking, in a -tongue that was not English, at one of the hotel bars. The officer, not -recognising either of them, listened curiously, and caught a few phrases -which he declared to be German by the sound (and he claimed familiarity -with that, though he did not know enough of the language to repeat the -words he had heard). ‘It was German, and no mistake,’ he said, ‘and -those two men in our uniform were talking it fluently. What could they -be but Boer spies?’ One had a distinctly Boer face, he thought, and, -deciding that something ought to be done at once, he assumed his most -nonchalant air and asked the two men politely for their names. In reply -they gave names so common in England that he could only regard them as -aliases. His suspicions being thus seemingly confirmed, he took into his -confidence two brother-officers, who, when the two ‘spies’ were pointed -out to them, saw the possibility of playing off a joke on the amateur -detective, for they recognised in the one with a ‘distinctly Boer face’ -a young planter from Behar whose fresh, boyish appearance had won for -him the nickname of ‘Baby.’ He looked innocent enough to be capable of -anything. Admitting that both these men had come with them from up -country, the two mischievous friends added, ‘But we don’t know much -about them.’ That was enough for the investigator, who rose at dawn next -morning to prepare a circumstantial report for submission to the -Colonel. He declared this to be ‘his duty,’ and announced a stern -determination to go through with it in spite of pretended protestations -from many comrades who had somehow got wind of the story. Their -pleadings and wily persuasions only served to goad him on. The -responsibility of silence, which they sought to impose upon him, was too -much for one in his position to bear, so he hurried off towards the -Colonel’s tent, eager to make his startling disclosures. On the way, -however, he met a trooper, who unwittingly ‘gave the whole show away’; -and the crestfallen officer learned that the men whom he was going to -denounce as Boer spies had been coffee-planting for several years in -Coorg, and that the language they talked when exchanging confidences in -a public place was not German but Canarese. Such incidents as these -helped to while away the tedium of life in camp when the iron hand of -discipline was beginning to make itself felt lightly but firmly. A very -little humour provokes much mirth when other entertainments are scarce. -By that time even the sing-songs in camp were being cut short, and the -only note of revolt that Lumsden’s Horse were ever known to have sounded -arose on that account. It did not grow loud enough to reach the -commanding officer’s ears, but is recorded in the diary of a trooper -who, after describing a very pleasant little camp-fire concert, says: -‘We were all packed off to bed at 9.30 by the Sergeant-Major, to our -indignation.’ - -[Illustration: - - _Photo: Bourne & Shepherd._ - ON PARADE, CALCUTTA -] - -Public efforts for their amusement, however, did not flag, nor were camp -regulations always enforced so strictly. These facts we may gather from -an entry that would have delighted the methodical Samuel Pepys. ‘After -dinner drove to the Grand. Played snookers and won. Afterwards to the -Biograph, to which we were invited for nothing. Rather a noise cheering -for the Queen, Colonel Lumsden, &c. Marched back singing, though someone -tried to stop us. The Colonel came too and bade us sing. Had supper and -more songs, and three cheers for the Colonel, and to bed at two.’ These -frank revelations are worth whole columns of detailed description as -giving an insight into the character of the men who formed Lumsden’s -Horse and their adaptability to circumstances that marked the later days -of their camp life on the Maidan. The time for such festivities was -drawing rapidly to a close, and none but Puritanical moralists would -blame them for making the most of it after the manner of light-hearted -youth. They had serious thoughts on occasion, however, and all their -letters show how deeply impressed they were by one ceremony. The date of -embarkation was still uncertain when on Wednesday, February 14, some two -hundred officers and men under Colonel Lumsden’s command, headed by the -band of the Royal Irish Rifles, marched from their camp to the Cathedral -in Calcutta, where a special evening service of farewell was to be -celebrated. The Viceroy and Lady Curzon, Sir John Woodburn, -Lieutenant-Governor of Bengal, nearly every officer of the Viceregal and -District Staffs, with regimental commandants and representatives of -other Presidencies, attended, and a sympathetic congregation filled -every part of the building. Soldiers and civilians joined in singing the -Processional hymn, ‘Onward, Christian soldiers,’ their voices mingling -with an effect never to be forgotten by anybody who took part in that -devotional service. The Lieutenant-Governor read the First Lesson and -Colonel Lumsden the Second. The choir sang ‘Fight the good fight,’ and a -deep silence fell on the congregation when Bishop Welldon began his -address to the contingent that numbered in its ranks many men whose -course in life had been guided by the high principles instilled by him -when he was master and they schoolboys at Tonbridge and Harrow. In a -clear strong voice, the ring of which they knew so well, he spoke to -them and their comrades, saying: - - This is a service of unique interest in the history of our city, and - of our cathedral. It is one of those occasions which make us realise, - amid many differences, the essential fact of our national spiritual - unity. All who are loyal, all who are patriotic in Calcutta, are - gathered or would have gladly gathered within this cathedral to-night. - There is not in all this congregation—there is not, I think, in all - Calcutta—a British heart that is not moved with sympathy and - admiration for you, my brethren, who are going forth to the war in - South Africa. And surely there is not a British heart but feels how - just it is, how wise and how truly consonant with the best traditions - of our race, that it should be your wish on the eve of your departure - to seek the protection of, invite the benediction of, and to - consecrate yourselves to the name and service of the Most High God. - For if it has been possible at other times and in other places within - the last few weeks to strike a note of felicity and festivity—I do not - say that they have been unduly prominent, but who has not heard - them?—if there has been excitement, merriment, and applause on your - behalf, it is a note that I would not sound this evening. You are - going, I know, with deep solemnity and resolution, and you are going - as men who have undertaken a noble duty from which you might have held - aloof without reproach, in the full consciousness of its cost and - peril, and in the sure conviction that the part you are playing is not - unworthy, as indeed it is not, of the British race and the British - Empire. You are proud, then, of your self-chosen mission, but it may - well be that someone who looks forward with eager anticipation to the - future is yet, in his heart, possessed with the not ignoble anxiety - that warfare is no child’s play. It is stern and awful. He who enters - upon it with a light heart is no true soldier of God or man. You are - assembled now within the sanctuary of religion. In a few hours or days - you will set sail for a distant land. It is certain that you all will - be exposed to the strain and danger of the battlefield, and it is by - no means certain that all will return to their homes in safety. Some - who hear me now will probably yield their lives for the Empire. Can I - forget how, on the 24th day of last September, I shook hands at the - Kidderpore Docks with the gallant officer commanding the - Gloucestershire Regiment, and how within a few weeks from that day he - had fallen—shot dead at the head of his regiment? As his fate was, so - may be yours. That is the nobility and dignity of your service. The - people of Calcutta would not throng into this cathedral to pray for - you, with you, if it were not impressed upon their minds that you are - inspired with the brave ambition that makes great Empires great. When - they shall bid you farewell, as the troopship slowly passes into the - distance, it will be with full hearts, and believing that you will be - true even to death, that they will one and all say, ‘God bless you.’ - You go for the conservation of the Empire. I look upon the British - Empire as the highest of human institutions, and realise that the - Empire appeals to the spirit of chivalry, magnanimity, unselfishness, - and devotion in all its members. Nobly, indeed, has India, European - and Native, responded of late to that inspiring appeal. Who is there - that has not felt his pride of Empire to be quickened by the generous - loyalty not of Englishmen only but of the princes and nobles of India - to her Majesty the Queen-Empress? For that loyalty, unexampled as it - is in the history of other peoples, is itself a witness to the - beneficence of British rule. May I venture, if only in passing, to - express the hope that such an exhibition of loyalty may bring comfort - to the sick-bed of that illustrious soldier, the Commander-in-Chief, - who in a retrospect of his life can recall many a battle in which - Europeans and Indians have fought side by side for the Empire? But if - to the princes and nobles—may I not add to the people of India?—the - thought of the Empire makes a paramount appeal, how much more to every - man and woman of us. - - The Imperial spirit is in the air, it has passed from the chamber of - philosophical thinkers to the common life of the nation. We are all - Imperialists now, and it may be said in the sacred language, of our - country in relation to her colonies and dependencies, that ‘her - children have risen up and called her blessed.’ So in the hour of her - stress and suffering there is not one colony that has failed to render - her aid with the resources of its wealth, strength, and its armed men. - Well is it, then, that Englishmen, Scotchmen, and Irishmen resident in - India should take their stand with the colonists, not of South Africa - only, but of Australia and Canada, in a cause which makes them one, - for the Empire means not conquest alone. It means the principles upon - which the modern Christian world is broadly based—justice, equality, - freedom of thought and speech, intellectual progress, pure religion, - and the sense of personal responsibility to God. You go forth, and by - your going you assert that all the constituent members of the Empire - are one. As the Apostle said of old, ‘We are members one of another’; - and again, ‘If one member suffer all the members suffer with it.’ It - is not nothing to you, and it is a matter which vitally and personally - touches your interest, that to your fellow-subjects in South Africa - should have been denied the elementary rights of citizenship and the - common privileges of humanity. The injury that has been done to them - is done to you. That you should go forth in a right and reverent - spirit is the prayer of all who worship with you in this cathedral. Is - it possible—I hardly like to suggest the reflection—but is it possible - that we have lately thought too little of Almighty God? Is it possible - that we have entered upon the war with something like levity in, the - reliance upon our army and upon our pecuniary military resources - rather than upon Him who has made and sanctified our Empire? Is it - possible that we have forgotten that even if the ‘horse is prepared - against the day of battle’ yet victory is of the Lord? If so, let us - return to Him in penitence and prayer. - - Let us, confess our many failings and shortcomings, our imperfect - sense of responsibility to Providence, and our disloyalty, if such - there has been, to His commands. May you go forth, brethren, as - trusting in Him, for you believe that your cause is just. If it were - not just, if it were the cause of oppression or aggrandisement, may He - Himself forbid that it should prosper; but if it be His will to use - you in His service, to make you the instrument of His providence in - the subjugation and pacification of the country which has flouted the - majesty of the British Empire, if He has called you, and you have - responded to His call, then His blessing will abide with you always. - It is in this spirit that we bid you an honourable farewell. It may be - that when you are severed by thousands of miles of ocean from the - country of your birth or of your adoption, the memory of this service - shall not wholly fade from your hearts. Here, in India, where the - majesty of the Empire was most fiercely assailed and most successfully - vindicated—here in this cathedral, where many monuments eloquently - remind you of the courage, faith, and heroism of your race down to the - memorial of those young Englishmen who laid their lives down for their - country saying that they were not the last English—here, in the - presence of the Power which controls the destinies of nations, we - invoke the Divine blessing upon your arms. One last word, one - inspiring motto, we will offer you. It is the watchword of our race: - it is ‘Duty.’ ‘I thank God,’ said Nelson to Captain Blackwood, on the - morning of Trafalgar, ‘for this great opportunity of doing my duty.’ - ‘Whatever happens, Uxbridge,’ said the Duke of Wellington on the - morning of Waterloo, ‘you and I will do our duty.’ That the thought of - ‘duty,’ inspired and sanctified by Heaven, may dwell in your hearts is - our prayer for you all—the highest prayer that man may offer for man. - May the God of our fathers be with you always, and help you to be - brave, generous, and merciful, and vouchsafe to you safety; and if it - be His will may victory and peace restore you to those who love you so - well at home or in India, and grant you in life or in death to prove - yourselves worthy citizens of the Empire, faithful servants and fellow - soldiers of Jesus Christ our Saviour. - -The choir next sang - - ‘Soldiers of Christ, arise, - And put your armour on,’ - -and this was followed by two special prayers. Then came the National -Anthem, in the singing of which the whole congregation joined, and then -the Recessional hymn, ‘For all the saints who from their labours rest.’ -The service over, Lumsden’s Horse marched back to camp through roads -that were thronged with enthusiastic spectators. - -The next ten days were crowded with necessary preparations that left the -men little leisure for enjoyment of social entertainments arranged in -their honour, yet they found time for a pleasant gathering as spectators -at an amateur performance in the Calcutta Theatre, and possibly for some -tender leave-takings of which no note was made. They were not, at any -rate, allowed to go away without many manifestations of good-will from -all classes and abundant proofs of appreciation and care for their -welfare by the Government of India. It has already been said that his -Excellency Lord Curzon accepted readily the rank of Honorary Colonel of -the corps, while both he and Lady Curzon took every possible opportunity -of identifying themselves with a force in which they continued to show -the liveliest personal interest throughout its career of active service. -Sir William Lockhart, then Commander-in-Chief, was lying in Fort -William, Calcutta, dangerously ill of the malady from which he died not -long afterwards, and was therefore unable to see the corps, but he sent -to Colonel Lumsden and the executive committee several messages of -kindly encouragement. The contingent was inspected on its parade-ground -by General Leach, C.B., commanding the troops in the Presidency -District. Sir John Woodburn, Lieutenant-Governor of Bengal and Honorary -Colonel of the Behar Light Horse, also paid an official visit to Colonel -Lumsden and made a farewell speech to the corps on parade the Sunday -before its first company embarked. - -[Illustration: - - _Photo: F. Kapp & Co._ - TAKING HORSES ON BOARD TRANSPORT 28 - _A Company_ -] - -Orders for the front had come at last, but one of the transports had -not. So it was necessary for Lumsden’s Horse to go off in detachments. -The ‘Lindula’ was alongside the wharves in Kidderpore Docks, but she had -no room to spare for more than a hundred and fifty troopers, with their -officers and the necessary number of horses. Colonel Lumsden and the -headquarters were to go in her with A Company and the Maxim Gun -detachment, leaving B Company still camped on the Maidan, where Major -Showers would take over the command. Delays and alterations of dates -with regard to troopships, for which nobody in India was responsible, -would have been still more serious but for the resourceful energy of -Captain Goodridge, R.N., Director-General of Marine to the Government of -India, and Captain Gwynne, R.N., the executive transport officer at -Calcutta, who did all in their power to expedite matters and to meet the -wishes of Colonel Lumsden, whose one anxiety was for the comfort and -well-being of his men on the voyage. - -Before daybreak on Monday, January 26, 1900, bugles were sounding the -reveillé for A Company, and from that moment its camp was a scene of -liveliest activity. Though the men whose turn to embark might not come -for a week or two longer went about their ordinary duties with assumed -unconcern, they cast many wistful glances at the busy preparations of -their envied comrades. Life in Calcutta had been pleasant enough to make -parting ‘such sweet sorrow’ for many that they would fain have prolonged -it at the last, but none gave a thought to such things in the dawn of -the day so long desired. For them all, South Africa was then the goal of -hope, and naturally the troops to go first were deemed most fortunate. -An old campaigner might have told them of the days to come, when, in the -weariness of a realisation more hollow than their dreams, they would be -haunted by the music of that last waltz in Calcutta, and longing to hear -once more the rustle of palm fronds under soft Indian skies, to breathe -the sweet fragrance of oleanders and roses. These thoughts, however, -were unspoken, and if anybody had ventured to hint at them he would have -been rightly scouted as a sickly sentimentalist by Lumsden’s Horse, who -were going forth to do the work of men. Yes; but somehow they were not -all adamant when they heard the cheers of thousands greeting them as -they marched through streets crowded with Europeans and natives. The -service company, in full campaigning kit, took the lead, proudly -conscious that all this was meant as an enthusiastic farewell to them -and for the gallant Colonel at their head; and B Company followed, -wearing simple drill order, with becoming modesty. An escort of ladies -and gentlemen on horseback accompanied the marching contingent. So -uncontrollable did the excitement of spectators become that they broke -in upon and mingled with the ranks, a confused mass from which it was -difficult for Lumsden’s Horse to disentangle themselves and pass in any -semblance of military formation through the dock gates, within which -they dismounted. Embarkation of their horses would in ordinary -circumstances have occupied a whole day if the slow system of hoisting -by slings had been adhered to. Major Taylor, however, suggested the use -of zig-zag gangways, ascending by easy inclines stage above stage. To -this arrangement the broad wharves of Kidderpore Docks were admirably -adapted. Captain Gwynne, with a seaman’s ready appreciation of -common-sense proposals, consented to this departure from former methods. -The gangways were rigged accordingly, and so the horses walked quietly -up the slopes to their berths on different decks instead of being slung -on board in the barbarous old fashion. The whole operation thus took an -hour instead of a day, and not a single horse was injured or had its -temper upset. While horses were being got on board the companies drew up -to await the Viceroy’s coming, where burning sunlight fell full on the -white helmets that were not to be worn again for many a day. All their -march from the Maidan had been like a triumphal procession, to the -accompaniment of cheers and waving handkerchiefs; but a scene even more -inspiring awaited them at the docks, where a great crowd had assembled, -making the grimy wharves bright with the colours of dainty costumes. -People lined the parapets of surrounding houses in masses uncomfortably -dense, and a multitude thronged the jetty, alongside which the transport -‘Lindula’ lay waiting to receive her full complement of troops. -Enclosures reserved for favoured spectators were filled to overflowing, -and at least 2,000 of the number assembled there had to stand, the 3,000 -chairs being mostly occupied by ladies. - -[Illustration: - - _Photo: F. Kapp & Co._ - EMBARKATION AT CALCUTTA - _Kidderpore Docks, February 26, 1900_ -] - -Judges of the High Courts and senior officials of all departments were -present. Lumsden’s Horse lined one side of a great quadrangle facing the -flower-fringed daïs from which Lord Curzon was to deliver his farewell -speech. Behind them, stretching from end to end of the line, were gay -streamers bearing the time-honoured mottoes that served to inspire Roman -legions when they set out in galleys to conquer the world. ‘Dulce et -decorum est pro patria mori’ and ‘Fortes fortuna juvat’ are sentiments -that have happily not lost their meaning or their power to influence the -actions of men even in our unromantic age. The crowds had gathered there -to bid ‘God speed’ to the first contingent of Volunteers that had ever -left India to fight for their Queen and country. And each unit of that -assemblage seemed eager to do or say something that might emphasise the -heartiness of the farewell. So general and earnest was this desire that -the police had great difficulty to keep the pressing spectators within -bounds. - -On arrival at the dock gates, their Excellencies the Viceroy and Lady -Curzon were met by his Honour the Lieutenant-Governor and officers in -attendance, who conducted them to the Viceregal platform, above which -the royal standard was hoisted. Lord Curzon then inspected the ranks of -Lumsden’s Horse, chatting with their Colonel the while. This inspection -over, his Excellency returned to the daïs, and, in a voice that carried -far among the silently attentive spectators, addressed the corps in -these words: - - Colonel Lumsden, Officers, Non-Commissioned Officers, and men of - Lumsden’s Light Horse: In bidding you good-bye this afternoon, I feel - that I may claim to speak for others besides myself. I do not appear - here merely as the Honorary Colonel of your corps, proud as I am to - fill that position. Nor am I merely the spokesman of the citizens of - Calcutta, European and Native, among whom you have spent the past few - weeks, and who desire to wish you all success in your patriotic - enterprise. I feel that I am more than that, and that I may consider - myself the mouthpiece of public opinion throughout India, which has - watched the formation of this corps with admiration, which has - contributed to its equipment and comfort with no illiberal hand, and - which now sends you forth with an almost parental interest in your - fortunes. At a time when the stress of a common anxiety has revealed - to the British Empire its almost unsuspected unity, and its - illimitable resources in loyalty and men, it would have been - disappointing to all of us if India had lagged behind—India which, - even if it is only peopled by a small minority of our own race, is yet - the noblest field of British activity and energy and devotion that the - world can show. Already the British regiments that we have sent from - this country have helped to save Natal, and many a brave native - follower has borne his part in the struggle. But as soon as the - electric call for volunteer help to the mother land ran round, India - responded to the summons. She has given us from the small civil - population of British birth the 250 gallant men whom I am now - addressing, and she would have given us as many more as Government - would have been prepared to accept. I doubt not that had we been - willing to enrol 1,000 instead of 250, they would have been - forthcoming; and that had not one thousand but many thousand - volunteers been called for from the native races, who vie with us in - fervent loyalty to the same Sovereign, they would have sprung joyfully - to arms, from the Hindu or Mussulman chief of ancient lineage and - great possessions to the martial Sikh or the fighting Pathan. - - You, however, are the 250 who have been chosen, the first body of - Volunteers from India that have ever had the chance of fighting for - the Queen outside their shores; and you, Colonel Lumsden, to whose - patriotic initiative this corps owes its being, and from whom it most - befittingly takes its name, are the officer who is privileged to - command this pioneer body of Indian soldiers of the Empire. Officers - and men, you carry a great responsibility with you; for it will fall - to you in the face of great danger, perhaps even in the face of death, - to sustain the honour of the country that is now sending you forth and - of the race from which you are sprung. But you will have this - consolation. You are engaged on a glorious, and as I believe a - righteous, mission, not to aggrandise an Empire, not merely to repel - an unscrupulous invasion of the Queen’s territories, but to plant - liberty and justice and equal rights upon the soil of a South Africa - henceforward to be united under the British and no other flag. You go - out at a dramatic moment in the contest, when, owing to the skilful - generalship of an old Indian soldier and Commander-in-Chief, and to - the indomitable gallantry of our men, the tide of fortune, which has - too long flowed against us, seems at last to have turned in our - favour. May it carry you on its forward crest to Pretoria itself! All - India applauds your bravery in going. We shall watch your deeds on the - battlefield and on the march. We wish you God speed in your - undertaking; and may Providence in His mercy protect you through the - perils and vicissitudes of your first contact with the dread realities - of war, and bring you safely back again to this country and to your - homes. - - Colonel Lumsden and men, on behalf of your fellow-countrymen and your - fellow-subjects throughout India, I bid you farewell. - -[Illustration: - - _Photo: F. Kapp & Co._ - H.E. THE VICEROY ADDRESSING THE CORPS - _February 26, 1900_ -] - -There is ample evidence from the letters of troopers themselves to prove -that Lord Curzon’s eloquent words inspired them with an ideal which they -determined at all hazards to live up to, and perhaps it is not too much -to say that the conspicuous gallantry everywhere and at all times -displayed by all ranks of Lumsden’s Horse is directly traceable to the -high conception of their duty breathed in every sentence of the -Viceroy’s speech, though they paraphrased it in more homely language, -taking for their regimental motto ‘Play the game.’ For a while after -Lord Curzon had finished speaking the troops were silent. Then they -raised lusty cheers for his Excellency and Lady Curzon and the people of -Calcutta, who in their turn cheered Lumsden’s Horse again and again. The -Viceroy and his suite, accompanied by Colonel Lumsden, Sir Patrick -Playfair, and other members of the executive committee, then went on -board the ‘Lindula’ for a final inspection of the arrangements made for -the comfort of the corps, whose horses had already been shipped. -Meanwhile Mrs. Pugh had presented each officer and trooper with a -Prayer-book, and in giving it she said a few simple words that touched -all hearts. Some tender scenes of leave-taking had been enacted, and men -came back to their places in the ranks with faces not quite so hard as -they thought. There may have been sobs in the sweet voices that -whispered ‘Good-bye!’ but if so they were lost in the loud chorus that -rang out from comrades cheering each other. Then the band struck up ‘The -Girl I Left Behind Me,’ and the troopers of A Company marched on board -the ‘Lindula.’ As she cast off from her moorings amid many touching -demonstrations and more enthusiastic cheers, the strains of music -changed to ‘Auld Lang Syne.’ The sun had set then, but crowds lingered, -cheering still and waving handkerchiefs until the transport disappeared -in the gathering darkness. She dropped down to her anchorage in Garden -Reach that night, and when Calcutta awoke next morning she had gone, -bearing the first contingent of Lumsden’s Horse towards South Africa. -Colonel Lumsden’s appreciation of all that had been done for the corps -was expressed in the following letter: - - _To the Editor of the ‘Englishman.’_ - - SIR,—On the eve of leaving India for South Africa with the corps which - I have the honour to command there is one pleasant duty which I have - to fulfil. This is to convey, in the most public manner, to all who - have helped me in raising ‘Lumsden’s Horse,’ my grateful thanks for - their sympathy and support. To the Viceroy, who has accepted the - Honorary Colonelcy of the corps, I owe more than can be stated in this - letter, for his Excellency removed all difficulties which lay in the - way of sending an Indian Volunteer Contingent to the seat of war. To - his Honour the Lieutenant-Governor of Bengal and his Excellency the - Commander-in-Chief I am indebted for their support and sympathy. Sir - Edwin Collen, Military Member; Sir Edmund Elles, Adjutant-General; - Major-Generals Maitland and Wace; Surgeon-General Harvey; - Brigadier-General Leach; Colonel Money and Captain Drake-Brockman; - Colonels Buckland and Spenser, Army Clothing Department; Captain Gwyn, - Royal Indian Marine; Captain Philipps; Colonel Mansfield, Commissariat - Transport Department; the Commissariat Staff in the Presidency - District; one and all gave me the benefit of their experience in - military matters in addition to official assistance which was of the - highest value. There were many occasions when their personal influence - smoothed over difficulties connected with organisation and equipment, - and made my task much easier than it would otherwise have been. I wish - gratefully to acknowledge the special kindness of Major Pilgrim, - I.M.S., who medically examined the members of the corps. To the - executive committee—Sir Patrick Playfair, Colonel Buckingham, Colonel - Money, Major Eddis, Major Dolby, and Mr. Harry Stuart—I am most deeply - indebted, for they have all worked hard from first to last; to the - general public who responded so handsomely to the appeal for - subscriptions; to the Press, who gave full publication to the - movement; to the donors of camp equipment, kit, and things in kind; to - the railways for their assistance; and to the India General and River - Steam Navigation Companies, who carried the Assam Volunteers free of - cost; to these I must express the warmest thanks, not merely on my own - part, but on behalf of every officer and man of the corps. They, - indeed, rendered it possible for my scheme as a whole to be carried - out. To Mrs. Pugh and the ladies of Calcutta we can only say that - their labour of love will never be forgotten by ‘Lumsden’s Horse.’ - - D.M. LUMSDEN. - - February 26. - -[Illustration: - - _Photo: F. Kapp & Co._ - B COMPANY LUMSDEN’S HORSE LEAVING CALCUTTA - _March 3, 1900_ -] - -Four days later welcome orders came for B Company to be ready for -embarkation, and, early in the morning of March 3, Major Showers, in -command of all that remained of Lumsden’s Horse on the Maidan, marched -out of camp, escorted by Europeans and natives principally on horseback. -For them the enthusiasm that had marked the departure of their comrades -was revived with even greater fervour, and though this second -leave-taking was less ceremonious than the first, it lacked nothing of -the heart-stirring eloquence that rings through the voices of people -when they are moved by great impulses. The Viceroy, when he addressed -Colonel Lumsden and A Company, had spoken his farewell to the whole -regiment. This second demonstration, though accompanied by many signs of -official interest, was in all essential characteristics a popular -movement in which all classes joined with the more impressive warmth -because it was the last tribute they could pay to Lumsden’s Horse before -the corps might be called upon to take its place in the fighting line. -The Lieutenant-Governor (Sir John Woodburn) and the Bishop of Calcutta -made eloquent speeches that were emphasised by repeated cheering; and -with many cordial words of farewell ringing in their ears, to the -musical accompaniment of ‘Auld Lang Syne,’ Major Showers and his hundred -troopers embarked on board the ‘Ujina.’ After she had steamed down the -Hugli there was no more work to be done by the committee, whose members -had laboured with patriotic self-sacrifice to raise and equip Lumsden’s -Horse and send the contingent forth a perfectly organised force in all -respects. The executive committee then practically handed over all its -authority to Sir Patrick Playfair, who never ceased for a moment to -watch over the interests of the Contingent, for which he had already -done so much. The following letter shows how greatly Lumsden’s Horse -were indebted for their rapid and complete organisation to the business -capacity and indefatigable industry of Sir Patrick Playfair: - - S.S. ‘Lindula,’ _en route_ for South Africa: March 12, 1900. - - My dear Playfair,—I have felt ever since leaving Calcutta that I never - half thanked you for what you did for Lumsden’s Horse, and no one - knows so well as myself, or appreciates more to the full, the work you - did on its behalf. Now, when I have time to think calmly over the - events of the past two months, I can see plainly that the successful - issue things were brought to, financially and otherwise, was entirely - due to your energy and guidance; and this without in the slightest - degree depreciating the valuable services of your fellow-workers on - the committee, as I feel confident one and all of them would coincide - heartily with my sentiments.... - - Yours always, - - D.M. LUMSDEN. - - - - - CHAPTER III - _OUTWARD BOUND_ - - -Life on board a troopship does not offer much material for graphic -description, and none but a Kipling could give to its ordinary incidents -an absorbing interest for general readers. Nevertheless, it has charms -for those who look at it with eyes fresh to such scenes, and for -Lumsden’s Horse, at any rate, there was a novelty in the situation not -wholly unpleasant in spite of the many discomforts they had to endure -and the distasteful duties necessarily imposed upon them. They were -learning there a harder lesson than any of which their experiences in -camp on the Maidan could have given the slightest conception. It is one -thing to go a long voyage on board a liner as first-, second-, or even -third-class passenger, but quite another to be penned up between decks -in a crowded transport with native servants and Lascars, eating coarse -Government rations served in the roughest fashion, doing the work of -grooms and lackeys, and sleeping on bare planks in an atmosphere odorous -with exhalations from stables and galleys. They had enlisted for a -soldier’s life, however, prepared to take the rough with the smooth, -and, being in for it, they made the best of their circumstances after -the first rude shock of feeling what military service really means had -worn off. Discipline may become a property of easiness anywhere else, -but on board ship the line that separates rank from rank must be sharply -drawn even in the case of a Volunteer company. Comradeship and -interchange of friendly greetings between officers and men may still go -on as of old; but they cannot make a trooper forget for a moment that -certain privileges follow rank, and disabilities cling to those who have -it not, while these facts are thrust upon him insistently at every turn -and dinned into his ears by every bugle call to duty or to meals. It is -well that we also should remember these things in estimating the -sacrifices that Volunteers make when they give up the comforts, if not -luxuries, of home life and go forth to fight for country and for empire -as private soldiers. The privations, the rough fare, the hard marches in -all weather, exposure to rapid alternations of heat and cold, fierce -sunshine where there is no shelter by day, and pitiless rain from which -there is no escape at night, hunger, wounds, and sickness—all these may -be cheerfully borne because they are the lot of all ranks alike. Not so, -however, with the petty humiliations and drudgery inseparable from many -duties on board a transport, where the mere trooper finds that a -soldier’s uniform is a badge of distinction truly, but the distinction -at times brings with it something closely akin to a sense of -humiliation. The company or regimental officers may do all they can to -take the keen point off this goading sentiment, but it will wound where -there is the least protection against it and rankle too. One must say to -the credit of Lumsden’s Horse that they did not allow such -considerations to trouble. There is no trace of discontent in their -published contributions to Indian papers, of which some extracts from -the ‘Englishman’ may be made by way of giving a picture of the voyage as -troopers looked at it. We left the ‘Lindula’ steaming down the Hugli -apparently well on her way towards South Africa. Though lost to the view -of interested crowds who looked for her soon after dawn on the morning -of February 27, she did not pursue an uninterrupted course. At this -point a trooper of A Company takes up the story in a lively narrative, -writing thus: - - The absurd antics which the river Hugli thinks it necessary to go - through ere flowing to rest in the bosom of its old mammy Ocean compel - mariners to sail on it by day alone, and then to go as cannily as a - cat on hot bricks. On Tuesday morning we dashed off letters and - telegrams, and with a sigh of relief despatched them by the post boat, - thinking we were fairly off for Afric’s sandy shores. But no! We had - not reckoned with the lead line, which recorded much the same number - of feet and inches that the good ship ‘Lindula’ drew, so with a Heave! - Ho! Holly! the anchor fell overboard, and then we were stuck for a - whole day. - - Fancy getting up at 4.30 in the pitch dark! And no chance of shirking - either, for the decks are swabbed down and clean as a child’s plate - after a penny dinner by 5 A.M. of the clock. Five-thirty heralds a cup - of tea, and 6 o’clock sets every nag aboard neighing and whinnying, - for do they not know it to be feeding time, better even than the - Sergeant-Major, who marches about with a little stick marking time? - Then stables—a pleasant job for the deaf and dumb, but trying to a man - who wishes to retain the lily-white unstained purity of his mind. Nine - o’clock is the signal for the bugler to tootle ‘Mary! come to the - cook-house door,’ and before he gets to the ‘y’ in Mary, A Company is - tumbling head over heels down the fore companion. - - Spinning down the river with the banks gradually receding from sight - raises everybody’s spirits, and a merry lot we are when from the - Sandheads comes a telegram announcing the capitulation of Cronjé—news - greeted by loud and continuous cheers. A little way more and the pilot - brig heaves in sight, and soon we lie to in her neighbourhood, - listening to round after round of hoarse cheering from the - white-hatted figures aboard. Our pilot drops over the side, - accompanied by a great sheaf of our last messages to friends, and we - get up steam, waving good-bye to India, and begin our voyage, never a - man of us for whom the future does not loom big with adventurous - hopes; never a man of us reckoning of the toil or peril. Young British - blood, hot and eager, keen to flow more swiftly, keen to taste of the - life that has given the world so many great names, so many great - deeds. India, _au revoir_! - - The gentle reader must not imagine that we have nothing to do. - Breakfast finished at 10 o’clock, the bugles wax busy, and call after - call resounds through the ship, summoning sections to various tasks. - One of the earliest parades of the voyage was that to practise the - fire alarm and ‘boats.’ Every man has his appointed place, and lest - any should hurry unduly for the boats, sentries have been told off to - guard these, having their rifles loaded with ball cartridges, and - orders to shoot the first man who may attempt a rush. This extremely - important matter has been thoroughly impressed on our minds by - practice, and should the alarm be given in stern reality we all know - where to make for. - - Needless to say, rifle exercise is one of the chief things to which we - must pay attention, and morning and afternoon the words of command - ring through the ship as squad after squad is put through its facings. - Fatigues are innumerable. Bringing forage and stores on deck is a - daily task; oiling and packing away saddlery; cleaning spare arms; - painting side arms; marking equipment and a dozen other things. Then a - signalling class is terribly busy, and a row of otherwise - intelligent-looking lads wave their arms wildly to the accompaniment - of strange sounds bellowed by the signalling instructor. - - When the rifle exercises have sunk into the minds of men, they are - allowed to practise shooting. Every day, at 12 and 2, parties assemble - on the quarter-deck and shoot at wine cases, biscuit boxes, bits of - paper, anything that affords a mark. In spite of the rolling and - pitching of the ship, and, what is worse, the vibration caused by the - screw, wonderful practice is made. A bit of paper a few inches square - is hit several times at 200 yards, and as the larger obstacles recede - they are repeatedly struck. Men firing have to judge their own - distances, and the practice on the whole has been marvellously good. - The Maxim gun has had a turn, too, and a very terrible weapon it is. - In spite of the extreme disadvantage under which it labours when - placed on a moving platform, excellent shooting has been made with it. - An ordinary beer barrel at 800 and 1,000 yards was douched with spray, - and then struck after three or four shots had been fired. The noise is - atrocious, but it is grand to see the bullets striking the water, one! - two! three! four! ever nearing the mark, and then, five! Plump in. - - Though we have lots of work to do we don’t forget to play, and many - are the tasks indulged in. One of the favourite amusements is boxing, - and morning and evening a ring is formed wherein all may enter for a - round or two. A few matches have been got up, and desperate battles - have been fought betwixt champions of the various sections. Naturally - party feeling runs high on these occasions, and everybody in the ship, - from the Colonel and the Captain down to Carpenter Chinaman John, - takes up a place outside the ring, watching the fray with bated - breath. The end is usually a black eye or blood drawn, neither of - which temporary inconveniences prevents furious and friendly - handshakings at the finish. Singlestick has supporters, but none so - many as the gentle art of boxing. Cockfighting has many votaries, and - wrestling a few, for both of these elegant diversions may be partaken - of in the comparative dark. Duty and pleasure are combined in tubbing. - A sail bath four feet deep and some six square is slung and filled - with sea water. The bather, dressed ‘altogether,’ stands well back and - runs at the bath, rolling in head over heels. Number one is followed - quickly by more, one on top of the other, until the bath is nothing - but a struggling mass of arms and legs. Then the hose is turned on, - and every man must take his turn or pay the penalty of being thrust - underneath. - - On our first Saturday night at sea the skipper—Captain Steuart—was - kind enough to permit a smoking-concert to be held on the - quarter-deck, where the saloon piano had been comfortably ensconced on - a raised stage ornamented with flags. Corporal Blair took the public - fancy tremendously with some of the comic songs that soldiers delight - in. Corporal Skelton’s recitation about the Volunteer Instructor who - complains of his squad that ‘They Largifies,’ fairly brought the house - down. Among others who gave us pleasure were the brothers Wright and - Private Woods, who, _à trois_, drew much melody from the banjo. The - following morning (Sunday) we had service on deck, the Colonel and the - Captain reading the Lessons. The little book so thoughtfully presented - to every man by Mrs. Pugh was used. - - Crossing the line was a most unexciting experience, for no Father - Neptune came on board, nor did any of the other time-honoured things - befall us. Alas! for the merchant navy! We did not see Ceylon at all, - but during the night we passed, in the distance, a light which shone - out from somewhere on its coast. That was our last sight of the - outside world until we had crossed the great Indian Ocean. - - On the whole, the horses have had a good time, very different from - that endured by shiploads coming over from Australia. Most of them get - a grooming of sorts every day, and many get an hour’s walking exercise - round a small circle once or twice in the week. It is wonderful to - behold an animal with legs puffed out like tea cosies begin his little - tour and finish up with extremities clean cut as those of a racehorse. - - Still, there is a good deal of sickness among them in various forms of - fever and colic. First, Private Case, from Behar, lost a very clever - little horse. Since then two more have died, one a valuable mare, the - property of Lieutenant Crane, of Behar, and the other the charger of - Private Atkinson, from Mussoorie. - - The fifth officer of the ship, a braw lad frae Glescae, finds it very - trying to hear us miscall the different parts—‘pairts,’ he says—of his - beloved she. ‘A ship’s no like a house, wi’ upstairs an’ doonstairs,’ - he plaintively remonstrates. And when any of us join him in a cigar - and throw the stump out of the ‘window’ instead of the ‘scuttle,’ the - poor man almost cries. One continually finds him gravely pointing out - to little knots of men the absurdity of referring to the back or the - front of a ship. He explains how it ought to be ‘forrard’ and ‘aft,’ - and ‘above’ and ‘below.’ Then someone will mildly query where ‘astarn’ - comes in, and how it is possible to distinguish between port and - starboard. And he tells. But, all the same, we continue to search for - each other upstairs and down; we lie on the floor, forgetting it is - deck, and it still passes our comprehension how ‘loo’ard’ can be at - one side of the ship one day and the opposite to-morrow. This fifth - officer is a bit of a humourist, too, and, finding an appreciative - audience, plays off a rich fund of nautical yarns that have gathered - raciness in the course of long centuries since they were translated - from the Portuguese of Vasco da Gama. The narrator evidently thinks - that Lumsden’s Horse are as credulous as ‘the Marines.’ Perhaps he - takes them to be a mounted variety of that species, and, being a - naturalist among other things, he has a scientific motive for studying - their peculiarities. - - Colonel Lumsden confirmed the following non-commissioned appointments - in A Company, some of which were provisionally made before leaving - Calcutta: - - Regimental Sergeant-Major: C.M. Marsham (Behar L.H.); Company - Sergeant-Major E.N. Mansfield (Punjaub L.H.); Sergeants: H. Fox (Behar - L.H.), E.M.S. McNamara (Behar L.H.), R.S. Stowell (Poona V.R.), and W. - Walker (Assam V.L.H.); Lance-Sergeants: F.L. Elliott (Assam V.L.H.), - D.S. Fraser (Oudh L.H.), J. Lee Stewart (Coorg and Mysore R.), and - R.E. Dale (E.I.R.V.C.); Corporals: Percy Jones (Behar L.H.), G. Lawrie - (Oudh L.H.), E. Llewhellin (Behar L.H.), and H. Marsham (Behar L.H.); - Lance-Corporals: A.M. Firth (Behar L.H.), A.C. Walker (Assam Valley - L.H.), E.J. Ballard (Punjaub L.H.), H.F. Blair (Behar L.H.), D.J. - Keating (Calcutta Port Defence), W.S. Lemon (Calcutta V.R.), A. - Macgillivray (Behar L.H.), and J.W.A. Skelton (Assam V.L.H.). - - Transport Establishment: Lance-Corporals R.P. Estabrook, C.T. Power, - J. Charles, S.W. Cullen, and G.W. Palmer. - - It could not be expected that 150 men would be together on board ship - for three weeks without a certain proportion going sick. - Lance-Sergeant Lee Stewart, of the Coorg and Mysore Rifles, was struck - down with pneumonia. Shortly afterwards Private H.H.J. Hickley, of the - Behar Light Horse, was attacked by the same illness aggravated by - pleurisy. About this time a large number were bowled over. Blame was - laid on the tinned provisions, but, probably, if men had worn the - mufflers, so tenderly knitted for us by Calcutta ladies, about their - waists instead of round their necks much pain and trouble would have - been avoided. The decks at night were covered with sleeping figures, - clad and unclad in every degree. At turning in, a gentle zephyr that - wouldn’t disturb the ringlets on a fair lady’s neck might be blowing, - and in an hour a sharp breeze laden with heavy rain would sweep down - and drench the unconscious sleepers. Then one of the immediate results - of an order for men to go about barefooted was that Private - Clayton-Daubney, of the Behar Light Horse, took a fall when turning a - slippery corner and broke his collar-bone. - -[Illustration: - - _Photo: Bourne & Shepherd._ - THE REGIMENT IN CALCUTTA - _Part of A Company_ -] - -To Sir Patrick Playfair Colonel Lumsden wrote while at sea a letter that -is interesting as a proof of his interest in and care for the men under -his command. They paid many glowing tributes to him afterwards, but none -that gives a better key to the hold he had on their respect than his own -simple words as they appear in the following extract: - - I regret to say Hickley, from Behar, is in a very bad way. He had - fever and pneumonia to start with, and has now gone clean ‘pāgāl,’[2] - and, though quite quiet and harmless, has to have two men in close - attendance day and night. I had him taken into the saloon yesterday, - in a cabin near my own. I am intensely sorry for the poor chap, as, - unless a sudden recovery takes place, we shall have to make - arrangement for the authorities to look after him when we land. We - have one more case on board, which I was in hopes it might not be - necessary to mention. Stewart, the planter from Mysore, had an attack - of pneumonia which has taken a chronic form, and I fear there is small - chance of immediate recovery. He may have to go into hospital at - Durban—whether we land there or not—and I much doubt his ever being - able to join us again. You will remember my telling you about him, a - man of independent means (married, with a family), who came for the - love of the game. He was a most useful man, knowing a lot about - horses, and was made an acting sergeant almost as soon as he arrived, - and put on to help Veterinary-Captain Stevenson. He did excellent work - on board until he got ill, and I shall miss him much. It is his own - wish to land if he is not better. - - Beyond this we have had a most delightful voyage, simply perfect - weather, and a sea like glass. The men act up to our corps motto - ‘_Play the game_’ like the good chaps they are. You should see them at - stable work in the morning, with nothing on but trousers rolled up to - their thighs, or pyjamas ditto, and later in the day, washing their - kit or making up puddings and cakes of sorts—some of the latter are - works of art! We have a lot of musical talent on board, and have had a - couple of excellent concerts. Captain Steuart added to the enjoyment - of the last by giving a magic-lantern show. He is a very good sort, - and has done everything in his power to ensure the comfort of the men. - After finishing our daily inspection to-day he confided to me that he - had never seen a troopship better kept, as regards order and - cleanliness. The men are being practised daily in the use of the - rifle, dropping boxes and wisps of straw overboard for targets, and I - am more than pleased with the way they are shooting, at a moving - target from a moving ship. You might also mention to my friend General - Wace that Holmes is making excellent practice with his Maxim gun. - -[Illustration: C.V.S. DICKINS] - -[Illustration: N.J. BOLST] - -[Illustration: CAPT. HOLMES] - -[Illustration: P.T. CORBETT] - -[Illustration: SERGT. DALE] - - MAXIM-GUN CONTINGENT - -This is one picture of life in a troopship under the happiest -conditions. There is another side to the picture, of which we may get -glimpses in the experiences of men in Company B, to whom Calcutta’s -citizens gave a hearty ‘God speed’ when they embarked in the ‘Ujina’ -at Kidderpore Docks on March 3. Before she had cast off from her -moorings the troopers had been called to dinner, and that feast was a -revelation to them of all they were leaving behind. One corporal -described it as ‘a sort of stew in stable-buckets, too filthy for -anything’; but that may have been merely a little ebullition of -aristocratic prejudice. Nevertheless, he and two comrades hurried on -shore, and drove as fast as they could to Madan’s in the town, where -they invested 200 rupees in sundry things which they regarded as -necessaries for their sustenance during the voyage. They were back in -time to hear the Lieutenant-Governor’s and Bishop Welldon’s speeches, -and then to join in a parting cheer for their old adjutant, Captain -Martin, who only left them to go on shore as the ‘Ujina’ cast off. The -subsequent proceedings of that day are not recorded in the corporal’s -diary, who contents himself with noting that he ‘had some tea—no milk, -and awfully sweet.’ When he awoke next morning, after a restless night -on bare planks between decks, the thought of creature-comforts must -have been uppermost still, for he was aware of ‘gnawing pains—result -of nothing to eat,’ and his morning reflections begin with the -disjointed phrases: ‘No knives and forks. No salt. Those who had -penknives were lucky. Fortunately we all had fingers.’ Was there in -those last words a prophetic suggestion that some of them might not -even have fingers for such uses after a while? If so, the gloomy -foreboding passed without record, giving place to action, for at 6 -o’clock that morning the corporal whose notes throw a glimmer of light -on much of the darker side that is too often ignored, found himself in -charge of a stable fatigue, wading at the heels of the horses in a -foul, dark, unventilated drain about thirty inches wide, from which -nothing ran off. He mentions incidentally that the four unfortunate -men who had to clear away this accumulated filth were ‘very -indignant’; and from this we may gather that they used adjectives to -express their opinion of that first stable fatigue on board ship. It -does not read like the best possible means of promoting a healthy -appetite, but when called to breakfast three hours later they looked -with dismay at a loaf that was to last each of them the whole day, and -when one small tin of brawn was put before them for division among -sixteen men at a table, they came to the conclusion that it ‘seemed -very short commons indeed.’ Some of the men found that their -carefully-arranged kits had been thrown aside in a confused heap to -make room for native followers, and they ventured on a mild -remonstrance, but were told, ‘You must look after your own things; you -don’t have your bearers here.’ That obvious truth had impressed itself -upon them very forcibly some hours earlier, while they were doing -stable fatigue, and it needed no rubbing in. Other trials followed, as -we gather from a brief but expressive note: ‘Dinner at 1.0. Soup and a -messy stew in buckets, as before. Tried to get some salt -unsuccessfully, and, returning, found the stew all gone. Beer was -served out, which I didn’t drink. Gave my bottle away and drank water, -hot and cloudy, out of a bath-tin. No knives or forks yet. Through our -mess-room, while we feed, files a long procession of syces, transport -wallahs, servants, Candaharis; sometimes a herd of goats, and always -Lascars, carrying ropes, hoses, or buckets. Now they have kicked us -out from where we were making ourselves comfortable below, and I miss -much a corner, even such as my horse has, where I could put my things -in safety. At night we throw our straw mattresses wherever we can find -a vacant space, and scramble in confusion for our kits out of a heap -of exactly similar ones. We would gladly have paid our own expenses -for a little more comfort. The last straw came at 7.30, when the -“cook-house” bugle went again, but the _chef_ said, “No orders to cook -anything more,” and shut the door in the faces of orderlies. The -N.C.O.s then went in a body and complained. Result—bread and beer were -served out. It was bread and water for me. Lay my mattress down among -the horses, and was comfortable in spite of the stuffy smell and -stamping about all night.’ Still, his thoughts seem to have dwelt on -the idea that there was much to complain of—the coarse tin pots, the -tea extremely sweet and without milk, the hot and dirty water—not even -a dry canteen from which to supplement the scanty fare, and so on -until he dropped into sweet sleep. That sleep must have been very -refreshing, or a considerable change had come upon the ship by the -next morning, when the food had improved greatly, and at supper the -‘men were merry enough, with great singing of songs.’ Later entries in -this diary show that the first highly-coloured outbursts of discontent -were due mainly, if not wholly, to a sudden change from the luxury and -plenty of a planter’s _ménage_ to the comparative coarseness of a -simple soldier’s fare—otherwise Government rations—in necessarily -rough circumstances. The additional comforts thoughtfully provided by -the Calcutta Committee for consumption on the voyage were by mistake -stowed away with baggage and other stores below. Thenceforward matters -mended day by day, and, though there were still some discomforts to be -endured, they seem to have been relieved by more amusements than -appear in the letters sent for publication to the Indian newspapers. -On the whole, however, a fairly comprehensive idea of the way in which -B Company passed its days on board the ‘Ujina’ may be formed from the -following letter, parts of which were published in the ‘Indian Daily -News’: - -[Illustration: - - _Photo: Bourne & Shepherd._ - SURMA VALLEY LIGHT HORSE. CONTINGENT OF LUMSDEN’S B COMPANY -] - - Hard work and plenty of it has been the order of the day ever since we - came on board. The greater part of this is in connection with the - horses. It is, of course, of very great importance that we should be - in a position to move forward as soon as possible after landing, and, - bearing this in mind, Major Showers and his officers are doing their - utmost to keep the animals fit. For the first day or two bran mashes - were given the horses, with as much hay as they could eat. This has - been gradually augmented, until they are now getting a mixture of bran - and gram or linseed three times a day. The watering and feeding are - carried out with the greatest regularity, each section officer - personally superintending the work. Our daily routine may prove - interesting to the uninitiated in these matters. Awakened by reveillé - at 4.30, we have time to put our kits in order before getting a cup of - tea at 5.30. Half an hour later the bugle sounds ‘stables,’ and the - men immediately assemble on the lower deck, each section separately, - to answer the roll. Absentees who are not on the sick-list, or engaged - in fatigue or other duties, have their names noted down, and are dealt - with afterwards. Each horse is taken out of his stall and thoroughly - groomed, and the stall itself cleaned and disinfected daily. The - horses are then watered, a certain number of men being told off for - this duty; the rest are occupied in drawing and mixing the feeds, - which they place in tin troughs, one in front of each horse. As soon - as word is passed that watering is completed, the command ‘Feed’ is - given, and the troughs are immediately lifted and fixed on the - breast-boards attached to each stall. The hay is then served out in - bundles, each horse getting six. These are opened and put in the bags - hung over the horses’ heads. - - The stable picket, consisting of three men from each section, is - posted at 7 o’clock in the evening, and is on duty for twenty-four - hours—till seven the following evening. Each man takes his turn as - stable sentry for eight hours altogether out of the twenty-four—two - hours on and four hours off. A non-commissioned officer is in charge - of all four section pickets, and he also is on duty for twenty-four - hours until relieved when the guard is changed next evening. He is - expected to go round the pickets two or three times during the night, - and see that the sentries are at their posts all right. The orderly - officer also visits the pickets twice during the night. The duties of - each sentry are to see that the horses do not get loose, or injure - themselves, or ‘savage’ each other, and that they are fed properly. - - After breakfast, at 8 o’clock, the men’s time is generally taken up in - cleaning rifles and accoutrements, and washing and dressing themselves - for a general parade at half-past 10. - - The men are then kept busy at the manual and firing exercise for about - an hour, and also bayonet exercise occasionally. The inspection of the - steamer by the Captain, accompanied by Major Showers and officers, - including the doctor and veterinary officer, also takes place at this - hour, and Major Showers afterwards inspects the company. For the next - hour or two we have little to do bar fatigues until the time comes for - watering and feeding horses at midday stables. - - During the afternoon the men usually employ themselves in playing - cricket, boxing, wrestling, football, and tugs-of-war, until the - bugles sound for evening stables at 5.30. Sunday is a day of rest, as - far as possible, only necessary work, such as ‘stables,’ being done, - and church parade is held at 10.30, the service lasting about half an - hour. There are almost daily calls for fatigue parties, a few men - being taken from each section to bring up stores or forage from the - hold, and this is pretty hot and dirty work. At 9 o’clock every night - the ‘last post’ sounds, and half an hour later ‘lights out.’ After - that ‘there is naught but the sound of the lone sentry’s tread’ or the - squeal of an angry horse to disturb the peaceful slumbers of snoring - troopers on board the ‘Ujina,’ until the notes of reveillé, shrill if - not always clear, wake them at dawn to another day of similar routine. - ------ - -Footnote 2: - - Hindustani for ‘off his head.’ - ------ - - - - - CHAPTER IV - _NEARING THE GOAL—DISEMBARKATION AT CAPE TOWN AND - EAST LONDON_ - - -Though something went wrong with the ‘Ujina’s’ engines, which had to be -stopped twice for repairs in the Bay of Bengal, she covered the -remaining fifteen hundred leagues or so in very good time, and, passing -Madagascar during the misty night of March 18, was within sight of the -South African coast by daybreak of the 24th, and at midday she anchored -off Durban, being unable to get nearer that port than the troubled -roadstead two miles from shore. Thus her time from the Hugli to Port -Natal was just three weeks, and those on board had the satisfaction of -hearing that the ‘Lindula,’ with A Company, must be still at sea, having -left Durban for Cape Town only three days before the ‘Ujina’s’ arrival. -The man who brought that good news had evidently acquired a Kaffir or -Oriental habit of saying the things that are pleasant whether true or -not. In sober fact, the ‘Lindula’ had gone a week earlier, and was by -that time landing her troops at Cape Town. As nobody was allowed to -land, Lumsden’s Horse did not get the exciting experience of being -lowered in a cage from the troopship’s gangway to a tug plunging and -tossing and wriggling among the ‘rollers’ twenty feet below. But they -had an opportunity of seeing how the thing was done when a Transport -officer came on board that way with an order for the troops under Major -Showers’s command to disembark at East London. This officer was -accompanied by three of the Natal Carbineers, who had been with Sir -Redvers Buller’s force to the relief of Ladysmith, and whose thrilling -tales of adventure were as welcome as a newly-discovered series of -Arabian Nights’ stories might have been to men who had heard no news for -twenty-one days. The general situation was not quite as those Carbineers -described it, but their account of Boer resistance in Natal did not by -any means convey the idea that war was nearly at an end, although rumour -magnified Lord Roberts’s successes to the extent of placing him within a -march or so of Kroonstadt at a time when his troops were still hung up -at Bloemfontein waiting for food and transport. As B Company had heard -of Cronjé’s surrender and the relief of Ladysmith before leaving -Calcutta, it would hardly have surprised them to learn that the Union -Jack was floating over Pretoria. To them the mere occupation of -Bloemfontein seemed a comparatively small matter, so they at once turned -and began to rend with keen sarcasm the croakers who had predicted that -B Company at least would be too late for anything. Too late! Why, their -orders were to disembark at East London, and did not that mean an -immediate start for the front? One sanguine trooper in the gladness of -his heart wrote, ‘We go on shore at 11.30 to-day, leaving for -Bloemfontein by train about the same hour to-night, and expect to arrive -in forty-eight hours. We shall probably train to Bethulie and march from -there to Bloemfontein, about 120 miles.’ His faith in the marching -powers of Lumsden’s Horse must have been great indeed if he thought they -could trek 120 miles across unknown veldt after travelling from East -London to Bethulie by rail, and all in the space of forty-eight hours. -There is something very fascinating about that picture of troopers so -eager to be at the taking of Kroonstadt (‘which, it would seem, will be -a big affair’) that they would perform superhuman feats to be there in -time. No admirer of Lumsden’s Horse would venture to suggest that a -march of forty leagues in less than two days was beyond the compass of -their powers, but the man must be brimful of hope who could believe that -there would be any time left for marching, or any inclination to march -left in the men, after a South African railway, working under war -pressure, had done with them. But in fact there was no such need for -haste. B Company was quite in time for the ‘big affair’ at Kroonstadt, -though it took more than twenty times forty-eight hours in the getting -there. Colonel Lumsden, going ahead with A Company to land in Cape Town, -had still more reason for entertaining sanguine views, though in his -case they were modified by a fuller knowledge of events. When in sight -of Table Mountain he added a postscript to his letter: ‘Off Cape. Just -got orders. May be in for Pretoria. Hope so.’ The two companies, -however, were not fortunate enough to come together under one command -until nearly a month later. Their fortunes as separated units must -therefore be dealt with in somewhat disjointed form still. How A Company -fared after casting anchor off Durban may be told in the words of a -special correspondent pf the ‘Englishman’ who had joined the corps for -active service: - - As we came in sight of Durban everybody was expecting that some - official would dash on board directly he knew it was Lumsden’s Horse, - to order us off down the coast, and that in a minute we should be - steaming hard for our destination. But it happened otherwise. When - fairly close in we signalled to the Coastguard station what ship we - were and what she contained. Then a deep silence settled over things. - Lots of shipping lay at anchor there, and every ship except ours had a - steam launch calling upon it. But we, waiting with beating hearts, had - no one to pay us a visit until a great puffing, rolling, - important-looking tug bore alongside, churned up the blue water into - white foam, dropped a tiny boat, and in a jiffy a blue-suited, - gold-braided gentleman was on board and the tug had gone away over the - waters. So we thought that meant orders to bring us ashore. But, alas! - it was only a pilot come aboard to have a buck with the captain. Then, - while we waited and waited, our signalling class set to work, and an - energetic waving of arms and little flags elicited the reply from - neighbouring ships that Ladysmith had been relieved. They also - confirmed the news, which we had received at the Sandheads, of - Cronjé’s surrender. Close by lay H.M.S. ‘Terrible,’ from which a naval - contingent had been sent with her big guns to reinforce Sir Redvers - Buller on the Tugela, and our first sight of one of the consequences - of war was a launch full of wounded Bluejackets returning to their - ship after relieving Ladysmith. While we lay peacefully swinging at - anchor a great white ship flying the Stars and Stripes and Union Jack - steamed slowly out of the harbour, and swung off to the left. As she - passed a big transport the troops on board broke into ringing cheers, - and when she neared us those with glasses read her name. It was the - ‘Maine’ full of wounded soldiers from Sir George White’s gallant - garrison. She went right round the harbour, visiting all the ships - with troops. Last of all she came to us, and as she passed by, and we - could see the white-aproned nurses and the bandaged figures with pale - faces we gave them three times three, and still cheered again for the - plucky ladies who had come all the way from America to care for our - wounded. The poor chaps aboard did their best to answer our cheers, - and then the ‘Maine’ steamed away down the coast on her way home to - England. - - However, the long-delayed _hookum_[3] came at last, and a great shout - broke forth when it was announced that we were ordered to proceed to - Cape Town. We sat down to dinner at 7.30, and as we toasted Ould - Oireland because ’twas St. Patrick’s Day, the ‘Lindula’s’ anchor - heaved, and the screw that for twenty days had toiled without ceasing - began its unremitting task again. When morning broke we had steamed - well down the coast, passing the lights of East London in the night. - Ten miles away was the seashore, bare, and uninteresting, but still - the Africa that we had come some six thousand miles to argue about - with the redoubtable Boers. And now we had to reckon with a foe that - used no weapons nor fought with hands. This was Mother Ocean, who must - have been troubled in her mind, for her breast heaved and tossed, and - our good ship rolled until—well, better change the subject. The coast - slipped by, and on the forenoon of the 20th we sighted afar off the - flat top of Table Mountain. Steaming across the wide mouth of Simon’s - Bay we saw hundreds of sharks—brown brutes that scooted away, showing - a black fin, as the steamer ploughed her way through the waves. Then - rounding the Point we sailed into Table Bay, and dropped anchor with a - grand feeling of satisfaction that the voyage had ended. Journeying by - sea is pleasant enough when you do it first class by P. and O., but - when you go no class at all, and sleep on the deck, and get turned out - before 5, and spend a big part of the day clearing out horse stalls or - cooking your own food, and enduring lots of other discomforts, it’s no - catch at all; and it was with intense relief we took our place among - the lines of troopships in Cape Town harbour. And what a sight it was! - Ships! ships! ships! And everywhere more ships! And most of them - transports. From great 10,000-ton White Star Atlantic liners down to - little coasters like our own ‘Lindula.’ All around us were vessels - full of troops. Every hour or two a new one came in, or one weighed - her anchor and steamed slowly by into the dock to disembark her living - freight. Other ships were crammed from stem to stern with cattle, - sheep, horses, leaving barely enough room on deck to turn the wheel. - Vessels were packed like herrings in the harbour: so thick did they - lie in places you could hardly see the water for ships. There we - waited, and next morning the Health Officer came on board and gave us - _pratique_, which meant a clean bill of health and freedom to land. - Another day of waiting for the pilot. Then after a great rush and - scurry collecting kit we slowly slid into harbour. And, lo and behold! - it was Cape Town—Africa at last. - - Disembarking is not a pleasant pastime, especially when 150 men have - had three weeks in a ship during which to lose and mix up their - belongings. But the order to clear out and make room for another ship - was given, and had to be obeyed in a hurry. So we said good-bye to the - ‘Lindula.’ Poor thing, she had done her best for us, though in her we - lost four of our chargers and two transport ponies, a big proportion - of our total of 180 animals, but nothing like the number that died on - some other ships. A transport lying near us with Imperial Yeomanry - lost 39 out of 450 in a three weeks’ voyage—nearly all from pneumonia. - - Our orders were to proceed to Maitland Camp, some four miles to the - north of Cape Town, and thither we marched, leading the horses, which - of course were hardly in a fit state to ride. However, the walk seemed - to do them good, and after a week in camp, with good feeding and - gentle exercise, they picked up condition rapidly. - - The men have little that is good to say of Maitland Camp. It is a - place stale, flat, unprofitable, and altogether accursed. When we - arrived the wind blew a hurricane, and setting up the tents was a task - to try a Stoic. Once they were up the sand crept in at every crevice - and lay thickly on everything, especially butter and food of every - sort. Men went to sleep, or tried to, with the feeling that the bit of - the earth on which they lay must surely be swept into the next world - ere morning broke. But day dawned and we were still in Maitland Camp, - with the rain pouring in torrents and turning the sand and earth into - mud puddings, which clogged and wetted and dirtied every scrap that - belonged to us. However, the third day recompensed us, for the sun - shone hot and bright, and a gentle breeze wafted delicious scents from - the woods of eucalyptus and fir trees all around. Boys came to us with - delicious grapes, great bunches weighing one to two pounds apiece, - each grape being as large as a pigeon’s egg and as full of juice and - flavour as fruit can be. - - Of Cape Town we saw very little, but liked that little much; only the - price of things is terrible, and it seems much more serious parting - with shillings than with rupees. Lumsden’s Horse had many eyes for the - beautiful, and while declining to play the part of Paris in deciding - on rival charms, they wax eloquent when their theme is the sex which, - as one gallant trooper says, has done much to make this world the - habitable place it is. In Cape Town the ladies are charming to look - at. They dress just as they do at home in summer, and their cheeks are - rosy, and they are altogether delightful to look upon. But still it - matters little whether the cheeks be pale or rosy, we are all ready to - back our ladies of India against any in the wide world for kindness - and every other feminine attribute. - - Having inspected our transport, the Army Service Corps officers at - Cape Town approved of our carts, and reported favourably on them to - Lord Roberts; but at the same time stated that they considered a team - of two ponies inadequate to draw the load we had designed through - sandy tracts, and suggested two leaders to each cart, an increase of - 200 lb. in the load, and a decrease in the number of carts. The Chief - of the Staff having approved of this suggestion, we handed over to the - military authorities twenty ponies (not our best) and ten carts, and - harness complete, receiving in exchange seventy-six mules, with - harness, and twelve Cape boys to assist as drivers, so that when B - Company arrives our united transport establishment will consist of - thirty-six carts and two water-carts, with two mules as wheelers and - two ponies as leaders to each cart, and there is little doubt that we - are as well provided with transport as any troops in the field—indeed, - much better than most. The Remount Department in Cape Town were very - good to us, and replaced not only our losses on the voyage, but a - number of horses which on landing appeared unfit for service, giving - us in all twenty-four chargers. The animals cast in Cape Town were old - and unlikely to get into condition for a long time, if ever they did - so. Our Calcutta purchases and horses brought by troopers themselves - are nearly all doing well. In place of those we had lost on the - voyage—six or seven altogether—Government gave us thirteen fine - Australian cobs, which were told off as remounts for the Ceylon - Contingent. But, the latter having been mounted in the meantime by the - military authorities and sent to the front, their horses were very - properly handed over to us. In Cape Town we found it necessary to make - several purchases to supplement equipment and replace losses. These - consisted of grass nets and picketing pegs for the horses, and - _vel-schoen_ and canvas water-bags for the men; besides stores - amounting in all to about 150_l._ worth. - - Unfortunately, we have to leave four men in hospital. Sergeant Lee - Stewart, whose illness was mentioned in the last letter, is much - better, but greatly debilitated from the trying time he has had. He - has hopes of joining us later. Another bad case is that of K. Boileau, - from Behar, who was attacked with pneumonia and was very ill indeed at - one time. However, we have good reports of him, and hope to hear in a - few days that he is all right again. Shaw, of the Assam Contingent, - and Doyle, of the Transport, are also in hospital from trifling - ailments, and they ought soon to be able to join us. Many of the men - are suffering from cuts and sores on hands and feet, which do not seem - to heal up as fast as they ought. Hickley, who was pretty bad when the - last letter went, is now all right again, but Daubney has still to be - careful of his broken collar-bone. When we arrived at Cape Town we at - once heard we were to proceed to Bloemfontein, to join Lord Roberts, - as speedily as possible. But the movement of large bodies of troops - with supplies caused a block on the railway, and we were delayed eight - days. The wait, however, did the horses good, and they picked up hand - over fist at Maitland Camp. - -All these details, when looked at in the long perspective where more -recent events show up sharply and perhaps a little out of focus, may -seem insignificant as objects seen through the wrong end of a telescope. -At the time of occurrence, however, they had an importance that -impressed itself on the minds of men to whom nearly every incident of -active service was then a novelty. And the historian’s duty in such a -case is rather to reproduce impressions than to preserve an exact -proportion. Moreover, some incidents that may appear trivial by -comparison with great episodes, or with decisive actions on which the -fate of an army hung, were potent in shaping the fortunes of Lumsden’s -Horse as one small unit of a mighty whole, and in this respect, if for -no other reason, they are worthy to be chronicled. It is the story of -Voltaire’s miller and the King of Prussia. What a division is to the -general in chief of an army corps a company is to the regimental -commander, and, for Lumsden’s Horse, the smallest adventures of their -own comrades had an interest which the civilian reader may perhaps begin -to share when he comes to know more of them. - - At Cape Town Colonel Lumsden got the first news of B Company since - leaving Calcutta. They had been ordered to East London to disembark - there, and entrain at once for Bethulie, ‘right in the Orange Free - State,’ as Colonel Lumsden remarked, adding, ‘So they bade fair to get - there before us, despite our week’s start. But our latest news of them - is that they have stopped at Queen’s Town, and we know no more of them - except that they had a most successful voyage.’ - -A corporal of the Surma Valley Light Horse, however, supplies the -necessary information. He tells how he went with an ambulance fatigue -party, to which, among others, Dr. Woollright had been told off as an -orderly, in charge of Trooper Seymour Sladden, who was very bad and had -to be taken on shore at East London before the company knew its probable -destination. From a little jetty that juts out from the wooded banks of -the Buffalo River they drove in an ambulance with the sick man up those -steep winding roads past the luxuriant Queen’s Park, with its odorous -gum-tree groves, to the hill top. There they carried Sladden ‘into a -nice clean hospital and left him in charge of kindly nurses, where -everything looked very comfortable.’ Then, somehow, they managed to miss -their officer and made inquiries for him in vain at Deel’s Hotel, with -the result that when the corporal and his comrades reached the -landing-stage they found to their ‘extreme joy the crew gone and no way -of getting off to the ship, so returned to the hotel and had dinner. -Afterwards very sleepy and went straight to bed, and slept like a hog. -First time in bed for many weeks, and found it comfortable indeed.’ -Other non-commissioned officers and troopers of B Company carry on the -narrative in notes that diverge frequently and wander off to alien -topics, so that for the sake of coherence they must be dovetailed -together here in proper order, each chronicler in turn taking up the -story. When those troopers who had not begun to realise the enormity of -breaking leave returned to their ship early in the morning of March 27, -they met with quite an ovation, which does not seem to have been -disinterested, seeing that they were supposed to have brought off with -them fruit, cigarettes, and other delicacies much in request. What they -had would not have gone far to satisfy the cravings of a whole company -for some change from bare rations. News that orders had come for -Lumsden’s Horse to disembark, however, put everybody in high spirits at -the prospect of being allowed to go on shore with freedom to forage for -himself. But they reckoned without their host—the military -commander—whose instructions brooked no delay. Kits had to be packed in -a hurry while the ‘Ujina’ was being towed on a flowing tide across the -troubled bar into port, where she moored alongside the railway wharf. -Horses were then got on shore, but only to exchange cramped stalls for -cattle-trucks, where they had still less room for movement. At this task -the troopers toiled and sweated all through the fiercest heat of a -summer noon, learning another lesson and not liking it much. -Unaccustomed to such work, many got their toes trodden on by horses -rushing down the steep gangway or narrowly escaped more serious injury -before every fretful animal could be coaxed or lifted into the crowded -trucks. Then there were saddles, kits, heavy baggage, and ammunition to -be landed, and so without leisure for a single meal the troopers worked -on far into the night. It was nearly 11 o’clock before the last section -took its place in the train. ‘Something attempted, something done, had -earned a night’s repose’; but there was little chance of getting that, -packed together as they were nine or ten in a carriage. Time must have -softened the impressions of these discomforts on the mind of one -trooper, who, some days later, wrote: - - We left East London on March 28 by rail _en route_ for Bethulie, where - it was intended we should quit the railway, mount our horses, and trek - to Bloemfontein. - - East London turned out in force to see us off. Little boys and girls - (some of the latter not so very little, after all) were very keen to - get hold of our shoulder badges as mementoes, and, needless to say, - the susceptible ones of our corps were unable to resist the entreaties - of the fair ones, and daylight showed a vacant place on many a - shoulder-strap. This badge-collecting seems to be a great hobby out - here just now; one boy showed me a belt simply covered with badges, - which he had secured from the men of the different regiments that had - passed through. We travelled in second- and third-class carriages, ten - men in each, but it being quite cool we were not uncomfortable. - -Another correspondent, whose experiences were evidently not so pleasant, -takes a less roseate view. He says hard words about the South African -war method of standing men, some forty-five or so in a cattle-truck, -encumbered with heavy coats, rifles, and other baggage—a leaky roof, and -no sides. - - This may be economical, as the Major said, but on a wet blustry night, - when buckets of rain, mixed with soot from the engine, are falling, it - is not a style of travelling that conduces to comfort. Then there is - still another African style—namely, ten men with rifles, &c., in a - third-class carriage meant to hold eight only. Both of these methods - we sampled on our way up to Bloemfontein. And right glad I was when we - had done with it, and took to the saddle. Some, however, confessed to - having slept very well that first night in such strange circumstances, - tired out as they were by hours of previous toil, though they woke - next morning very cold, with nothing to eat but one loaf, which ten - men divided between them. - -They had eyes for the picturesque as well as for the agricultural -possibilities of a country where Nature does much and man apparently -very little, except to stroll about watching the cattle graze and the -crops grow, unless he happens to be a Kaffir, which makes all the -difference. Chiefly, however, Lumsden’s Horse must have been struck by -the barren, rocky kopjes that seemed to spring suddenly in the midst of -fertility and rise range behind range, stretching away to the mountains, -which looked so near that it was impossible for imagination to measure -the breadth of intervening plains. As one of them wrote, acquaintance -with this country for the first time ‘made us realise the fearful odds -that Buller had to tackle’; and no doubt many other troopers went on -fighting fanciful battles against a wily enemy who, driven from one -position, would gallop off to occupy another kopje still more -formidable, and so prolong that imaginary fight, while the train, like a -British column, wound its slow way through tortuous defiles. Lumsden’s -Horse, however, had eyes for other things also, as a candid chronicler -admits in his simple narrative, which may now be allowed to run its -uninterrupted course: - - At several stations on our way there was the usual crowd of ‘loyal’ - ladies of mature age, and the still larger crowd of schoolgirls. The - people seemed very glad to see us. There was a lot of cheering and - waving of handkerchiefs and pleasant greetings at every station. They - gave us cigarettes and cheroots, and some men were seen to be sporting - bows of red, white, and blue when we left—little attentions from some - fair hands in return perhaps for Lumsden’s badges, of which many - shoulder-straps were by that time bereft. - - Early next morning saw us at Cathcart, where we stopped about two - hours, and took the opportunity to water and feed our horses. There is - a nice little inn here, and we went down in a body and indulged in - delicious bread, butter, and milk. Oh, such a contrast to the same - articles of diet in India! The weather at this time of the year is - nearly perfect, the air being fine, dry, and invigorating; to the eye - wearied by the flatness of the plains of India the undulating country, - small hills and green valleys between, is very refreshing; but what - strikes one, more especially in the Free State, which we marched - through later, is the desolateness of the country, miles and miles of - veldt dotted here and there with small houses. Cattle-farming seems to - be the principal thing they go in for here, but the farmers say that, - what with rinderpest and drought, it is very disheartening work. The - cattle are very fine, and strike us especially coming from India, - where one sees such miserable specimens. About midday we arrived at - Queen’s Town, and were very much disgusted to hear that Lord Roberts - had wired down that we were to detrain and go into camp, as he needed - all the horse-waggons and cattle-trucks for carrying remounts (several - thousands of which were collected at Queen’s Town) to troops at the - front. The camp is situated about two miles from the railway station, - but they have run a siding into it, so that the carriages containing - ourselves and our horses were simply detached from the rest of the - train and we were run into the camp. We did not take long in - detraining and picketing our horses; the poor brutes were simply - delighted to get on firm ground again, and when let loose indulged in - all sorts of antics—rolling on the grass, kicking up their heels, and - larking like colts, to show appreciation of their freedom. As our - tents had not arrived yet, we were obliged to sleep out in the open; - but, knowing this would be a matter of course sooner or later, we made - no bones about it. Unfortunately it came on to rain at night, and this - made things generally uncomfortable. The mufflers so kindly knitted - for us by the ladies of Calcutta proved simply invaluable; with these, - Balaclava caps, and greatcoats on, we made ourselves perfectly - comfortable. There were about twelve men of the Army Service Corps - stationed here, and, with the proverbial hospitality of Tommy Atkins, - they very kindly supplied us with hot cocoa and coffee, and offered to - put up as many as possible of us in their tents. We found several of - the Queensland Mounted Volunteers encamped here, also a part of the - Militia Battalion of the Cheshires awaiting marching orders like - ourselves. Next day our tents arrived, and we were soon quite settled - down, ten men in a tent—a bit of a squash, but all right when one gets - accustomed to it. - -There they may be left for a time chuckling over the good story of a -Militia regiment whose officers complained to Major Showers that they -could not stand the language of which Lumsden’s Horse made such free and -frequent use at ‘stables’ and other daily duties. Of course that -language was only the mildest of mild Hindustani put into terms of -endearment with certain genealogical references that sounded mysterious -to the uninitiated. - ------ - -Footnote 3: - - Hindustani for ‘order.’ - ------ - - - - - CHAPTER V - _AN INTERLUDE—THE RESULTS OF SANNA’S POST_ - - -At Maitland Camp and Queen’s Town the two companies of Lumsden’s Horse -would probably have remained many weary weeks, eating their hearts out -with the fever of impatience, but for circumstances which must -necessarily be explained at some length in order to give a clear view of -the general situation. With events leading up to that situation -Lumsden’s Horse had nothing to do, but incidentally the crisis had a -great deal to do with them as influencing their movements immediately -afterwards. It will be remembered that Lord Roberts had found it -necessary to halt at Bloemfontein a fortnight earlier, his victorious -advance beyond that point being checked by the loss of a very valuable -convoy which had fallen into the hands of the Boers at Waterval Drift. -With characteristic cheerfulness he made light of a mishap that would -have been regarded by many generals as almost disastrous in the -circumstances, seeing that the convoy contained supplies without which -no forward movement of troops beyond Bloemfontein would be possible -pending the repair of railways and the opening up of communications with -a secure base. In his despatches Lord Roberts makes but a passing -reference to the Waterval Drift affair, as if it were of comparatively -little importance, yet he knew perfectly well that its consequences -would be a temporary paralysis of his whole force and heart-breaking -delay at a time when energetic action might have brought the campaign to -a decisive issue. - -The relief of Ladysmith, far from improving matters in this respect, had -simply set free a number of Boer commandos, whose leaders, baulked in -their ambitious schemes for the conquest of Natal, were burning with -desire to achieve successes in the Orange Free State. From their point -of view it was still possible to retrieve the disaster of Paardeberg, -and they knew that a severe blow struck at the British lines of -communication would bring them many adherents from Cape Colony who were -only waiting for such an opportunity. It would also inevitably prolong -the campaign by cutting off sources of supply, on which Lord Roberts was -dependent; and it might even turn the scale in their favour by bringing -about European intervention. To that hope they clung always, as their -State documents and correspondence prove abundantly. Therefore it was of -the first importance that they should assume the offensive before Lord -Roberts could strengthen his lines of communication and bring up ample -supplies to form an advanced base at Bloemfontein. If circumstances had -permitted him to push on at once, the moral effect on enemies already -disorganised and disheartened would have been enormous. As it was, his -inaction revived the drooping Spirits of Boers who were previously on -the point of accepting defeat as inevitable. They saw the inherent -weakness of a force that could not move far in any direction until the -means of feeding itself had been secured, and their thoughts turned at -once to the possibility of frustrating that object by vigorous raids at -every vulnerable point. In such an emergency the presence of men like -Louis Botha and Christian De Wet was worth more than a thousand rifles. -They had the brain to plan and the intrepidity to attempt any enterprise -that might bring them an advantage by embarrassing their adversaries, -and every day’s delay on our side was an opportunity given to them for -more complete concentration. This last word must not be misunderstood. -When applied to Boer strategy or tactics it does not necessarily mean,a -gathering of units into one great force, but rather a concentration of -efforts on one object which they often secure while seeming to aim at -something entirely different by a distribution of their commandos in -many directions. Necessarily such distracting operations can never bring -about decisive results, but they served the Boer purpose admirably then, -and De Wet got the opportunity he wanted to prove himself an ideal -leader for work of that kind. - -From some points of view this may be regarded as the most important -phase of the whole campaign; it taught the Boers how to harass our -forces with the greatest effect while exposing themselves to -comparatively little danger. First of all, however, they set themselves -to the task of showing that there was life and power for mischief in -them yet, their object evidently being to effect surprises that might -create panic among our troops and so render raids less difficult of -accomplishment. In the development of that idea we recognise the -peculiar craft of Christian De Wet, who at that time had less respect -for the courage of ‘rooineks’ than he began to entertain soon -afterwards. Sanna’s Post was a lesson to him not less than to us. With -the exaggeration which characterised a great deal that was written in -those days some critics at home described this affair as a ‘black -disaster,’ thereby meaning apparently that it was something rather -disgraceful and a stain on our military reputation. A disaster it was in -the literal sense, for the stars in their courses seemed to be turned -against us; but they were certainly not blotted out, and they never -shone on soldiers whose deeds could better bear the light. The story of -Sanna’s Post or Koorn Spruit is worth telling again, not only because it -marks emphatically the revival of Boer hopes, after Ladysmith and -Paardeberg and Kimberley had done much to shatter their self-confidence, -but because it furnishes a splendid example of British valour, defiant -in the moment of defeat, and all the brighter by contrast with the gloom -through which it shines. In details the following version of what -happened may not be more accurate than others, and it lacks the -completeness that subsequent access to official documents might have -given; but at least it has the merit of having been written at the time, -and of showing what was the impression conveyed to the minds of people -who were in the midst of those stirring events and could gauge their -significance without exaggeration. This description by the Editor, who, -as War Correspondent of ‘The Daily News,’ was then at Bloemfontein, may -be given almost in its original form. - -We knew that Colonel Pilcher, in attacking Ladybrand, had roused a -hornet’s nest, and that Brigadier-General Broadwood, in command of a -small mixed column, was retiring along that road from Thaba ’Nchu, hard -pressed by Boers, whom he could only keep at a distance by the skilful -disposition of his forces in successive rearguard actions. His movements -were hampered by the slow progress of a convoy. He was falling back on a -post at Sauna’s near the waterworks from which Bloemfontein draws its -main supply, and expected to be there some time during the night of -Friday. He had made application for reinforcements when the Boers, -gathering strength as they came, began to overlap him on each flank, in -spite of anything that his men could do to check every move of that -kind. Thereupon Lord Roberts sent General Colvile’s Division, with -artillery, and Colonel Martyr’s brigade of Mounted Infantry and -Irregular Horse eastward by a forced march. They left Bloemfontein hours -before daybreak on Friday, but even then it was too late. Colonel -Martyr, pushing on as fast as the condition of over-worked horses would -permit, only reached Boesman’s (or Bushman’s) Kop with his leading -troops about 7 o’clock. There was still six miles of veldt between him -and the scene of disaster. Before he could cross that in force -sufficient to be of any use, the worst had happened, and nothing -remained for him but to cover the retreat of detachments that had -already got through the Boer lines before going to help those who were -still beset. - -What were the causes leading to disaster we did not know then—we do not -know with absolute certainty even now. No special correspondents were -with General Broadwood’s column when sudden misfortune fell upon it. All -details had to be gathered at second hand, and many of the combatants -who were best qualified to give an impartial account of the trap in -which our troops were caught were either dead or prisoners in the hands -of the enemy. In the excitement following that swift surprise those who -had to fight hard for their lives could not see much on either side of -their immediate front. They were mainly concerned with the necessity for -shooting quick and straight. It is therefore not surprising that stories -of the fight, as seen from many different points of view, should vary so -that it becomes a little difficult to follow the exact sequence of -events. - -Two or three points, however, seem tolerably clear. When -Brigadier-General Broadwood halted his troops to bivouac at 4 o’clock on -Saturday morning, March 31, after crossing the Modder River, they were -worn out by a long night march that had entailed incessant watchfulness. -He was then in touch with the small force of Mounted Infantry holding -the waterworks, and, naturally supposing that their commander had taken -all precautions to safeguard the drift across Koorn Spruit, he did not -call upon his weary column to furnish additional patrols for duty in -that direction, but formed a chain of outposts along ridges in rear -towards the known enemy, who had been harassing his march all the way -from Thaba ’Nchu. - -It is known that the officer who was in command at Sanna’s Post did take -more than ordinary precautions before dawn that morning by sending a -company of Mounted Infantry westward across the drift near Pretorius’s -Farm, and, if a Boer prisoner may be trusted, that very precaution -contributed to the disaster. According to his story, a party of three -hundred Boers, who had been cut off from the main Brandfort body by -General French’s Cavalry, on Thursday, were making their way across -country to join Grobelaar’s (or, rather, as it had then become, De -Wet’s) command on the Ladybrand side. Hearing Koorn Spruit, this party -saw the Mounted Infantry patrol, and, the first principle of Boers in -warfare being to hide themselves from the enemy, they at once took -shelter between the high banks of a water-course which is, in places, -nearly as dry as a khor in the Soudan. Then they began to plan an -ambush, with the object of cutting off that isolated Mounted Infantry -company. Until that moment they had not thought of laying a trap for the -convoy, about which, indeed, they knew nothing. Such is the story told -by a Boer prisoner. If true, it proves that the capture of Broadwood’s -convoy was by a force entirely independent of the one against which he -had been fighting his rearguard actions, and therefore unpremeditated, -or, at any rate, not the calculated result of skilful tactics. - -At first it was hastily assumed that one of the ablest scouts in the -British Army had been out-manœuvred, and allowed himself to be -surrounded by Boers. That the officer who gained distinction for -boldness, dash, and caution when reconnoitring successive Dervish -positions in the Soudan, should allow himself to be caught in a trap by -Boer farmers was almost inconceivable. It now seems as if the enemy had -merely stumbled on an opportunity, of which they took advantage, not -quite realising what it meant. - -Against this, however, was the evidence of a civilian refugee who -declared that there were many more than three hundred Boers concealed in -Koorn Spruit, and believed that secret information must have been given -to them of the fact that no force had been posted to guard the drift by -which Broadwood’s column must cross. On Pretorius’s Farm he met a -burgher who had given up his arms, and received a pass from our military -authorities permitting him to return to his home and settle down in -peace, secure from all fear of molestation at the hands of British -troops. This disarmed burgher, who had been fighting against us up to -the occupation of Bloemfontein by Lord Roberts, showed such an accurate -knowledge of the Boer movements that he must have watched them very -closely. He could tell the exact position from which every gun would -open fire on the English, column before it came into action. This -knowledge he imparted without reserve, and yet, apparently, he had no -apprehensions of ill-treatment from his former comrades as the penalty -for deserting them. The incident, whatever interpretation may be put -upon it, is curious, and will, perhaps, help to explain many things that -happened when submissions were accepted and passes granted with too -lavish leniency. - -It is more than probable that a Boer attack on the waterworks in order -to destroy the pumping machinery there was part of a plan conceived -directly after the occupation of Bloemfontein by our troops, but it -could not be carried out before the column holding Thaba ’Nchu had been -forced to retire. The artillery positions may therefore have been -selected some time previously for the purpose of shelling out any force -that might make a stand at the waterworks, and it is all consistent with -the Boer prisoner’s statement that no deliberate attempt was made by -General Broadwood’s pursuers to surround him until they found that his -convoy had been accidentally headed off and partly destroyed at the -drift across Koorn Spruit by a comparatively small body lying in ambush -there for another purpose. Such a combination of accidents seems -improbable, but certainly not more so than the assumption that a Boer -commander, calculating all the chances to a nicety, had ventured to -detach such a small force and send it round by a wide _détour_ across -some miles of open plain with the object of intercepting, by an ambush, -a column that had been able to hold its own against odds for some time. -If so, he gave more hostages to fortune than the Boers have risked -elsewhere. - -Whatever may be the truth in this respect, it is clear that neither the -officer in charge of communications, whose Mounted Infantry held Sanna’s -Post, nor Brigadier-General Broadwood, had reason to suspect the -presence of any hostile force in that immediate neighbourhood. - -When the retiring column got touch of its friends near the waterworks, -bivouac was immediately formed, and tired men no sooner lay down, with -saddles for pillows, and rifles by their sides, than they were sound -asleep, leaving the duty of watchfulness to their rearguard, which, in -outpost line, occupied a range of rough hills southward, overlooking the -road by which they had retired from Thaba ’Nchu. It was then 4 o’clock. -Little time could be given to rest, for the column had to start again in -two hours. Just before 6 o’clock the convoy of a hundred waggons with -mule-teams began to move off towards Koorn Spruit Drift. Such was the -false sense of security that no armed body went ahead. Some dismounted -men, whose horses had been shot or otherwise used up, marched as a -baggage-guard, but most of them had stowed their rifles on the waggons -while helping to get the column in marching order. Nothing warned them -that danger was near as they approached the drift. Not a movement was to -be seen across the broad veldt but dark shadows of hills creeping -backwards as the sun rose. - -At that moment, from a distant hill in rear, overtopping the outpost -ridge, darted the flash of a Boer gun, then another and another from -different positions, followed by the shriek of shells and the crash of -bursting charges. Every shot, well aimed, struck with a dull thud, and -threw up columns of earth among or near the masses of men who were -saddling up or inspanning teams for the march, but did no damage beyond -frightening mules and increasing the confusion, where Cape boys, in -their haste to obey a peremptory order, got harness entangled and -themselves bewildered. Our Horse Artillery, being in a hollow, and -masked by the movement of troops about them, did not reply, but limbered -up and followed the transport waggons, which by that time had begun to -cross the drift. Nearly half of them had cleared it, when from behind -steep banks in the winding spruit on each side Boers galloped forward in -dense troops, and, halting with rifles at the present, summoned -everybody to surrender. - -Some men of the baggage guard got to their arms, and, lying between -waggon wheels, opened fire, but they were few, and the Boers many. The -others, unarmed, could do nothing but obey the stern mandate: ‘Hold up -your hands; come this way and give us your bandoliers.’ - -Then U Battery of the Royal Horse Artillery, following close upon the -waggons, was surrounded before a gun could be wheeled about for ‘Action -front,’ and the drivers were ordered to dismount and outspan. Gunners, -however, do not yield without a struggle, even when their eyes look into -the barrel of an enemy’s levelled rifle. Hands were on revolvers in an -instant, but before these could be drawn shooting had begun, and many a -gallant fellow fell. Horses, too, were shot down, or, being wounded, -plunged madly over the traces. One team, startled by the din about it, -stampeded, and galloped off with gun and limber, but no drivers. Thus -one gun was saved. The other five fell into Boer hands, their gunners -being either killed, wounded, or taken prisoners. - -Sergeant-Major Martin escaped and ran back to warn Major Hornby, who, in -command of Q Battery, was then scarcely a hundred yards from the scene -of disaster. That officer gave the order to unlimber and come into -action, but could not open fire while our men and the enemy were mixed -up together among baggage-waggons, and at the same time his own gunners -were being shot down. A small body of Remington’s Scouts made one plucky -effort to get near the captured battery, but suffered heavily. Then two -troops of Roberts’s Horse, acting as escort for the convoy, dashed -forward to cross the spruit and take the Boers in flank, but they were -confronted by enemies from another ambush, who, at a distance of only a -few yards, had them covered and called upon them to surrender. Their -only answer was ‘Fours about—gallop’; but it came too late, and before -they could get out of range nearly every saddle was emptied. Only five -men got away, and of these four were wounded. Among the missing, nine -officers had either been killed or fallen into the enemy’s hands. - -Emboldened by success, the Boers came into the open, as they had never -done before. They galloped up to groups of men who were fighting -shoulder to shoulder, reined in, and shot as they sat in the saddle, -reckless of the bullets that whistled about them. One body charged close -up to a Maxim gun that was pouring out a deadly torrent of bullets, and -silenced it for a time by shooting down the detachment, but whether they -got away or fell victims to their own bravery could not be seen as the -struggle surged round them. Three New Zealanders whom I met coming out -of the fight told the story, and spoke with admiration of the daring -displayed by many of their foes, but still more enthusiastically of the -splendid courage of our Horse Artillery. Of these three, one was a fine -type of the half-caste Maori, the others hardy Colonists, who looked as -if they had faced death more than once—cold-eyed and calm. They had -evidently taken mental note of all that passed within sight of them, -while they with others held a group of buildings, keeping the enemy in -check by steady shooting. - -Major Hornby, finding that he could not bring his guns to bear at short -range without shooting down friend as well as foe, limbered up to get -clear of the close _mêlée_. In wheeling round on rough ground one gun -capsized, bringing all the team down with it—horses and drivers together -in a confused mass. The Boers saw their chance, and brought a withering -rifle fire to bear, so that every attempt to right the gun failed. Under -this fire the two wheelers of another team fell. The leaders struggled -on for a time, dragging their maimed comrades, then came to a -standstill, and that gun also had to be left behind. Marksmen of the -Durham Light Infantry did their best to keep down the enemy’s fire, -while volunteers ran out to help the distressed gunners, who, managing -to escape, went off for fresh horses. - -Captain Gore Anley, commanding the Essex Regiment’s Mounted Infantry, -aided by two of his men, brought a wounded gunner from under that -terrific fire to safety, and then went out with a brother-officer to -help at the guns. Time after time the artillerymen brought up fresh -teams, which were shot down before they could be hooked to the limbers. -One driver had nine horses killed or wounded before he gave up the -attempt as hopeless. - -Meanwhile Major Hornby, with four guns of his own command, and the only -one remaining of U Battery, which had been recaptured after stampeding, -moved southward to a position twelve hundred yards from Koorn Spruit -Drift. There he brought them into action with a cool audacity and effect -that paralysed the enemy. Though he could not save the guns that had -been left behind, he could cover the retirement of Cavalry and Mounted -Infantry of the rearguard, who, unable longer to hold the low ridge -against heavy odds, were being forced back from the waterworks, fighting -stubbornly, though threatened in flank by the force that had captured -our convoy. Shelled at from right and left, smitten by storms of rifle -bullets, the gunners of Q Battery never budged. Coolly, as if at target -practice, they loaded and aimed. The shells burst among the Boers, -checking more than one attempt at a rush, and then the remnants of a -shattered brigade were enabled to retire upon their supports, who had -rallied for a stand at the station buildings. - -All the time officers and men of the Army Medical Corps were covering -themselves with honour by brilliant services rendered to stricken -soldiers, who lay helpless where the ground was torn by bullets. The -coolest deed of all, however, was done by an American named Todd, a -trooper in Roberts’s Horse. With a comrade he had first volunteered to -go out and bring in some stray horses for the disabled guns. Before they -had ridden fifty yards the second trooper was shot dead, but Todd -galloped on straight towards the Boers, rounded up both horses, and had -nearly brought them back when one was killed. When he rejoined his -detachment Todd heard an officer asking for volunteers to go out in -search of their doctor, who was lying wounded in a donga. Without -waiting to hear more the trooper turned his horse’s head towards the -Boer lines again and galloped off. Twenty minutes later he rode back -slowly, bearing a heavy burden on his arms. ‘I couldn’t see the doctor -anywhere,’ he said, ‘but I have brought back the only wounded man that I -found alive there.’ If ever a man earned the right to wear the grim -badge of Roberts’s Horse it is Trooper Todd. Deeds of heroism, however, -were not rare that day. They could not avert disaster, but they shed a -light upon it that dispels the shadow of humiliation. - -Our men had still hard fighting to do before they could hope to -extricate themselves. Brigadier-General Broadwood’s retirement upon the -station buildings was not effected without difficulty, and it is -wonderful that he should have been able to keep the remnants of so many -broken squadrons in hand, while they were weakened by further losses -every minute, and the on-coming enemy gathered strength. Several -horsemen, escaping, got away across the veldt, and then, forming groups, -headed towards Boesman’s Kop, Boers pursuing for some distance. But the -main body made a stand at the station buildings, and fought it out for -two weary hours, so fiercely that the enemy did not dare to come to -closer quarters. The company of Burmese Mounted Infantry that had been -on outpost duty west of Koorn Spruit, when they found themselves cut off -by Boers in ambush, made an attempt to rejoin the main body, but were in -turn surrounded. Having some advantage of ground, though outnumbered, -they were enabled to hold their assailants off until 7 o’clock. - -Then the scene changed. Troops appeared on Boesman’s Kop. They were the -advanced guard of Colonel Martyr’s Mounted Infantry brigade, which had -made a forced march to relieve the beleaguered column. Their commander -halted only long enough to let the main body close up, and then -‘Queenslanders to the rescue’ came sweeping across the veldt as fast as -their jaded horses could move. But the Boers were at their old tactics -again, and the Queensland Mounted Infantry fell into a trap skilfully -laid for them. Before the enemy could reap much advantage, however, -Colonel Henry was at them with all his companies of Regular Mounted -Infantry, which the astute Brigadier had ordered forward when he saw the -Queensland men in difficulties. The young officer, who has spent many -years with Egyptian Camel Corps, chasing Dervish raiders and scouting -about their strongholds, was not to be caught by a Boer ambush. He -advanced upon them in a formation too flexible even for their mobility, -and gradually drove them before him until the Burmese and Queensland -Mounted Infantry were enabled to fight their way through the weakened -cordon. - -This timely diversion gave General Broadwood his opportunity, Major -Hornby’s battery fell back to another position, covering the retirement, -and then the column, leaving its wounded under care of our own surgeons, -retired slowly to join the welcome reinforcements. They had to turn -again and again to face the foe, who still hung on their heels, and all -the way they were shelled by Boer guns, until a final stand was made -near the waterworks, where the enemy dared not attack, though the -artillery fire continued for nearly two hours longer. - -Late that afternoon the Highland Brigade, under General Hector -MacDonald, passed Boesman’s Kop, and advanced to get touch of the enemy, -near Modder River; but except for a few shells and sputtering rifle -fire, no attempt was made by the Boers to resist this advance. When -General Smith-Dorrien’s brigade, and other troops of the Ninth Division, -joined MacDonald, the column that had fought so well after disaster fell -upon it, dispersed into scattered remnants once more, each unit making -for the appointed bivouac in any want of formation best adapted to the -needs of weary men who had to walk because their horses were more tired -than themselves. - -What a roll-call it would have been if the Brigadier had not in mercy -spared them that melancholy ordeal! When the losses came to be counted, -they numbered, in dead, wounded, and prisoners, nearly a third of the -force that had marched out of Thaba ’Nchu forty hours earlier. Of U -Battery, Royal Horse Artillery, only a mere handful remained, and Q -Battery had suffered heavily too. Seven out of twelve guns had been left -in the enemy’s hands, with some eighty baggage waggons full of stores. -Household Cavalry, 10th Hussars, and Mounted Infantry had losses to -mourn, and Roberts’s Horse the most of all. Unhappily, it was too late -to hope that either guns or convoy could be recaptured. They had all -been taken off during the afternoon towards Thaba ’Nchu, and Boers were -in possession of the waterworks, with artillery on heights behind, -covering the road. - -Next day a demonstration of the whole force under General Colvile’s -command was made, as if to drive every Boer from the waterworks, where -mischief had been done by the destruction of pumping engines; but it -ended in nothing, and then we gradually drew in our forces. The Boers -assumed the offensive again, and began to threaten our line of -communications at several points. - -These were the conditions that made Lord Roberts anxious to secure the -services of every mounted corps on which he could rely for meeting the -new Boer tactics by swift counter-strokes. Most of them he had foreseen -when orders were sent for Lumsden’s Horse to be supplied with all the -remounts necessary for repairing losses and pushed on to the front. -Sanna’s Post with all its consequences had not been counted on; but it -made the need for mounted troops all the more urgent in order that -pressure round about Wepener might be relieved and lines of -communication cleared. That action, lamentable because of the sacrifices -it entailed, but glorious in its heroic incidents, gave to Lumsden’s -Horse not only an opportunity, but an example; and we may be sure that, -when the news reached them at Maitland Camp and at Queen’s Town, every -trooper made up his mind to be a worthy comrade of the men who had -risked their lives so nobly and fought with such stubborn valour in vain -attempts to save the guns at Sanna’s Post. - - - - -[Illustration] - - - - - CHAPTER VI - _BY RAIL AND ROUTE MARCH TO BLOEMFONTEIN_ - - -A week was more than enough in which to exhaust all the charms that A -Company could find round about its dusty camp at Maitland. The fragrance -from woodland belts of pine and eucalyptus trees soon began to pall; -there was little to refresh the eye in that changeless view across -unbroken flats, where a grey haze hung morning, noon, and eve, veiling -the distant mountains northward; the beauty of Table Mountain, as seen -from there, with kloof-fretted steeps towering up to the clouds, is not -a joy for ever; and Cape Town shows its least attractive side towards -Maitland, which in itself is the embodiment of suburban dreariness, -having but two places of entertainment—a swimming bath and an -observatory. As admission to the latter can only be gained by a special -permit from the Astronomer Royal, Lumsden’s Horse had few opportunities -to appreciate the wild dissipation of ascending its quaint old tower, -which, indeed, most of them mistook for a dismantled windmill. And the -amusements that Cape Town offers to soldiers of less than commissioned -rank had few temptations for troopers of Lumsden’s Horse. Mount Nelson, -with its gay crowd of fair women and maimed heroes, was to them but a -vision of the life that had been. How those dainty damsels would have -been shocked to see a trooper in weather-stained khaki and ammunition -boots treading the glades and terraced heights of that South African -Olympus! But not more shocked than a man of Lumsden’s Horse would have -felt at finding himself in such a situation. Ridiculous prejudice, of -course, and to be condemned by all right-thinking people in whose -opinion the soldier’s uniform is a badge of honour. Yes! but like many -other badges it has to be worn with a difference; and nobody knows -better than those who have tried the experiment of putting it on that a -private soldier’s service kit is not the garb in which one would choose -to appear where fashion and beauty congregate. A man may have served -through a whole campaign in the lowest ranks, obedient to every command, -however humiliating or distasteful, and not have felt the yoke gall him -half so sorely as it does when he first realises the social inferiority -that it implies. Let us have done with cant and confess at once that a -man who puts on the common soldier’s uniform for active service, whether -he be Volunteer or Regular, thereby renounces all claims to the rights -and privileges of a gentleman. The gay haunts of a city are not for him -then, if he cherishes his self-respect, and the troopers of Lumsden’s -Horse had that truth impressed upon them long before their week of rest -at Cape Town came to an end. They were no more squeamish than others, -and their experiences in this direction have been shared by every -Yeomanry corps and Volunteer detachment, after the first burst of -enthusiasm on their account exhausted itself. Cheerful endurance of -these things may be counted not least among the merits of men who gave -up much to serve their country in her hour of need, and to ignore them -would be to misunderstand the nature of many sacrifices made by the -rank-and-file of a regiment like Lumsden’s Horse. In times more -propitious they would have appreciated fully all the charms that Cape -Town can offer; but, as it was, the parting had no great pang for them, -and A Company hailed with unalloyed delight the order for an advance -northward into the land of infinite possibilities. There was to be no -route marching for that detachment, the Cape Colony lines being -comparatively clear of troop traffic; so that the prospect of reaching -Bloemfontein by rail without serious interruption seemed almost a -certainty. It was on Friday, March 30, that Colonel Lumsden received, -direct from headquarters, the welcome intimation that he and his two -companies were wanted at the front. Colonel Lumsden naturally felt -himself very fortunate in receiving orders by which his corps was chosen -for active service while Regular regiments and Yeomanry companies waited -impatiently at the base in Cape Town; but Lord Roberts needed mounted -troops more than infantry just then. Everybody accepted this as the -first real step of the great march on which their hearts were set, and -its crowning triumph at Pretoria. They were not to be out of it after -all. And we may be sure that they wanted no second call when the warning -came for them to get their kits packed and be ready for a start by train -the next morning. This was glad news for all except four unfortunate -troopers who, much to their sorrow, had to be left in hospital at Cape -Town. These were James Lee-Stewart, of whose case Colonel Lumsden wrote -a week or so earlier; Knyvitt Boileau, of Tyrhoot; Hubert Noel Shaw, of -Palumpur; and John Canute Doyle, of the Transport Detachment. Of others, -who were invalids on the voyage, Howard Hickley had quite recovered, and -Clayton-Daubeny, pleading hard that he was quite fit to ride and shoot, -in spite of a broken collar-bone, got permission to rejoin his section -for duty. So keen were the men to be near the fighting line that they -have hardly recorded their impressions of the strange country through -which they passed; and but for an incidental note here and there, like -the opening paragraph of the following letter, we might almost imagine -that profound peace reigned throughout the country. Yet the letter was -dated only three days after our troops had suffered so heavily at -Sanna’s Post. Writing on the morning of April 3, a trooper whose letters -were sent to the ‘Englishman’ said:— - - It is wonderful to think that this very afternoon we shall be in - Bloemfontein, and may see the great old man whose masterly tactics - have so completely turned the tide of war. - - On Friday we heard the line was clear, and this news was quickly - followed by a warning to hold ourselves in readiness. Immediately on - top came the order to be at the railway station the following day by 1 - o’clock. A mighty packing up of kit and piling up of supplies resulted - in a successful transference of our goods and chattels to the station - by the appointed time, and at 6 o’clock we steamed out of Cape Town in - two trains, one following the other. When we left camp ammunition was - served out, fifty rounds a man, and the weight of it has not added to - our comfort. - - The railway journey has proved very pleasant so far. However, some - slight description of how we are packed aboard may be interesting. We - heard, with no little misgiving, that we were to be eight in a - compartment, for we expected nothing but the ordinary straight-backed - wooden carriage, and no chance of lying down at all during the three - days to be occupied in journeying to the Free State capital. So it was - a pleasant surprise to find first-class corridor carriages comfortably - upholstered in leather, with sleeping accommodation in each - compartment for four men at a time. There were one or two second-class - carriages equally comfortable, with the additional advantage of an - extra tier of berths, accommodating six sleepers, one on the floor and - one in the passage, and the whole boiling of us slept the sleep of the - just the whole night through. Rations consisted of tinned corned beef - and biscuits, suspiciously like dog biscuits, but good to eat - nevertheless—for people with sharks’ teeth and stomachs of brass. But - nearly everywhere we stopped there were coffee-shops, where you paid - sixpence for everything, and an ordinary chota hazri sort of meal ran - up to about half-a-crown. As we travel up country we find everything - very dear, and we wonder Government does not make some effort to - arrange that the troops should be supplied with tinned goods at - reasonable prices. If private contractors can get stuff up, certainly - Government, which has first call on the railways, can too. - - The horses—poor devils!—are packed ten, eleven, and twelve in a - cattle-truck, and the way they kick at times is a caution. All along - the train the trucks are broken and splintered. Oh! for the luxury of - our Indian horseboxes. However, three times a day we manage to feed - and water the poor brutes, and though their meals are somewhat scratch - they don’t do so badly. Forage is of the best—splendid compressed hay, - and English oats and bran. - - De Aar was the first place of real interest we came to, and there we - beheld a battered armoured train, covered with bullet marks. Then we - touched at Naauwpoort, which was crowded with soldiers. The train - stopped just opposite Rensburg, so we got out and had a game of - football, with an empty tin for ball and broken saddles for - goal-posts, right on the place where the battle of Rensburg had been - fought a few months previously. From there we could see the - flat-topped broken cone of Cole’s Kop rising from a rock-roughened - plain like a huge step-pyramid, with sheer escarpments, up which the - Naval Brigade hauled two fifteen-pounders by means of a wire rope, and - struck terror into the Boers at Colesberg when those guns opened fire - from that apparently inaccessible height. Afterwards came Norval’s - Pont, where we prepared to cross the Orange River. Unluckily, we - crossed at 1 in the morning, when very little could be seen. It is - wonderful how the Sappers have repaired the bridge. We spun across in - pontoons with the water swirling within two feet of us. Shortly after - crossing the river we were halted and ordered to draw another fifty - rounds of ammunition per man, and to post two sentries to each - carriage; every man to wear his bandolier, have his rifle handy, and - be ready to turn out at a moment’s notice. Firing had been heard that - evening, and there was no doubt Boers were in the vicinity. Later, - some thirty miles south of Bloemfontein, we heard that the troops - stationed to protect the railway line had been out in the surrounding - kopjes during the night, and that a Boer commando, 600 strong, had - been seen travelling south. So we are bang in the thick of it now, and - ere many more hours have passed we shall be within sound of the - firing, for we hear fighting is going on steadily to the north of - Bloemfontein. The men are in splendid spirits and health, and wild to - get a turn at the enemy. Altogether we have every reason to - congratulate ourselves on the comfortable and speedy journey we have - made to the front. - -The man who could regard De Aar—sun-scorched, arid, dust-stifled De -Aar—as the first place of interest on that long railway journey, simply -because an armoured train ‘covered with bullet marks’ was standing in -the station, must have been in a very warlike frame of mind indeed. But -perhaps the comfortable railway travelling, so conducive to the ‘sleep -of the just,’ may account for much. Probably the slumberous heat of -afternoon had caused him to doze before the train slowed down at -Stellenbosch, which was a place of much notoriety at the time; and -picturesque, too, with its great oak avenues, dating from a day when -Commandant Van der Stel, the planter of them, was there with his young -wife in the very foreposts of Dutch civilisation, not much more than -thirty miles from Cape Town; and more picturesque still because of its -quaint thatched houses as old as the oaks. Stellenbosch is a great -centre of education, and, according to the guide-books, it has a home -for the training of a limited number of poor whites. We know the ‘poor -whites’ for whose training a home was provided at Stellenbosch about the -time when A Company of Lumsden’s Horse passed that way and afterwards. -They were mostly officers of high rank who had not distinguished -themselves, and for whom a refuge had to be found where they could do no -greater mischief than send useless remounts from that depôt to the -front. So Stellenbosch grew in repute, and visits to it (without return -tickets) were so frequent, that an expressive verb had to be coined for -use in everyday conversation. The phrase ‘I’ll be Stellenbosched if I -do,’ became quite familiar, and many a gallant officer knew to his cost -what it meant. Rustication in that old Dutch settlement under leafy -arcades, where, in ordinary times, ‘the stillness of the cloisters -reigns,’ was not the only penalty. These, however, were things not known -to recent arrivals like Lumsden’s Horse, who might have met and -hobnobbed with the latest candidate for Stellenbosch and have been none -the wiser. So they went on their way thinking nothing of the old Dutch -town and its new notoriety, and in the darkness of night, when the new -moon showed no more than a crescent thread of silver, were winding by -sharp curves and steep gradients up the kloofs of Hex River Mountains -towards the Great Karroo. Lumsden’s troopers saw little of the glorious -landscape that is opened up at that height. Those who were not asleep -had no light to see it by but the cold light of the stars, and that -seemed to be swallowed up in the depths of impenetrable shadow, except -where the lamps of Worcester Town, in the plains 2,500 feet below, -twinkled like feeble reflections on a wine-dark sea. Then the swift dawn -came, and when the sun rose they were crossing the Great Karroo, which -at that time of year—the true winter of Cape Colony—wore its least -attractive garb. Bare patches of sandy soil gaped between scattered -clumps of blue-green scrub, where a month or so later it would be -glowing with the purple and gold and scarlet flowers of lilies and -asters innumerable, and the gorgeous crowns of mesembryanthemums of -every conceivable shade, from white through primrose and orange to the -deepest crimson. In its winter state the Great Karroo brings back to -travellers of wide African experience clear memories of the Northern -Soudan. In all chief physical features the two regions, so widely -separated, are curiously alike. Here are pyramidal mountains with -flat-topped crowns rising wall-like above the conical base exactly -resembling the ‘Jebels’ on which one has looked with weary eyes, day -after day, through the rippling heat of the Soudan deserts. In some -parts of the Karroo these mountains close upon narrow gorges, along -which the railway winds, and its sudden turns round rocky buttresses -seem so familiar to one who knows the old military line above Wady Halfa -that he can imagine himself travelling once more through the desolate -Batn el Hagar towards Khartoum. To men for whom the rugged Karroo had no -such associations with the land of mysterious fascination, there may -well have been a wearisome monotony in the unvarying repetition of -similar forms—the vast plains whereon no tree bigger than the _Acacia -horrida_ grows, and where the houses, if any, are so widely separated -that they only serve to deepen the impression of melancholy solitude; -the waterless rivers, the bare brown kops. For full appreciation of the -Karroo one must have breathed its invigorating air from childhood, and -seen it in seasons of beauty with all the glory of its summer raiment -on. De Aar Junction is no more than a huge collection of railway sheds -and equally hideous houses set in the most barren plain of the Great -Karroo; but Lumsden’s Horse saw it busy with many signs of military -preparation for a forward movement, and so it seemed to them the very -gateway of the fateful future, in the shaping of which they were to have -a hand. That night they crossed the Orange River at Norval’s Pont, where -Railway Pioneers, mostly skilled artificers from the Johannesburg mines, -under Major Seymour—‘the greatest of mechanical engineers,’ as Colonel -Girouard styled him—were hard at work, night and day, repairing the -broken bridge, while baggage was being transferred by the wire trolly -high overhead. Lumsden’s Horse crossed the pontoon ‘deviation’ to a -train on the farther side, and when morning dawned they were journeying -slowly—with many precautions against possible surprises by marauding -Boers—to the goal of their hopes. Bloemfontein was reached by A Company -in the afternoon of April 3, when they went into camp at Rustfontein, -two miles from the town, and became part of the 8th M.I. Regiment, under -the command of that very able leader, Colonel ‘Watty’ Ross, whose -portrait appears on the opposite page. Of him Colonel Lumsden writes: -‘No better man could have been chosen to command a body of Irregular -Horse. Capable, tactful, with a keen eye for a country, and a man hard -to beat in the saddle, he was in fact an ideal leader at the game he had -to play. We were under his command from the time the 8th M.I. was formed -at Bloemfontein, early in April 1900, taking part in every action of -that eventful march to Pretoria, and the 8th M.I. had the honour of -scouting in front of headquarters throughout.’ After the memorable June -5, when the capital of the South African Republic fell into our hands, -Lumsden’s Horse were placed for some time on communications at Irene and -Kalfontein, but their Colonel, tiring of this inaction, applied to -General Smith-Dorrien for more congenial employment. His wish was -shortly afterwards gratified, and Lumsden’s Horse, with mutual regrets -on both sides, were transferred to another column, thus severing their -connection with the 8th M.I. and the leader whose soldierly qualities -had endeared him to all ranks. Their respect for him found appropriate -expression long afterwards, when every man of the corps, from Colonel -Lumsden downwards, subscribed for a badge, the regimental ‘LH’ in -diamonds, and this they presented to Mrs. Ross in token of their -admiration for her husband as a commander and in appreciation of the -considerate kindness he had shown to all ranks while they served under -him. That the admiration was not all on one side may be gathered from an -incident that occurred some time after Lumsden’s Horse were embodied -with the 8th Mounted Infantry Corps, and Colonel Lumsden thinks justly -that no better proof could be given of the able and smart class of men -he had in his command than the following remark from Colonel Ross: -‘Lumsden, whenever I ask you to send me an A.D.C. or galloper, never -mind sending me one of your officers; your troopers are just the class I -want.’ - -[Illustration: - - _Photo: Dickinson_ - MAJOR (LOCAL COLONEL) W.C. ROSS, C.B. -] - -Some months after the severance of associations that had been so -pleasant for commander and commanded, when Lumsden’s Horse had seen -their last of South African fighting, Colonel Ross had the lower part of -his face shattered by a bullet while attacking a Boer position at -Bothaville with the gallant dash which his old comrades remember so -well. In that fight De Wet’s forces were completely routed, and lost -nearly all their artillery; but the victory was not achieved without -heavy sacrifices on our side. Colonel Le Gallais, who commanded the -Mounted Infantry, and also Captain Williams, formerly Staff-Officer of -the 8th M.I. Corps under Colonel Ross, were killed, while going to the -assistance of their brother-officer; and, in the same fight, Lieutenant -Percy Smith, who had gained honours as a trooper of Lumsden’s Horse at -Ospruit when he went out with his Colonel to bring in a helpless -comrade, was wounded in the performance of a gallant action by which he -won the D.S.O. - -For the sake of finishing a story events have been somewhat anticipated, -and B Company may resent the interpolation, at this stage, of a -flattering comment that belongs properly to a later period. In the -actions from which Colonel Ross formed his high opinion of Lumsden’s -troopers, B Company had taken its full share. Before resuming touch with -the movements of that body, however, reference must be made to another -incident in which A Company had the proud distinction of representing -the whole corps. The occasion was a visit on April 4 by Lord Roberts, -who, after inspecting the company, called out and shook hands with -Trooper Hugh Blair, whose brother, an officer of the Royal Engineers, -had been badly wounded in the Candahar campaign. The Commander-in-Chief -then made a brief speech to Colonel Lumsden and his troopers. Of this no -shorthand note or transcription from mental tablets seems to have been -made, but its meaning is probably expressed in the following letter -which Lord Roberts wrote to Sir P. Playfair, C.I.E., Chairman of the -Executive Committee of Lumsden’s Horse: ‘Dear Sir Patrick,—Many thanks -for your letter of February 26. A few evenings ago I had great pleasure -in inspecting Lumsden’s Horse immediately after their arrival here. I -sent a telegram to the Viceroy to inform him that I had done so. They -are a workmanlike, useful lot. I am sure they will do splendidly in -whatever position they may be placed. It is most gratifying to hear the -way in which the corps was raised. The sum subscribed by the public -generally is the proof of the patriotism of the subscribers, especially -Colonel Lumsden himself. You will have seen in the papers that we are -detained here for a while until we can refit, but when this is done we -shall move northward. I am confident that during our advance Lumsden’s -Horse will do credit to themselves and to India. Believe me, yours very -truly, (Signed) ROBERTS.’ - -A few days after that inspection the Commander-in-Chief sent to Colonel -Lumsden a telegram he had received from the Viceroy. Lord Roberts’s -secretary wrote as follows: ‘Dear Colonel Lumsden,—The Field-Marshal -asks me to send you the enclosed telegram from the Viceroy, and to say -that he fully agrees with the last sentence of it.—Yours sincerely, H.V. -Cowan, Colonel, Military Secretary.’ Lord Curzon’s telegram said: ‘Lord -Roberts, Bloemfontein.—We are delighted to hear of your kind reception -of our Indian Volunteer contingent, and hope that they may have a chance -of going to the front, where we are confident of their ability to -distinguish themselves.—VICEROY.’ - -Carrying on the narrative from this point, but leaving the lighter -incidents of life in Bloemfontein for other pens to chronicle, Colonel -Lumsden deals briefly in his diary with the remaining period of A -Company’s isolation, and brings it down to the day when the corps was to -be reunited under his command. With natural gratification at the -position assigned to him, he says: - - General Ian Hamilton is to command a division of 10,000 Mounted - Infantry, of which Colonel Ridley’s brigade forms nearly a half, - consisting of four corps of about 1,200 strong each. We are embodied - with the 8th Mounted Infantry Corps, consisting of Loch’s Horse, - ourselves, and various companies of Mounted Infantry from Regular - battalions, under the command of Colonel Ross. Both Colonels Ridley - and Ross are well known in India, and we are fortunate in being under - their command and in having such a dashing divisional commander as - General Ian Hamilton. Our first camp in Bloemfontein proved a sickly - one, water being scarce owing to the Boers having blown up the - waterworks and cut off the main supply. This, no doubt, has been the - cause of numerous cases of dysentery, and our camp was shifted - yesterday to a healthier locality, with a more plentiful water supply. - Strange to say, we have had an attack of mumps among the men, - emanating, we believe, from a native servant who developed that - disease on board ship. I regret to say that Captain Beresford had to - be taken to hospital yesterday, suffering from an acute attack of - dysentery; but a few days of careful dieting will enable him to rejoin - us, I hope. B Company, owing to the congested state of the railway - traffic from Cape Town to Bloemfontein, was landed at East London, to - proceed thence by rail to join us. Transport, however, was found to be - equally difficult by that route, and in consequence the company had to - march the greater part of the way. - -What meanwhile had befallen that force under the command of Major -Showers may be told in the words of a trooper whose lively contributions -to the ‘Indian Daily News’ do not seem to have been regarded as an -infringement of a rule laid down in the mobilisation scheme by which -volunteers for Lumsden’s Horse were warned that they would on no account -be allowed to act as special correspondents for newspapers. This -regulation, like many others, seems to have been more honoured in the -breach than the observance. Taking up the broken thread where it was -dropped some pages back, he writes: - - At Queen’s Town we had a fairly pleasant time, except on nights when - it simply rained cats and dogs and hailed as well. Most of our tents - leaked badly, so we were rendered thoroughly uncomfortable. The horses - and the unfortunate stable pickets (I was one, and speak from personal - experience) were in a wretched plight, without shelter of any kind. - When the storms were at their worst, and picketing pegs would not hold - in the soft ground, we may have used words that were not endearing to - horses that got loose. On April 2 we were told that the company would - start on the 4th, marching to Bethulie, waggons for our horses not - being available then, but that we should probably entrain a few - stations further up. We were informed that all superfluous clothing, - &c., would have to be packed up and returned to East London, and each - man would only be allowed to take one kit bag, weight not to exceed - thirty pounds. We therefore set to work, and cudgelled our brains - trying to decide what to take and what to leave behind—no easy task, I - can tell you. However, the die was cast at last, and we were ready for - kit-bag weighing next morning. Several of the men had evidently rather - vague ideas on this point, and, after filling their bags to a weight - of forty or fifty pounds each, had to repack them, much to their - disgust. We left next day, our destination being Baileytown, a small - place about thirteen miles distant. We were all, of course, in full - marching order—supplied with water-bottles, haversacks, bandoliers, - rifles, and corn-bag. The first three were hung round our shoulders, - the rifles in the bucket on the off side of the saddle, and the - corn-bag slung to the saddle. I was not accustomed to it; the strain - on the shoulders is pretty severe; and we were all glad when - Baileytown drew in sight. This march gave us a very good opportunity - of examining the country, and as we passed kopje after kopje it was - very easy to realise how difficult a task it is to dislodge the Boers - from their veritable strongholds. Arriving at Baileytown about 5 p.m., - and finding no tents there, we bivouacked, and found the bare veldt no - such uncomfortable bed after all. We spent the whole of the next day - there, and as very good grass was plentiful on the slope of the hills - the opportunity was taken of knee-haltering and grazing the horses. - Resumed our march next day; did about twenty-two miles by 3 o’clock in - the afternoon, when a halt was made at a place called Sterkstroom. - Here, to our delight, orders came for us to be sent off at once by - train. We spent a very busy afternoon unloading kits from the - transport carts and reloading them into railway waggons, and - entraining horses. The animals seem to be getting reconciled to this - constant training and detraining, and behaved very well indeed. By - 8.30 we were all ready to board the train. No more luxurious second- - and third-class carriages for us poor privates now. We were packed - like sardines in a box into three covered trucks, about forty or fifty - men in each. It was quite dark, and no lanterns were given us, or, - rather, there was an apology for a lantern in our truck, but it hardly - made darkness visible; kits and men all over the place, and little, if - any, room to sleep—a very weary night indeed for most of us. We - arrived at Burghersdorp at 11 A.M. next day, and stayed there about - two hours. All sorts of rumours were current about the close proximity - of the Boers. We were informed that fighting was expected at a station - north of Bethulie. At this latter place the troops had slept in the - trenches all night in momentary expectation of an attack. There were - said to be three or four thousand Boers hovering round in the hills - adjacent to these places, having been cut off in an attempt to retreat - beyond Bloemfontein. We did not reach Bethulie till 8 o’clock that - evening, having to wait at various sidings for down trains, of which - there were a good many. Not expecting to detrain till the following - morning, we had made ourselves as comfortable as circumstances - permitted for the night when orders were issued to get out and encamp - close by at once. In a moment all was excitement, orders ringing out - constantly, and men hurriedly getting their kit together—an almost - hopeless task in the darkness. - - However, it was not long before all the men, horses, and kit were out - and on their way to camp. Arrived there, we picketed the animals, and - by 2 A.M. had quite settled down for the night. No peace for us, - however, as orders went round that we must be ready saddled by 4.30, - in case our services should be required. It turned out to be a false - alarm, however, so after waiting till 8 o’clock we took the horses out - to exercise. Bethulie, straggling along the northern bank of Orange - River, is just on the borders of the Free State. The railway bridge, - an eight-span one, has been completely destroyed by Boers, and I must - say they have done their work very cleanly; five out of the eight - spans have been cut right through by charges of dynamite. Fortunately, - however, there is a waggon bridge here also, which reinforcements, - coming up in time, were enabled to save from destruction, and, lines - having been placed across this, one truck at a time is taken over. - This important point of communication is now very strongly guarded by - regiments of Infantry on each side of the river. Nearly all of us took - the opportunity of having a glorious bath in the river, and did a - little amateur clothes-washing. Practice will make perfect, no doubt, - but at present we don’t take very kindly to it. At 3 in the afternoon - we got orders to saddle up in readiness to march as an escort to 600 - transport mules for Bloemfontein. The rearguard came on with our own - transport, and, as the latter only move very slowly, they marched all - night and did not arrive at Spytfontein—the halting-place, nineteen - miles distant—till about 3 A.M. Fortunately, there was brilliant light - from the new moon; otherwise the slow progress with refractory mules - would have been dreary indeed. As it was, we marched along as silently - as possible, and had the feeling that we might be attacked at any - moment. The Kaffir drivers, however, could not be restrained from - shouting in shrillest notes and cracking their long rhinoceros-hide - thongs with sounds like rifle-shots as they ran to head off wayward - stragglers. All night long the red dust rose from the hoofs of those - 600 mules in stifling clouds. - - This is a most desolate-looking country, miles beyond miles without - passing a single human habitation. Towards the end of the march, - whether through sheer exhaustion or from the effects of the moonbeams - (one of our sages started this theory next day), half the men went to - sleep in their saddles. I was one of the somnolent ones, and my horse - took me several yards in front of the main body, and I awoke with a - start to hear my companions silently chuckling at the situation. The - only remedy was to get off and march alongside our horses, and several - of us did this. Natives told us afterwards that Boers had been hanging - on our flanks all through that march, and the only thing that saved us - was our water-cart, which they mistook for a gun-carriage. The Boers - must have changed a good deal since then if they could be so easily - deceived. - - We left Spytfontein about 7 o’clock that morning and arrived at - Springfontein at 3 in the afternoon. Here the orders were for us to - start again next morning, escorting a Maxim battery of four guns to - Bloemfontein, in addition to the 600 mules we already had under - convoy. I may mention that one section of our company always acted as - advance guard, throwing out scouts in front and on the flanks; the - duty of these scouts being to search the kopjes on either side of the - road, and communicate with the main body by hand signals should any - enemy appear in sight. Starting from Springfontein early on April 10, - we did a march of fifteen miles to Jagersfontein. Here Jim, having - pity for my lameness, took my horse to water while I, in return, - prowled round and found a little house where the womenfolk agreed to - let us have tea. I was shown into the drawing-room, which looked very - cosy by comparison with the dreary veldt. Ordered tea for six and went - to gather my pals for the feast. After I had groomed my horse, fed - him, and put his _jhool_ on, we went off to the small house. But, - alas! the tea was all gone. Six other men had been there and declared - that I had ordered it for them. This is the first example of - ‘slimness’ recorded to the credit or otherwise of Lumsden’s Horse. At - 4 o’clock next morning a party of us went out on patrol duty among the - surrounding hills. We had our magazines loaded and in the dim morning - light it was rather exciting work marching silently along with the - chance of meeting the enemy at any moment. We stayed out till about 7 - o’clock, having thoroughly examined the surrounding country from the - top of a high kopje, without discovering any traces of Boers. After - half an hour for breakfast, we started on the day’s march, which it - was intended would be a short one of fifteen miles; but it rained so - heavily about noon, and for an hour or two afterwards, that on arrival - at the camping-place we found it to be a mass of liquid mud and grass, - and the Major decided to keep marching on for Edenburg, about eight - miles distant, in the hope that it would be drier there. But it - continued to pour steadily all the afternoon, and we arrived to find - our camping ground at Edenburg inches deep in water. We had no tents, - so simply wrapped ourselves in our blankets and slept where we could. - Many of us woke an hour or two afterwards, and found ourselves wet to - the bone, and in preference to trying to sleep again we made a good - fire and sat round this all night. There were a few men of one of the - New Zealand Volunteer regiments encamped here also, in charge of sick - horses, and they very kindly supplied us with hot cocoa—a most - grateful and comforting drink on such a night. They gave us very - graphic descriptions of hard times in the field. They had seen lots of - fighting, being used mainly, if not entirely, as scouts. They told us - how difficult it was to find the enemy, who kept hidden among rocks on - the kopjes and never fired till our men were within about a hundred - yards. As soon as the first shot was fired, the scouts turned and - galloped for their lives, and the artillery then began to shell the - kopjes. Next morning we saw several Boer prisoners, among them being a - lad of about eighteen, who had killed a Major in one of our regiments - while coming towards him with a flag of truce in his hand. Near the - place where we had bivouacked quantities of buried Boer ammunition and - guns were discovered. We continued our march at about 1 A.M., and - encamped in the afternoon at a small place called Bethany. Here a - night attack was expected, a Boer commando of several thousand men - being reported in the vicinity. The men of the Maxim battery stood to - their guns all night on a kopje close by, and about thirty of us - accompanied them as an extra precaution. Cossack posts were also - thrown out. Locusts, of which we had already met several swarms on our - march up, literally covered the hill-sides here, and, getting down our - backs and up our sleeves, took some dislodging. No alarm was given, so - we passed the night in peace. We resumed our march on Good Friday, - and, reaching Kaffir River in the afternoon, encamped there for the - night with Regular regiments—Guards, Highlanders, and several others. - Camps were fairly far apart, and after picketing horses, drawing - forage, and eating our frugal meals, we had no time for exchanging - visits or getting any news from the various regiments we met at our - stopping-places. However, there was consolation for us when we - received our first budget of home and Indian letters, one of the men - from A Company, then at Bloemfontein, having been sent down with them. - - Up to this point the march had been across monotonous veldt, mostly - flat, treeless, and uninteresting. Here and there, where the ground - held moisture, little pink flowers of a wood sorrel showed, and nearly - every mile one came across some fresh variety of aster or daisy-like - flower with composite crown shining brightly in the coarse grass. - Occasionally the ridges were rich with clumps of heath, scarlet, - yellow, and white, but not enough to relieve the general dreariness of - distances across which one often looked in vain for any sign of - cultivation. Ant-hills and the burrows of ant-bears were on all the - veldt, and we had to wind our way among them, following no - well-defined road, but only a track, the general direction of which - was marked by a browner thread running across the tawny veldt. Several - horses blundered into the bear-holes and brought their riders to - grief, much to the general amusement. One trooper who rode ahead - waving his hand and warning those who followed by frequent cries of - ‘’Ware hole! ’Ware hole!’ suddenly disappeared, and we heard him groan - as his horse rolled over on top of him, ‘Here’s one, and I’m into it.’ - It was nearly dark then; but dead horses, mules, and dying oxen marked - the track by which other convoys had gone. We felt glad that our - transport ponies were not to share their fate. They had proved quite - useless for drawing the heavy loads in this country, so we left them - behind at Sterkstroom, sending all our baggage-carts on by train, - while we marched and bivouacked with only the blankets and supplies - that could be carried on our own horses. It was at Edenburg, I think, - that after a wet march we got leave to go into the town, hoping it - might be possible to get something better than the perpetual ‘bully - beef’ and biscuits, but the only room we could find in the only decent - hotel was wanted for officers. However, a little man of the Derby - Militia came and showed us a small Boer ‘Winkel,’ where we got - excellent tea, bread, and jam. The Derby man said he knew where he - could buy some butter, which was all we wanted to make us happy. C—— - gave him 2_s._ to go and get it. We finished our meal without that - butter, and the Derby man didn’t return. So we went back to find - everything in camp wet, muddy, and beastly. To add to our misery, a - thunderstorm came on, and while we wallowed in slush there were empty - houses with roofs to them not half a mile off. From Kaffir River we - might easily have done the distance to Bloemfontein in one march, as - it was only nineteen miles; but there was apparently no reason for - hurrying, so we spent one more night in bivouac at Kaalspruit, and on - Easter Sunday, in the afternoon, marched through Bloemfontein to our - camp, which was three miles beyond. We only got a glimpse of the town - in passing through its central square and along the main street, but, - considering it was the capital of the Free State, I don’t think any of - us were very much struck with it at first sight. Colonel Lumsden and A - Company welcomed us very warmly. Our tents were already pitched and - food prepared, so we soon settled down in our new quarters, A - Company’s men receiving us as their guests and treating us most - hospitably. - -There the trooper’s narrative ends, and Colonel Lumsden follows with a -well-deserved tribute to Major Showers and the men of B Company, saying: - - They made a very plucky march up, the officers and men carrying - nothing but their greatcoats and blankets, and sleeping out every - night in the rain. It was too much of a trial for the ponies to pull - their carts over the hilly and heavy going; and, as I said before, - this method of transport had to be abandoned, and their carts and - baggage railed up. - - Considering the long and trying marches they had undergone, I consider - both men and horses looking wonderfully fit. A certain proportion of - them, however, were not in condition to resume immediate work. - Therefore, to replace these and in lieu of thirteen casualties on - board ship and _en route_, I have procured from Prince Francis of - Teck, the remount officer, twenty-six Argentine cobs, which, although - not up to the standard of our Indian mounts, are nevertheless a boon - to us in the circumstances, in a situation where horseflesh is at a - premium. A certain amount of kit and necessaries had been lost by both - companies during our journey here; but, it being our first demand on - the military authorities for such, we had no difficulty in getting our - requirements satisfied. - - We are now (April 18) under orders to move to-morrow for Spytfontein, - five miles to the east of Karree Siding station, halting for the night - at Glen. There has been heavy rain for the past four days, and it will - be bad travelling, especially crossing the drift at Modder River. I - have been fortunate in being able to retain the whole of our - transport, which privilege has not been granted to any other unit, and - shall to-morrow be complete in every respect. The men are in keen - spirits, as our post is to be an advanced one and within range of the - Boer outposts. - - I regret to say that Captain Beresford is no better, and will, I fear, - have to be invalided home. - - - - - CHAPTER VII - _IMPRESSIONS OF BLOEMFONTEIN—JOIN THE 8TH MOUNTED - INFANTRY REGIMENT ON OUTPOST_ - - -Long streets, ill-paved and deep in mud or dust; a low stoep-shaded -cottage with vines trailing about its posts here and there between long -rows of featureless shops; a large market square where no farm produce -is displayed; a club frequented by British officers who have little time -to lounge; several churches of the primmest Dutch type, with tall -steeples that cut sharply against the clear sky in lines -uncompromisingly straight; some public buildings, pretentious without -grace or beauty; on one side a steep hill terraced with houses of which -little but the corrugated iron roofs can be seen; on the other, roads -that straggle off to level outskirts, where villas painfully new stand -in the midst of flowerless gardens surrounded by barbed wire. These were -the first impressions of Bloemfontein gathered by Lumsden’s Horse, and -few troopers had any opportunity to modify these impressions in more -favourable circumstances afterwards. The camp to which A Company went -originally at Rietfontein was within two miles of the town, and might -have been pleasant enough if thousands of hoofs had not cut up its turf, -and the ground had not been used as a dumping-place for rubbish which -Boer commandos could not turn to any use. Some of them had been there -before Lumsden’s Horse, and several British regiments also. So many tens -of thousands of soldiers were camped round about the town that they may -have interrupted the currents of salubrious air which made Bloemfontein -famous in other days as a resort for invalids. There were plenty of -invalids to be seen there in the early weeks of April 1900, but they did -not regard it as the best type of sanatorium, and men who had to sleep -in small tents on the reeking ground of Rietfontein would not willingly -go there again in search of health. They had hardly begun to realise how -serious was the stoppage of a fresh water supply which the Boers had cut -off from the main at Modder River. Hundreds of old wells existed in the -town and its outskirts, and by opening these enough water could be drawn -for immediate wants. But, alas! the water had been undisturbed since -Bloemfontein began to draw its supply from the distant waterworks some -six or seven years earlier. What impurities had drained into the wells -during all that time nobody knew until hospitals filled rapidly with -patients suffering from enteric and dysentery. Rietfontein was showing -symptoms of an outbreak, and so, after a week under canvas there, -Lumsden’s Horse got the welcome order to strike camp and form a new one -some three miles farther north, by Deel’s Farm, where a clear spruit -flows over its bed of white gravel between banks that are shaded by tall -eucalyptus trees and drooping sallows. - -After days on duty, in which they were not allowed to be slack, troopers -felt little inclination for walking the four or five miles to -Bloemfontein, which did not become more cheerful as the number of troops -increased, except for the traders, who were rapidly getting back all -they had lost by the war and a great deal more. Officers had always the -chance, whenever they could get away from camp for an hour or two, of -pleasant social meetings at the Bloemfontein Club, where generals, -regimental commanders, and company officers from other brigades came -together for a little while at lunch or afternoon tea and exchanged all -the rumours that could be told in a few minutes—and they were many. It -was a place of strange meetings. Men from the uttermost corners of the -earth, who had perhaps not seen each other for years, foregathered -there, only to separate a little later and go on their ways with -different columns, none knew whither. Troopers had similar experiences -in the streets and inns of Bloemfontein, where nearly every regimental -badge of the British Army and every distinguishing plume adopted by -Irregulars who had come to fight as ‘soldiers of the Queen’ were to be -seen in a variety that seemed endless. Brothers whose paths in life had -parted when they left school, one going east, another west or south, -came face to face in the streets of that little Free State town or -rubbed shoulders in a motley crowd of khaki-clad soldiers, sometimes -without recognising each other, until accident gave them some clue. A -rough word or two of careless greeting, a tight hand-grip, a steadfast -look into eyes that remind the boys of father or mother, a light laugh -on lips that might otherwise betray too much feeling, a drink together -(if it is to be had), for ‘Auld Lang Syne,’ and then with a jaunty ‘So -long, old chap,’ they part again. It is a superstition, or at any rate a -recognised custom, not to say ‘Good-bye’ in such circumstances. But if -men only thought of its literal meaning, what better wish could there -be? Yet, for all its stir and bustle and dramatic incidents, -Bloemfontein was a dull place in those days for any man who entered it -and found no intimate friends there to greet him. Comrades they all -were, but in a rough-and-ready sort of comradeship that needed the fire -of the battlefield to try it and perchance anneal it into something -stronger than the ties of mere kinship. But this is a thing which only -soldiers understand, and seldom even they. Lumsden’s Horse knew it not -then, but for some of them the secret was to be disclosed before many -days had passed, and in a form that will never fade from their memory. -Meanwhile, they went about their duties methodically enough in camp or -took their pleasures sadly in streets where thousands of soldiers -wandered daily, finding no entertainment, no place of resort except -dingy bars, where liquors of more than alcoholic potency were sold, and -very little change from campaign fare except at a price that made even -the necessaries of life prohibited luxuries for a man who had no more -than his shilling a day to spend. One of Lumsden’s Horse who was sent -into Bloemfontein on orderly duty gives a vivid sketch of all this in a -few touches that are the more graphic because they only pretend to note -passing impressions. Writing a day after B Company’s arrival at Deel’s -Farm, he shows how the men had to rub their horses down while standing -inches deep in mud. So much rain was out of season, but South Africa is, -like other places, occasionally fickle in this respect. To troopers it -did not seem an ideal way of spending Easter Monday, and the whistle, of -which officers made free use, must have been irritating to nerves -already overstrained, for it is never mentioned without a forcible -prefix. However, when rain ceased and sunshine appeared for an hour in -the afternoon, these men were merry enough at a game of cricket, which, -by violating all the higher rules, must have reminded them of similar -sports in England when they were boys and welcomed Easter Monday as the -day of all others appropriate to cricket. The next morning a great cheer -rolled from camp to camp, and Lumsden’s Horse, responding lustily, -passed it on to the next without asking what the unusual excitement -meant. When they heard afterwards that troops were cheering because -‘Kruger had surrendered,’ a strange depression took hold of them. At -that moment all the discomforts and drudgery of a soldier’s life were -forgotten in the humiliating thought that the corps would have to go -back to India without a chance of proving itself in battle. It turned -out, however, to be all mere rumour, though not so baseless as some of -which Lumsden’s Horse had after-experience. The Transvaal President’s -offer to negotiate for peace on terms all in his own favour must have -been known in England then, and in some mysterious way a reflex of it -came to camps on the veldt, where troops, who had seen plenty of the -fighting that Lumsden’s Horse were eager for, welcomed the illusive -tidings with a cheer. In its train, however, came something nearly as -good—a post bringing letters from ‘England, home, and beauty,’ and for -one non-commissioned officer at least ‘a parcel full of excellent -things.’ Before he had time to enjoy these he was under orders for -Bloemfontein, and after a ride through pouring rain he got there in time -to hear another disconcerting rumour, and to find some of his comrades -selling their kit because ‘they had been ordered back.’ Wisely resolving -not to act on anything but definite orders, and, taking the advice of a -corporal in the City Imperial Volunteers, who persuaded him ‘to sit -tight,’ he waited, making the best of circumstances that were by no -means bright according to his own brief record, which runs, ‘No dinner -to be had at the station. Got tea sixpence a cup, bread and jam -sixpence.’ Hungry and dispirited, he turned in and went to bed at the -station, which means something very different from the untravelled -civilian’s idea of a bed. Then next morning ‘bought a bob’s worth of oat -straw for horse—groomed and fed him. Put my wet things out to dry, and -sallied forth to the station. Had an excellent breakfast: porridge, -haddock, chops, and two cups of coffee, for three shillings. Went to the -hospital to try and get my leg dressed, but couldn’t find anybody to -speak to. Thence to a most pleasant chemist—a Dutchman. Went to the -station for lunch—another three bob.’ Not a profitable day’s work for a -corporal on Cavalry pay without ‘colonial allowances.’ After that came -tea and dinner, so that he was evidently doing his best to prove the -wisdom of Mark Tapley’s philosophy. Having found circumstances in which -it was a credit to be jolly, he made the most of them. It is not every -soldier, however, who, having indulged in a little extravagance of that -kind, could write, ‘Afterwards to the bank, and had an agreeable -interview with the manager’; nor every man, with a balance to his -credit, who would have turned cheerfully again towards the rough life of -a camp and the unknown hardships that were to follow. When orders came -next day for all Lumsden’s Horse to rejoin their corps in readiness for -an immediate advance, this non-commissioned officer paid another visit -to his friend the chemist and asked how much he owed. ‘The chemist -refused to take anything. Pretty good that for a Dutchman and evidently -a pro-Boer.’ With that pleasant experience blotting out all unfavourable -impressions of Bloemfontein, the corporal rode back to camp at Deel’s -Farm to find all the tents being struck. - -So they had to spend a miserable night by the bivouac fire and get -what amusement they could out of good stories. One, suggested perhaps -by talk of chemists and surgical operations, is worthy to be -preserved. To appreciate the point of the joke you must know that a -lieutenant-general’s badges of rank are a sword and bâton crossed, -with the crown above them. A man of the —— Yeomanry, then quartered in -Bloemfontein, was suffering agonies from toothache, and, like our -friend the corporal, had searched every hospital in vain for a surgeon -who might have leisure to extract it. As he crossed the Market Square, -a general of division whose kindness of heart is as notorious as his -strength of language, was coming out of the Club. To him the yeoman -advanced, and, after a hesitating preface, asked the General whether -he would mind drawing a tooth. For a moment the General was -dumbfounded, but then his powers of expression came back to him. ‘What -the devil do you mean?’ he roared, thinking the yeoman was -unpardonably familiar. The man’s face fell. ‘I’m very sorry, sir,’ he -said, ‘but our doctor’s on leave, and——’ ‘But,’ said the officer, -smiling at the man’s mistake, ‘I’m not a doctor; I’m General ——’ The -yeoman stammered, ‘But—but—your badge, sir!’ The General -good-humouredly turned his shoulder to the abashed trooper. ‘Here you -are, my lad; what’s the matter with the badge? “Crossed swords, bâton, -and crown.”’ ‘Good heavens!’ said the man, ‘I hope you’ll forgive me, -sir. I thought it was the skull and cross-bones!’ - -[Illustration: - - _Photo: F. Kapp & Co._ - TRANSPORT AND WATER CARTS -] - -Before daybreak in the morning of April 21, Lumsden’s Horse were roused -to pack kits and saddle up for their march. Impartial observers said -they were very smart about it, but a story went round that the Colonel -had expressed himself as much disappointed with B Company, saying that -the others would have saddled up and walked round them three times. This -was apparently only a playful invention, but it so angered one trooper -that he could only express his feelings in choice Hindustani. He was -mollified afterwards on learning that A Company had really admired the -soldierly way in which B Company got ready, and then he excused his -strong language by writing, ‘I understand now the expression “Swear like -a trooper.” We hear and do more of it every day.‘ It was a painful -confession for one of Lumsden’s Horse to make, but the incident, -apparently trivial, shows that a wholesome spirit of emulation in deeds -was animating the men, and that would always be regarded by soldiers as -ample atonement for unnecessary rivalry in linguistic attainments. The -time was close at hand, too, when Lumsden’s Horse would have more -serious things to think about than these. Yet nobody knows better than -old campaigners how little things occupy the thoughts of men even when -they are doing great deeds. No opportunity for achieving greatness came -to the corps during its first day’s march through a country where the -enemy’s appearance might be looked for at any moment, but in another way -the men showed their fitness for a soldier’s work—by helping the -transport out of difficulties. It was in crossing a drift at the Little -Modder River that carts stuck with wheels jammed tightly in deep holes -between slippery boulders, and teams floundered in fruitless attempts to -recover their footing. The Editor, having been in one of those holes, -horse and all, has reason to remember the place and the swirl of water -where it rashes over rocky ledges into a deeper pool. By dint of manful -work, Lumsden’s Horse got their carts clear of the drift, only to find -them axle deep in the treacherous soil of a neighbouring vlei some -minutes later. Then ammunition had to be taken out and carried to firm -ground and carts lifted bodily out of the mire. It was an experience by -which the transport drivers learned not to trust appearances and to -beware of grass that looked unusually green. Still, as Sergeant -Stephens, of the Transport, wrote in relating his experiences, ‘If -anything ever frightened our drivers it was the word “drift”; you should -have seen the worried looks when they heard there was a drift ahead.’ -That night the corps bivouacked beyond Glen, where General Tucker’s -division had been in touch with the enemy for nearly a month and warding -off frequent attempts to interfere with Engineers who were hard at work -on a ‘deviation’ near the ruined railway bridge. There they had to -bivouac with nothing but blankets to protect them from the bitterly cold -wind, and they went to sleep supperless because the transport, delayed -by many causes, had not come up. No alarms or excursions disturbed their -rest that night, but their march next morning was to the accompaniment -of distant pom-poms and heavier guns and the sounds of fighting not far -off. They did not know the meaning of it all then. It seemed to them but -a local skirmish, and not the penultimate phase of a great movement in -which Ian Hamilton, French, and Rundle had been sweeping the Boers -before them from Wepener to Thaba ’Nchu and thence eastward and -northward, clearing the country for a still greater movement. No shots -came near the marching column. The screen of outposts holding -inquisitive Boers in check was miles away from the drift where Lumsden’s -Horse crossed the main Modder River, and, for all they could see, it -might have been still miles off when they marched up a steep track and -bivouacked on the pleasant hillside, relieving some New South Wales -Mounted Rifles, whose horses had been used up by incessant patrolling. -They were, however, in the outpost line there as part of the 8th Mounted -Infantry, commanded by Colonel Ross, to whom Colonel Lumsden reported -himself that afternoon. Some officers of Regular regiments whose pickets -were near at hand came to have a look at these Indian Volunteers, who -were quite gratified afterwards to hear that the Colonel of the Norfolks -thought them ‘a very fine set of men, but undisciplined.’ It was true -enough they had not much discipline of the parade-ground type, but they -were held together by bonds stronger than any rules or regulations can -weld, and inspired by a sentiment that would have made them ‘play the -game’ wherever fortune might place them. And part of that game was for -them to be soldiers in deed as well as in spirit, though they might lack -the mere outward show of subordination. Spytfontein, which formed the -centre of a position held by Lumsden’s Horse, is an outwork of the -rugged range that sweeps from east to west in an irregular curve just -north of Karree Siding, and from which General Tucker’s division, aided -by a turning movement of Cavalry and Mounted Infantry under General -French, dislodged the Boers a month earlier. Though they had made -several attempts to reoccupy that range in the hope of being able to -shell us out of Glen, they lost ground each time, and finally retired to -an entrenched position in front of Brandfort, to which Spytfontein was -our nearest approach. Trooper Burn-Murdoch in one of his clever letters -to the ‘Englishman’ gave an admirable sketch of outpost work when it was -a new experience to Lumsden’s Horse: - - Spytfontein consists of several kopjes with rocks between and, so far - as I could see, only one farmhouse, so you will not find it marked on - the map. We took the place of some Australians, as they had been - pretty busy and their horses were all knocked up. To the north of us - were Loch’s Horse about 500 yards off, and quite close to our southern - flank were some companies of East Lancashire Mounted Infantry. What - with outlying pickets, guards, horse pickets, and such like, we did - not find time hang heavy on our hands. And, as our nearest neighbours - over the kopjes were large bodies of Boers with heavy guns and other - arms, we had, as the saying is, to sleep with one eye open, and that - one well skinned. I have many a time steered my way by Old Crux away - down south. But I found that gazing at it over the icy-cold muzzle of - a Lee-Metford was, though possibly just as profitable and useful a - job, very much less romantic. - - One reads in Olive Schreiner and in other African authors’ books of - the never-to-be-forgotten pleasure of sleeping out on the great South - African veldt, the pale calm moon overhead, and only the shade of the - waggon for covering, around which the trek oxen rest after their day’s - toil, the monotonous crunch, crunch of their jaws as they chew the cud - being the only sound that breaks the awe-inspiring silence. My - personal experience was vile—cold winds, little or no moon, wet grass - and rocks to lie upon, soaking wet feet and clothes, one wet blanket - and ditto coat, the only change to this being two hours’ sentry-go - every four hours. - -[Illustration: - - OUTLYING PICKET TAKING UP POSITION - (_From a sketch by J.S. Cowen_) -] - - We were not allowed to walk about as on ordinary sentry-go, but had to - keep quiet and sit or lie down for the most of the time, with our eyes - straining out into the dark north, where every piece of scrub or large - stone rapidly grew into a slouch-hatted Boer, as our brains became - hypnotised with ceaseless gazing. And on our keen sense of hearing and - sight depended the lives of all the corps! - - One afternoon the alarm was given, and we promptly ‘stood to arms’ in - excited expectation of an attack. But it proved to be a false alarm; - and I was not surprised that it was so, as our valiant signaller - standing on the sky-line of a neighbouring kopje flagged the news down - to us, and of course all the Boers between our pickets and Kroonstad - at once knew that Lumsden’s Horse were awake _and there_—so they - thought better of it. Some few days afterwards we got orders to parade - at 2.30 A.M. to take part in an attack on a Boer force which had been - ‘located’ on some hills to the south-west of us and skirting the - Modder River. I was horse sentry that night, so got practically no - sleep. At 2.30, however, amid a thundercloud of English and - Hindustani, Lumsden’s Horse awoke and managed to saddle up in the - darkness; and then, by dint of shouting out each other’s names, we - managed to wriggle into our proper subsections. As one man put it, - ‘the bundabust was shocking.’ - - From the midst of this noisy dark chaos emerging, away we marched. - Bitterly cold and cheerless was that morning, every second man’s teeth - chattering like so many castanets, while one’s feet felt _en masse_ - with the stirrup irons. In a short time we were joined by Loch’s - Horse, the Victorian Mounted Rifles, the Artillery, and Lancashire - Mounted Infantry, and silence was the strict order of the march; and - silence it was pretty well, until one of Loch’s Horse, with his - cut-off open, let bang two shots—phew! phew! went the two nickels over - the lot of us, and half of us ‘bowed our heads’ reverently. I believe - Mr. Loch got fourteen days’ for that, and served him jolly well right. - - The sun coming out, our spirits rose somewhat, and our fingers became - warm enough to pull out bits of biscuit from our haversacks and so - have a sumptuous breakfast on horseback. An hour and a half’s march - brought us to a deep creek with a good drift over it, and this we - crossed in safety. On the other side we found a long and broad expanse - of plain gradually sloping up to a ridge of high kopjes some four - miles in front of us. On these kopjes our friends the Boers were - supposed to be waiting for us, so we spread out into extended single - ranks with about eleven yards interval. A kind friend having given me - a cheroot, I lit up and enjoyed a peaceful smoke, while at the same - time I could not help wondering how many more smokes the Boers would - allow me to have. Shortly afterwards we got the order to advance at - the canter, which we did; as our scouts were barely 1,500 yards ahead - and had not had time to ‘search’ the kopjes properly, this was, in my - opinion, a risky order. However, we got there. - - Firing had meanwhile commenced on our left, and two of our Victorian - scouts were bagged. Our pom-poms and guns then tuned up; boom! - pom-pom-pom, pom-pom! boom—and after a little of this double-bass tune - the Boers bolted and left us in possession. Skirting along the - scrub-covered banks of the Modder River, we at length reached Waggon - Bridge, over which my subsection took the lead as scouts; and about - midday arrived at a Boer farm some two and a half miles further on. - Here we stayed the night, camping out on some commanding kopjes. A - strict watch was, of course, kept up all night. Next day we duly - received some nice compliments from the General in command on our - rapid march and successful capture of Waggon Bridge; and then, like - the celebrated Duke of York’s Army, we marched back again to our camp. - -An officer of the corps, writing to friends at Calcutta, adds some -interesting details: - - We are right up at the front now holding a line of kopjes overlooking - a large plain all round. There is nothing in the plain except one or - two small kopjes occupied by the Boers between here and Brandfort. - They come close in every night, and often do a little sniping at our - outposts, but they disappear at daybreak. The other morning four - Australians went out to a farm about three miles off; there were - supposed to be only women there, and they had a couple of white flags - up; but as soon as the first man got into the yard several Boers - jumped out of the pigsty, shot his horse, wounded him and took him - prisoner—the others had to clear. They say about a dozen Boers come - there every night. The Australians have a picket a mile off, but they - have not succeeded in catching anybody. The General won’t allow firing - into the farm, because he says the women can’t help the Boers coming - for supplies and things. The farm where we get our milk and stuff is - owned by a Boer who has given up his arms; he fought against us, and - bucks that he shot a Gordon Highlander officer at ten paces at - Magersfontein. This Boer was in an awful funk lest his old friends - should reach his farm and shoot him; at least, he said so. The night - before last our sentries on one of the pickets were quite certain they - saw our Boer friend lamp-signalling, and our signallers on the kopje - noticed it also. Twenty Boers were seen in the distance in the - afternoon, and he was evidently signalling to them. To-day there was a - quantity of ammunition found in one of his kraals, so he will probably - find himself in chokee. The day before I rejoined from hospital we - attacked, or, rather, the Boers attacked us, but were shelled out of - their position. Two of our officers who were left in camp saw from one - kopje a shell burst in the middle of five men, and saw them all go - down. - - On the 23rd, when our men were sent away to the right with some other - M.I. and the Cheshires to seize a bridge and to drive Boer raiders - from some kopjes, they did not apparently wait to be turned out, but - cleared and trekked across the plain to Brandfort. Our men never fired - a shot, though Loch’s Horse on their left had a little shooting and - lost one man, an advance scout. The Boers let him walk right into - their midst, and as he turned round to bolt his horse came down and - they took him prisoner. Our position is about, as far as I can make - out, the centre of a half circle from Karree Siding to the Glen. One - quarter circle is held by the 7th Division, two batteries, and various - M.I. The other afternoon some Boers started sniping at our - signal-post, but came nowhere near hitting; we all stood to arms, and - when thirty men were sent out they cleared. They generally amuse - themselves sniping at our outposts at something like 2,000 yards with - no effect. We have to furnish three night pickets—three officers, five - non-commissioned, and sixty men every night; it falls rather hard on - the section officers, as one is sick, and the company commanders and - the staff, of course, don’t do it, so it means three of the seven are - out every night. There is not very much to do on picket except post - the sentries, visit them two or three times in the night, and get them - in again a little before sunrise, when they return to camp. There is - also a day outpost of twenty men and two non-commissioned officers, - and generally a convoy of similar size into Karree Siding; so the men, - too, have enough to do. - - There was a fight expected to-day (29th), but it has not come off, - only a few shots on our left. The order has just come for us to go out - to-morrow, leaving a sufficient guard to strike our tents and bring - them on if necessary. We hope it is the real advance this time. - - Douglas Jones proved himself such an excellent Assistant-Quartermaster - that, as B Company’s appointments were all probationary, he has been - made Company Quartermaster-Sergeant. We lost poor old Roger at Kruger - Siding on the way up. He had quite turned into a regimental dog, and - on the march used generally to come along with the rearguard. We - halted to feed there one march, and he may have stopped with the Royal - Scots. It is quite possible he went back to Jagersfontein, and made up - to the Gloucester Yeomanry. They are bringing in two of our lame - horses, so if he did we may get him again. - -[Illustration: - - _Photo: Bourne & Shepherd_ - CAPTAIN NOBLETT (MAJOR ROYAL IRISH RIFLES) - (Commanding B Company Lumsden’s Horse) -] - -Another correspondent who was kept in camp by a slight ailment while his -comrades were away on patrol or some more exciting expedition records -how he got out kits and collected firewood, ‘a thing I never did -before,’ and how when others of his section came back they lay by the -dying embers to keep themselves warm and occasionally made the fire -flicker up by throwing more wood on it, reckless of danger from snipers, -who were always on the prowl. While the main body of Lumsden’s Horse -were away on that dash for Waggon Bridge the Boers made a counter -demonstration from Brandfort, supported by pom-poms, and got within a -thousand yards of the Red House Farm, but did no damage beyond -interfering with the domestic arrangements of a Regular regiment, whose -officers, being too far from the point of attack to see what really -happened, thought their position was being seriously threatened and -wanted 28,000 rounds of ammunition brought up from Karree Siding for -emergencies. The orderly corporal who sent that request on got jeered at -as an alarmist, when nothing happened except a retirement of the Boers. -The next day Lee Stewart, who had been left behind in hospital at Cape -Town, rejoined, and got a cordial welcome from all his comrades when -they marched back from their first little expedition. The section mess -was enabled to regale him at dinner that night on ‘chicken cooked by N—— -and beefsteaks,’ so that one hardly wonders to find in the next day’s -record the melancholy note, ‘There little was to eat; sat round the -cook-house—two tins on the open veldt—and talked.’ - -In his official report Colonel Lumsden sums up all this in a few brief -sentences, having matters of more serious weight on his mind at the -moment: - - Our departure for Spytfontein was delayed from 19th to 21st ult.—on - which date we left Bloemfontein, halting at the Glen _en route_, - arriving at Spytfontein midday on the 22nd ult. There I reported to - Colonel Ross, who commands our corps, consisting of the following - units, of which the approximate strength is given:[4] - - Lumsden’s Horse 240 - - Loch’s Horse (a squadron) 220 - - West Riding and Oxford L.I. Companies of 220 - M.I. - - 8th Battalion M.I. 420 - - ____ - - Total 1,100 - - Late that evening I received orders to hold myself in readiness at - 4.30 A.M. for Kranz Kraal, whither we marched in company with the 14th - Brigade, our object being to protect a bridge about eight miles - distant on the main road to Bloemfontein, which the Boers intended to - destroy. We were only just in time to prevent them carrying out their - object, by getting there before them, with only a couple of casualties - among the Australian contingent. We spent the night at the bridge, - returning the next day to Spytfontein. While at the latter place we - were fortunate in securing a few more Government remounts to replace - several unfit horses. I may mention that at Spytfontein we were in - easy sight of the Boer outposts, being only eight miles distant from - Brandfort. A long flat plain separated the Boer boundary from our own, - and their scouts were distinctly visible to us every morning. Nothing - eventful occurred during the next few days, but on the 30th we - received our baptism of fire as far as we are personally concerned. - -[Illustration] - ------ - -Footnote 4: - - The Suffolk Company M.I., numbering 120, joined later.—ED. - ------ - - - - - CHAPTER VIII - _THE BAPTISM OF FIRE—LUMSDEN’S HORSE AT - OSPRUIT (HOUTNEK)_ - - -How often ignorant critics have sneered at that phrase ‘the baptism of -fire,’ which expresses finely, with literary completeness and force, a -truth of which men who have never been in the front line of battle can -know nothing! However much the phrase may have been degraded by -melodramatic application, it is a gem in its clearness of thought and -perfection of finish. The soldier’s first fight is a plunge from which -he emerges a new being. Whether the change may be for better or worse -depends probably on temperament and previous associations. The fire of -battle does not purify a sinner or sear the soul of a saint, but neither -is quite the same after as he was before passing through it. He has seen -things which, in some subtle way, unfelt, perhaps, and certainly -unacknowledged, will influence the remaining years of his life. It is -not only because he has looked death in the face—that is a common enough -experience elsewhere and leaves no perceptible trace—but he has stood -where dear comrades fell beside him in the midst of scenes that at other -times would be heartrending, and, as if in a state of complete -detachment from himself, he has passed callous through it all. The -braver a man is, the more surely some consciousness of that strange -state clings to him. To call it selfish indifference or the numbness of -fear, as some insolent ignoramus might, would be to falsify the history -of war. Selfish men and cowards do not walk with eyes open into the very -jaws of death to help a wounded comrade, nor would dazed brains be -capable of the swift thought that characterises soldiers in the direst -danger. Yet men who at such times have done deeds worthy of the Cross -for Valour will [Blank Page] not be able to tell you what sensations -possessed them, simply because feeling in the ordinary sense was for a -moment, or for an hour it may be, dead. The mental faculties were clear -enough—so clear, indeed, that they took impressions, photographic in -sharpness and detail, of every immediate surrounding, yet with no power -of communicating those impressions in any sentient form. They knew, but -did not feel. There are people who will tell you gravely that the -Victoria Cross is an evil because it inspires men to do reckless things -out of sheer desire for the glory of that decoration. It is all -nonsense. I have known a great many Victoria Cross heroes, but not one -who gained that high distinction because he tried to or was conscious at -the moment of deserving it. There are soldiers of some countries in the -world to whom glory and the lust of fame are incentives to valorous -deeds. They love to think that the eyes of the world, and especially of -its fairer half, are on them as they march to battle, and for the sake -of these things they will volunteer to lead forlorn hopes; but once in -the fight they behave as Nature or Fate decrees. The mere outward -trappings of gallantry avail nothing then. - -[Illustration: - - MAP OF - HOUTNEK - shewing positions of - British and Boer troops - on 30th. April. - - Drawn by Major Neville C. Taylor, - 14th. Bengal Lancers. - - _Contours shewn at intervals of 10 feet._ -] - -Of the curious duality that can only be described as detachment of mind -from body, memory recalls two conspicuous examples which occurred within -my knowledge, if not both within my actual range of vision, on the -battlefield of Elandslaagte. One was when the Imperial Light Horse were -rushing up the last slope to that wonderful rallying cry of theirs in an -onslaught that rolled like a resistless wave across the shot-torn crest -and crowned the day with victory. One trooper dropped out of the ranks -as if a bullet had struck him, yet he knew that only his legs had given -way, suddenly refusing to carry him any further. Speaking frankly of -this incident afterwards, he said that at the moment no thought in his -mind was so strong as the desire to be with those who were charging up -the stony heights, waved on by their intrepid Colonel, Chisholm. He had -no sensation that could be akin to fear, and yet he was powerless to -move a limb. Then suddenly a strange thing happened. A Mauser bullet -ploughed along his cheek and stung him. In another moment mind and body -were leaping together up that hill, each striving to be first in the -race, and behaving with a gallantry at which even brave men wondered. -But for that accidental shot the trooper might have stopped where he -fell and been branded as a coward. The other illustration occurred -almost simultaneously, but in a different way. Some wounded men of the -same dauntless corps were lying on an opposite slope exposed to a heavy -fire from some Boers who had crept back to a rocky ledge from which they -were raking the whole of that ground with a shower of nickel. John -Stuart, of the ‘Morning Post,’ and I went to help two or three who were -too badly hit to move, and succeeded in getting them from the bare veldt -to comparative safety behind small boulders. One of them told me -afterwards that his mind was full of nothing but profound gratitude and -admiration when he saw us tucking a comrade into one little sheltered -nook, and yet the words that his tongue all the while hurled at us for -our folly in not taking cover were quite unfit for publication. No man -can pass through experiences of that kind and be in all things the same -again. The ‘baptism of fire’ has changed him, though he may never admit -it to himself or betray it to his friends. - -And the time was at hand when Lumsden’s Horse were to take their plunge -and emerge from it with the reputation of soldiers in whom trust could -be placed from that day forward. The share they had in operations that -extended over a front of nearly thirty miles, from Thaba ’Nchu to -Ospruit, was comparatively small. But for them it was the most eventful -episode of the campaign—their first fight, their passing of the -threshold beyond which was the secret of more of human life than they -had ever known. In that one day they were to look death in the face, to -see comrades, the friends of their youth, fall beside them, to have -thoughts of sorrow in their minds but no pang in their hearts. Grief was -to come days, perhaps months afterwards, when a chance word or the touch -of a hand might set the pent-up currents flowing in channels that war -had closed. Above all, they were to know the British soldier as he is in -fight—a creature of strange impulses, of wonderful tenderness, when he -might be expected to show the roughest qualities with which habit has -endowed him, and of sublime endurance. Writing after the plunge, one of -Lumsden’s Horse thanks God that he had seen it all: - - For such is the British Tommy—taken from the lowest classes, so our - sixth-class paper editors take care to blazen forth. Drunken louts in - the streets, not allowed into a decent theatre, knocked about if a bit - drunk by an officious policeman—everything that is bad, in fact. - Change the scene, and what do we see? Mile after mile of ‘the thin red - line,’ now changed to ‘the dirty khaki rag’; the battered khaki - helmet, Tommy’s only pillow at night; the coarse, hard ammunition - boots. Dirt and vermin cover him from head to foot—no water to drink, - much less to wash with—a heavy marching kit, rifle, and cartridges, - and as for food, why, not enough to feed a dog. Ay! Many and many are - the dogs that would have refused Tommy’s South African _menu_ with - turned-up noses. Overhead at times a scorching sun; at others a - blinding, cold, blustering rain; and at night always the bleak, cold, - north-west wind. March! March! March! On they go, bravely, truly, - sturdily, hardly a grumble, while safely at home you have your - collar-and-tie renegade telling us of the atrocities these brave men - are committing. Lies! all lies, I say. I’ve met some of those people - since I came back, and my one wish has been to have them out against a - brick wall with six good brave Tommies to fire a volley. Yes. I am - glad, ay, more than glad, spite of wounds and hardships, that I have - seen our good brothers of the khaki as they ought to be seen—no swell - uniforms there, no pipeclay, no shining cuirasses and polished helmets - to ‘catch on’ with a non-military public. Ye gods, no! all khaki, - khaki; all one great army, be it a Colonial, be it a London slum, or a - Highland bracken born lot of men. They are all brothers in arms, one - in object, one in deeds of bravery and devotion to an Empire. - -That eloquent passage, written by Trooper Burn-Murdoch, gentleman and -tea-planter, should be enough to silence the tongue of calumny and -convince any unprejudiced mind that whatever war may do it does not -brutalise. In illustration of that truth many other instances will have -to be given before this narrative runs its course to an end. - -Now, however, it is necessary to describe briefly the general scope of -operations whereby Lumsden’s Horse were drawn, much sooner than they had -any hope of, into their first fight. Attempts had been made by Generals -Rundle, Ian Hamilton, and French to surround Boer forces that were -retiring sullenly from their futile siege of Wepener. But De Wet was in -command there, and his mobile ‘slimness,’ aided by secret information -from Free State burghers, who, having taken the oath of neutrality, were -allowed to live on their farms or to move about freely without any watch -being kept on them, frustrated every attempt to hem in the commandos. -General Brabant’s Colonial division, following Sir Leslie Rundle’s, was -still some distance off, and General Pole-Carew’s retirement to -Bloemfontein for fresh orders at this juncture unfortunately left a gap -open between General French’s left and the force under Sir Ian Hamilton, -which was by that time extended along the Modder valley near Sanna’s -Post, facing north-east. Through this opening the Boers slipped back to -the high ground round about Thaba ’Nchu. Pressed hard by French, they -were driven from the southern and western spurs of these hills, but -still clung to the commanding mountain itself, where they gathered -reinforcements day by day. Then French ceased to press, and the turn -came for Ian Hamilton to strike, in the hope that he might drive a wedge -across the lower ridges between Thaba ’Nchu and Brandfort, which would -not only tear the chain of Boer positions asunder, but also open the way -for a combined movement by which their left wing, under De Wet, should -be enveloped if he attempted to prolong his stand in the Thaba ’Nchu -range. It was cleverly designed; but we all know what often happens with -the best-laid plans, especially when there are spies free to move about -without danger to themselves. It was at this phase of the extended -operations that Sir Ian Hamilton began to advance towards Houtnek, where -he found himself confronted by a formidable gathering of commandos under -General Louis Botha, and they were being reinforced from all directions, -the Boers having regained hope and courage from the presence of a leader -whose reputation then stood incomparably high among them. Though the -numerical strength and boldness of his enemies were something of a -surprise to General Hamilton, he had in some measure prepared for the -unforeseen by calling upon General Tucker to make a diversion by which -the Boers under De la Rey’s command in Brandfort might be discouraged -from sending reinforcements to Houtnek. With the Seventh Division, or -rather in advance of it as a covering screen, the Mounted Infantry -brigade under Colonel Henry was ordered to co-operate, supported by -General Maxwell’s brigade of Infantry. Of the Mounted Infantry, to which -a post of honour was thus assigned, the 8th Battalion, commanded by -Colonel Ross, was to form the advance guard. Thus Lumsden’s Horse were -destined in their first fight to bear the brunt of the attack if it -should come; and, in high spirits at the prospect, they looked with an -interest they had never felt before towards the rugged line of low -kopjes far away across the broad plain with light from the setting sun -full upon them. That the orders were thus made known to all ranks twelve -hours before they could be acted on is a proof that they had not been -drawn up on the spur of sudden emergency, and, indeed, Sir Ian Hamilton -was only then feeling for his enemy in the direction of Houtnek. At this -point the picturesque pen of the ‘Englishman’s’ correspondent goes on -with the narrative: - - On April 29 we got warning to be ready to take part in a general - attack early the next morning. So we bustled round and got everything - ready. At 5 P.M. I and two other men of my sub-section were ordered - out on outlying picket, leaving Trooper Thelwall to saddle our three - horses before daybreak as well as his own, when we were to march into - camp again and get mounted and ready to start with the rest. So, just - having time to get half a pint of tea and some dry bread, we hurried - out on picket for the night. And that was, practically speaking, the - last food I tasted until 8 o’clock the next night. Not what you could - call ‘’igh livin’,’ is it? It was bitterly cold, and, what with the - everlasting night wind and only one blanket, we pickets were not much - troubled with sleep that night. However, at 5 o’clock in the morning - of the 30th we rolled up our blankets and marched into camp, and at - once set to work at tightening up girths, adjusting saddles and kits. - I had just time to put some bread into my haversack, and half fill my - horse’s nosebag with cartridges and also two or three priceless - ‘smokes,’ when we had to mount. So away went all chances of breakfast - that morning. Alas! some of us had no need for food and drink in the - evening. Just as old Sol began to rise up over the kopjes we marched - out of camp, up over the ridge, and down the other side towards the - open veldt. Here we paused for a while to allow the other troops to - join us. Taking advantage of this short halt, we got into our proper - sub-sections, dismounted, and had a last look at our girths, and - tightened up curbs, &c. Poor old mokes! How many of them, my own - included, were fated never to see another day dawn! Colonel Lumsden - now rode up to us and gave us a rough idea of what we were to do, and - informed us that our B Troop was to have the place of honour, and that - we were to take the lead. And, knowing us as he did, he had not the - slightest doubt that we would not fail to distinguish ourselves, &c. - To which our gallant ‘Oirish’ Captain Chamney began to reply in his - usual Indian after-dinner style, that he felt proud of his troop, and - fully conscious of the great honour that was bestowed upon us in being - allowed to take the lead; and he sincerely hoped that we would do - justice to the confidence bestowed on us. He would no doubt have - continued in this style for some time had not our good old Major - chipped in with his usual ‘down-in-his-boots’ aside: ‘Oh, that’s all - right, Chamney; damn it, man, of course you will.’ And these were the - last words I ever heard the good old man utter in this life. - -[Illustration: CAPTAIN H. CHAMNEY] - - Good old Showers, gruff as they make ’em, but a true white man’s heart - inside for all that. Never afraid to jump on an officer for all you - were worth if you thought he deserved it; and after those long hot - Indian parades, how many times have we heard your hearty laugh at the - head of the camp mess-table! For seven years our Colonel, and the man - who made the Surma Valley Light Horse second to none in India. - - All the attacking forces being now mustered, we made a start and away - we marched. For some part of the time our route lay alongside a pretty - little lagoon, and then the road gradually lost itself in the great - open veldt. How peaceful it all seemed that morning! The few cattle - and sheep that were quietly grazing here and there on the scanty - tussocks would casually lift up their heads and gaze at us, and, - seeing that there were no strange dogs with us, would go on cropping - the grass, though possibly a sheep or two would scuttle out of the way - with a contemptuous wriggle of their tails. Time of war! one - says—humbug! one could not believe it on that quiet morning. The fresh - ozonised air, the soft, steady breeze, now pleasantly tempered by the - bright morning sun; and there, by the doorway of the quiet little - farmhouse, the farmer’s wife standing with her milk-pails all ready, - while she laughingly makes passing remarks to her departing ‘guests.’ - - The only signs of war, maybe, are those few fences with their wires - cut down; and these you would suppose had been broken down by some - restless calves or light-hearted foal. From our ranks could be seen - and smelt the little clouds of tobacco-smoke which rose up in the - clear air like so many stray wandering bits of cumulus clouds, while - back in the rear could be heard the quaintly sad airs of ‘Bearer Ganga - Dīn’ and ‘Who’s dat a-callin’?’ as some of our musically inclined - troopers gave vent unconsciously to their feelings. What a lovely, - jolly morning that was! All those dire hardships, cold, hunger, and - wet, we had known only too well; but to-day—light, warmth, and the - indescribable freshness of the open veldt, while under us were our - plucky Indians, Arabs, and Walers, fresh as English daisies and keen - as the air we breathed. - - Some miles ahead of us—though seemingly quite close, owing to the - intensely clear atmosphere—lay a long range of low-lying hills all - lighted up with various shades of colouring, the hues of which kept - ever changing from moment to moment as the sun rose higher in the - heavens. Still further on, and filling up the whole background of this - typically African landscape, lay the razor-backs and table-topped - peaks of the Basuto hills, from the tops of which soft filmy wisps of - cloud drifted silently away into that great blue ‘nothingness.’ All - peace! Peace on earth, it seemed to us that fair morn. Nor could we - poor troopers realise that ere God’s life-giving sun should set that - night great Mars would look down on many of us poor mortals writhing - in the agonies of cruel death-dealing wounds and the tortures of the - surgeon’s knife and probe, while some poor souls, like these vanishing - vapoury clouds, would have left this little world for the infinite - beyond. Nor could the mind of our well-loved Major, as he rode at the - head of those men he had known for long, long years, have realised - that in a few short hours his true British heart would have ceased to - beat, and his life’s blood would be mingled with the dust of that - great continent where so many good men and true had already given up - their lives for an Empire’s cause. Thank God for the impenetrable veil - that He casts over our future! One scene especially struck me by its - beauty, and that was when a battery of Artillery toiled over a - tussocky ridge right into the blazing disc of the sun. As gun after - gun topped the ridge the whole team, horses and men, were shut out - from our sight by the powerful blaze of light in a most curious way; - while here and there a khaki-clad helmeted Artilleryman stood - silhouetted against the sky-line, over which the khaki gun-carriages - disappeared into a glaring sea of gold. - - As we were now approaching some suspicious-looking kopjes, we opened - out into extended order as usual, and Lumsden’s Horse were told off to - take, and _hold_, a certain line of kopjes some two miles off. So we - promptly set to work, approaching them very ‘cannily,’ with scouts - well out in advance. - - Arriving at the base of the kopjes without opposition, we dismounted - and skirmished up to the tops, but found that the Boers had cleared - out, though, judging by the several ‘sangars’ built of rocks, these - must have been held in force. Our scouts in the meantime had advanced - along the plain on the other side of the kopjes, and just as we - arrived on top the enemy opened on them with a continuous rattle of - rifle fire, and I saw several of the poor beggars limping back over - the plain pulling their wounded horses after them, while all around - them, to use whaler’s language, the sandy plain kept ‘spouting’ as the - deadly bullets struck and ricocheted. From where we were it was - utterly impossible to tell from what direction the bullets were - coming, so we could do little in the way of keeping down the Boer - fire. However, we did our best. But as the enemy soon ceased firing we - reserved our ammunition for later use. - - Away to our left the Artillery were now having a great duel, while the - pom-poms on both sides were making things generally cruel for the - Mounted Infantry, and also for those who were holding their horses. - Pom-pom-pom! pom-pom! and immediately whack, whack, whack! would echo - the vile bursting shells. Then boo-m-m came the big hidden Creusot—and - oh, the sound of its messenger, wo-o-o-o-ough! It would come soaring - up with a dreadfully mournful sound, while the whole atmosphere seemed - to vibrate with its spinning. Wugh! it would sound, as it burst far - out of harm’s way, and then one could stand up in the ‘Who’s afraid?’ - style, to lie down again promptly as No. 2 came along. How did I feel? - you ask. Well, to be strictly honest, I didn’t like it. I don’t - believe any man really does, if it comes to that. Afterwards a wounded - man described his feelings very well to me; he said, ‘Do you know, I - just felt as if I were outside the headmaster’s room, in for a dashed - good caning.’ And I think that hits off the sensation exactly. - -But now the picturesquely vague must give place to the explicit, and it -would be impossible to summarise the position at this stage more clearly -than in the terse words of Colonel Lumsden’s official despatch: - - On the evening of the 29th Colonel Ross received orders that the corps - was to make a demonstration next morning at daylight on the right - flank of the Boer lines for the purpose of drawing them from their - position and enabling the 14th Brigade, under General Maxwell, which - was to have come up on our right, to get behind and cut them off. - - The Mounted Infantry portion of General Tucker’s division, under - Colonel Henry, joined hands with us at 5 A.M., half a mile from our - camp. A portion of my corps was ordered to occupy Gun Kopje, a - position believed to be held by the Boers, about four miles distant on - our right front, the remainder extending and taking up positions on - our left. I went forward with the right flank, Major Showers - accompanying me. This portion consisted of the Adjutant, Captain - Taylor, Captains Rutherfoord, Clifford, and Chamney, Lieutenants Sidey - and Pugh, and four sections, the others having been detached by order - of Colonel Ross to hold various points. Mr. Pugh was sent out in - advance with the scouts, and it was when on this duty that Private - Franks was shot. Mr. Pugh very pluckily assisted him in getting on his - horse and endeavoured to take him out of the fire; but Franks was - unable to stay on his horse, and, dropping to the ground, had to be - left. Mr. Pugh and the remaining scouts were only just able to save - themselves by galloping up and joining us on the kopje at the extreme - right, to which we had just advanced, and which we held from 7 A.M. - until ordered to retire at about 1 o’clock. - - Early in the morning I ordered Corporal Chartres with eight men to - occupy a kopje about 800 yards to our right and prevent the Boers - turning our flank. There they held their ground until ordered to fall - back. It was a small party for this important position, but in the - circumstances no more could be spared, I having only about sixty men - with me, twenty of whom, under Lieutenant Sidey, were detached by - Colonel Ross to protect the Vickers-Maxim (commonly styled ‘pom-pom’) - in the centre of the position. - - The following was then the general disposition: - - There were four ridges diverging northerly towards the enemy. The - extreme spur of the right ridge was held by myself with four sections - Lumsden’s Horse as described; the second held by Lieutenant Crane and - one section, he being directed there at the outset by Colonel Ross; - the third and fourth by the rest of the brigade, the two pom-poms and - our Maxim being at the head of the re-entrant between the second and - third ridges, with Captain Noblett and three sections on its left. - - Shortly after our arrival the Boers took up a position on a kopje - about 1,500 yards directly in front, and quickly opened rifle fire on - our position. Fortunately the men had time to ensconce themselves - behind rocks, and, consequently, though bullets fell fast about them, - they were able to maintain a steady fire on the enemy without exposing - themselves. It was here, I deeply regret to say, that Major Showers - met his death. He was at the extreme right of the firing line and - under a hot flanking fire from the Boers, who had moved a party into a - donga some 300 or 400 yards to their left. - -[Illustration: CAPTAIN NEVILLE C. TAYLOR] - - I personally begged him not to expose himself, as also did Captains - Chamney and Rutherfoord; but he would stand erect, using his field - glasses and presenting a most conspicuous mark for the enemy’s fire, - which resulted fatally to him shortly after noon, a Mauser bullet - entering his right side half way down and coming out through his left - arm above the elbow. In risking his own life he had drawn a heavy fire - on the spot where he fell, and it was with much danger and difficulty - that Captain Powell, with Captain Chamney and others, succeeded in - removing him from the summit of the hill to a place of safety about - thirty yards down. I should like to take this opportunity of adding a - few words by way of tribute to the memory of Major Showers. When he - heard of the corps being raised, he was in command of the Surma Valley - Light Horse in Cachar, with the rank of Colonel, and was looked upon - as one of the smartest commanders of Volunteer Cavalry in India. He - wrote me and said, ‘If you will take me as your second in command, I - will gladly forfeit my rank and come as Major.’ I may have made many - fortunate selections in choosing my officers, but I never made a wiser - one than in selecting Colonel Showers. A better or a braver man never - breathed, and his loss to me so early in the campaign was irreparable. - - Shortly after the commencement of the Boer attack the whole of the - left were forced to retire owing to their flank being turned, taking - one pom-pom and our Maxim with them. Captain Noblett was consequently - obliged, at about 11 A.M., to conform to this movement, having no - support, and took his men out of the shell fire with great difficulty - but had only a few casualties. - - Lieutenant Crane, receiving no orders to retire, and being detached - from me and unable to communicate with me or I with him, deemed it his - duty to retain his position as long as possible, which resulted in - close fighting and the loss of nearly half his section. - -[Illustration: L.-SERGT. J.S. ELLIOTT] - -[Illustration: R.U. CASE (KILLED)] - -[Illustration: SERGT. F.S. McNAMARA] - -[Illustration: C.A. WALTON] - -[Illustration: - - A.F. FRANKS - (KILLED AT HOUTNEK) -] - -[Illustration: J.S. SAUNDERS] - -[Illustration: R.N. MACDONALD] - -[Illustration: L. GWATKIN WILLIAMS] - -[Illustration: CORPL. A. McGILLIVRAY] - - N.C.O.S AND TROOPERS - - One pom-pom and Lieutenant Sidey had been sent to the neck of the - right ridge to support us, we having been instructed to hold our - position until further orders. This pom-pom retired at about 12.30, - and at 1 o’clock Lieutenant Sidey and I both received our orders to - retire. This was carried out very deliberately, and the last of our - men got out of a most trying position within twenty minutes of having - received our orders, by moving away under cover of the ridge. - - As we had kept up a decreasing fire until the men got mounted, the - Boers, fortunately for us, did not discover our retirement before we - were out of range, otherwise we should have suffered heavily. While - retiring, Private Burn-Murdoch’s horse was brought down by a stray - bullet, causing him a heavy fall and a nasty wound in his head. - Captain Chamney, who was near by at the time, with some assistance got - Murdoch on to his own horse and pluckily rode with him off the field. - -[Illustration: - - _Photo: Hughes & Mullins_ - H.C. LUMSDEN (KILLED IN ACTION, - HOUTNEK, APRIL 30, 1900) -] - - Captain Taylor, with much gallantry and coolness, remained with the - led horses, and saw the last of the men mounted and clear away before - he himself left, bringing up the rear with Captain Clifford and some - late stragglers, including one man who would stay for a last shot. - - The whole brigade rendezvoused at 2 P.M. behind a kopje about three - miles in rear and waited till 3, when we returned to our various - camps. - - For some reason the main attack on our right under General Maxwell had - not been delivered, and the object of the day was not achieved. My - corps alone had the regrettable number of eighteen casualties out of - about 180 engaged. This was mainly accounted for by the position we - held. The Maxim under Captain Holmes did good service, coming into - action at 1,000 yards at a critical moment and checking the Boer - advance for some time. The enemy’s ‘Long Tom,’ however, soon found the - Maxim out, and, as the shells were bursting among the men with the gun - horses, they were ordered to retire only just in time, all the team - being more or less wounded. - - I cannot speak too highly of the gallant behaviour of my officers and - men throughout the day. Individual instances of heroism were numerous, - and I much fear that, especially in Mr. Crane’s section, many of the - casualties were caused by men endeavouring to assist their wounded - comrades. Mr. Crane himself was wounded in the groin, and I understand - Private Daubney’s and Private Case’s deaths were due to their - declining to leave their wounded officer. Judging from the number of - empty cartridge cases found beside them, they must have kept up a fire - on the advancing Boers to the last. Here Corporal Angus McGillivray, - Privates Leslie Gwatkin Williams, Firth, and R.N. Macdonald were taken - prisoners, along with Lieutenant Crane. Here fell Private H.C. - Lumsden. - - The same evening about 4 o’clock Dr. Powell, with the ambulance - tonga, and Private Godden went out under the Red Cross flag to - search for the wounded, but in the gathering darkness were only able - to reach the body of Major Showers, who died previous to the - retirement from our position on the right where he fell. Captain - Powell, in endeavouring to return to camp, lost his way and had to - remain during the night on the veldt, reaching camp soon after - daylight next morning. Shortly after his arrival he returned with - another search party, but found that the Boers had already buried - the bodies of Privates Case, Daubney, and Lumsden, after having read - the burial service over them. A stone had been put over the head of - Private Lumsden with his name scratched on it. The reason for this, - as narrated by Transport-Sergeant Stephens, is interesting. When - drivers were sent out with carts the following day, they met several - English-speaking Boers, ‘who would not talk much about the fight, - but said they were sorry our Colonel was killed. They had found some - papers in the pockets of young Lumsden, whom they took to be the - Colonel.’ The remains of Major Showers, being found still unburied, - were brought back and interred with military honours at the foot of - the kopje behind our camp. Private Franks, whose wounds had been - dressed by Captain Powell, had to be left on the hill near the body - of Major Showers, where he was found by the Boers shortly afterwards - and received every attention, but died during the night and was - buried by them in the morning. The Boers, subsequent to the fight, - were most courteous in their attentions, and returned papers, rings, - watches, money, &c., found on the bodies. - - I wish specially to mention a very plucky action done by Private C.A. - Walton, who is wounded and a prisoner in Pretoria. He was one of the - men in charge of the led horses in the No. 3 Section of A Company when - Sergeant Walker took temporary command of the section in Lieutenant - Neville’s absence on sick leave. On the order to retire Sergeant - Walker had to run some distance to his horse, and came back much - exhausted. The enemy being quite close on them, and Sergeant Walker’s - horse having been lost, Private Walton insisted on giving up his own - horse to the Sergeant, saying that he could run. While doing so he was - shot twice, and had to be left on the ground, although Sergeant Walker - did his utmost to take him along with him. - - After our return to camp I was much gratified to receive from Colonel - Ross, the Corps Commander, and Colonel Henry, the Brigade Commander, - congratulations on the behaviour of my officers and men throughout the - day, and on the morning following General Tucker, the Divisional - Commander, came over in person for a similar purpose; but at the same - time read me a lecture on the inadvisability of allowing my men to - attempt to bring off their wounded comrades when under fire. He - pointed out that it only drew fire on the wounded men and endangered - their own lives for no adequate result, as the Boers were a very - humane foe, who treated the wounded carefully. The troopers, he said, - must remember that their first duty as soldiers was to their Queen and - country. - - With deep regret I append a list of the casualties: - - Killed: Major Eden C. Showers—buried at Spytfontein; Privates R.J. - Clayton Daubeny, H.C. Lumsden, R.N. Case, Alfred F. Franks—buried by - the Boers. - - Wounded: Lieutenant Crane; Paymaster David S. Fraser; Sergeant-Major - Cyril M.C. Marsham, bullet wounds through shoulders and thigh; - Lance-Sergeant J.S. Elliott, shell wound of right foot; Sergeant F.S. - McNamara, bullet wound in thigh; Private J.H. Burn-Murdoch, fracture - of frontal bone by fall from his horse, which was shot under him - during retirement. - - Of these Sergeant-Major Marsham, Lance-Sergeant Elliott, and Private - Burn-Murdoch are in hospital at Karree Siding, and Sergeant McNamara - rejoined for duty at Kroonstad. - -Though General Tucker was constrained, by the wisest military -considerations, to rebuke men who, while displaying magnificent -qualities of courage and self-sacrifice in attempts to save their -wounded comrades, might have endangered the lives of others, we may be -sure that he made a mental reservation and wished in his heart that he -might have regiments of such men to lead. If the records of his own -gallant career have been truthfully kept, he won promotion in the -Bhootan expedition of 1866 and in fights against the Zulus twelve years -later, and paved the way to a Knight Commandership of the Bath, not so -much by obeying the dictates of caution as by brilliant leadership and -by conspicuous valour that was almost reckless in its disregard of -personal danger. But he knew, with the intuition of a soldier’s quick -sympathies, that the corps to whose Colonel his words were addressed -wanted no incentive to boldness, but rather a lesson in self-restraint. -He had seen a great deal of their gallantry in that action for himself, -and his brigadiers had told him more. Lumsden’s Horse, at any rate, had -no reason to be ashamed of the way in which they had taken their -‘baptism of fire.’ - -The devotion of Corporal Firth in sticking to his wounded officer, -Lieutenant Crane, under a withering fire was a deed of valour that -should be famous throughout the Empire. - -[Illustration: LIEUTENANT C.E. CRANE] - -All the men with Lieutenant Crane behaved very well. Two -non-commissioned officers and eleven troopers went with him to hold the -isolated kopje on the right flank. Of this gallant party of fourteen, -three were killed, four were wounded and taken prisoners, four escaped -with their clothes riddled with bullet-holes but otherwise unhurt; one, -Corporal Firth, could have escaped, but preferred to remain with his -wounded officer, to bind up his wounds if possible, to go with him into -captivity perhaps, to share death with him if need be. Troopers Reginald -Macdonald and Leslie Gwatkin Williams also performed deeds of splendid -self-sacrifice. Of those who escaped, Sergeant-Major Marsham (wounded), -Bugler McKenzie, Sergeant Walker, Lance-Sergeant J.S. Elliott (wounded), -and Trooper Radford, whose parting shot while he sat in the saddle -brought a Boer down, are deserving of the highest praise for the way in -which they stuck to the led horses and rode off with them under heavy -fire. - -These men were not tried veterans; they were taking their parts in the -first battle of their first campaign. But several of them had been -friends from their youth up, and all of them were Anglo-Indians—men -whose exile from the land of their birth serves but to intensify their -love for England and her greatness. Loyalty to friend and country! This -is the magic touchstone of the soldier’s discipline and heroism. - -[Illustration: - - _Photo: J. Charlesworth_ - J.H. BURN-MURDOCH -] - -Should any cynic dare to say that the men who did these deeds were -thirsting for glory, or inspired by a hope of winning the Cross for -Valour, or even conscious of doing more than a common soldier’s duty -demanded, let him read the narrative of their actions, as told by -themselves or their comrades, and be answered! In the whole literature -of war I know nothing more realistic than Trooper Burn-Murdoch’s -description of the incident in which he was a half-unconscious -participator; when lying wounded he was taken from under fire by Captain -Chamney, and finally carried out of action on horseback in that -officer’s arms. The story is too characteristic of the battlefield to -bear mutilation. For the sake of space, though with reluctance, some -picturesque passages must be sacrificed; but, for the rest, as Trooper -Burn-Murdoch told it originally in his letters to the ‘Englishman,’ he -shall tell it again here: - - The kopje which we had to hold looked down on a sloping plain, and at - a distance varying from 700 to 1,100 yards off, and running nearly - parallel with our kopjes, was a deep dry river bed or donga. This - donga ran right up towards the Boer position. In my humble opinion we - should have done better to have placed some dismounted men in this - donga, and so prevented the enemy using it as a zigzag trench or - covered way towards our position. Instead of this, we literally stuck - to the kopje. And in the early part of the fight I noticed, and drew - my mates’ attention to the fact, that a lot of Boers were riding - towards this river bed, but never seemed to cross it. - - As the day wore on our position on these kopjes became somewhat too - warm to be pleasant. And, judging by the whistle of the bullets, we - seemed to have the enemy on our left flank as well as in front. It was - about this time that our gallant Major, who scorned to take cover, got - two mortal bullet wounds through his lungs; our doctor very pluckily - set to and cut off his tunic and plugged the bullet-holes, quite - regardless of the heavy fire he was subjected to. But it was of no - use; in a few moments the brave old soldier breathed his last. All he - said was, ‘Ah, well, I’m done for ... it’s not so bad as I should have - expected.’ But there was no time now to think of him or any other poor - wounded comrade. - - On we went, blazing away for dear life at the well-hidden enemy. Flat - on our empty stomachs, wriggling from one stone to another, never - daring to raise one’s head above a few inches from the ground. Whish! - whish! phew! phew! came those deadly nickels, then ping-r-r-r would - sound the ricocheting shots as they struck the stones and rocks a few - inches from our faces, and shot up into the clear blue sky behind us - with a shriek of unquenched bloodthirstiness. Thicker and thicker they - came—and now we saw that the enemy were straight in front of us, - having, as I had expected, ridden up under the cover of the river bed. - Orders now came for us to retreat slowly from the right. So as soon as - my turn came I let blaze a few rapid parting shots, and then ‘sniped’ - back over the ridge to where Trooper Ducat was holding my - sub-section’s horses. I can tell you that was an exciting little bit - of a sprint, and the bullets striking all around me did not tend to - retard my movements. However, I got back all right, and a few seconds - later Trooper Stevenson turned up. As Trooper Thelwall had not joined - us, I waited a few minutes with his horse. And rather an anxious wait - that was. As he did not, however, arrive, I presumed that some Boer - bullet had found him out. But I tied his horse to a stump in case he - did come, and then, mounting, I galloped after the rest. It was - uncommonly lucky that I did tie up his horse, as he afterwards, during - a slight lull in the firing, managed to make a bolt over the kopje and - down to his horse. One often hears it said that Mounted Infantry do - not need to be much of riders so long as they can shoot straight. All - I can say is, let a bad rider try to mount a fresh horse, with a large - kit on the saddle and a heavy rifle in his left hand, and bullets and - pom-pom shells whistling and cracking around, and he will agree with - me in saying that every Mounted Infantryman ought to be a very fair - rider before he can be of much use in a fight. - - Gathering up my reins, I kept up a good gallop towards our next kopje, - and was just congratulating myself that I was too skinny a target for - any Boer bullets when poor old Demon came down with a fearful crash, - shot by a Mauser bullet. I suppose I must have been stunned by the - fall, as I have no recollection of seeing him again. When I came to, I - found that my neck was fearfully stiff and sore, likewise all the left - side of my head. And pain—by Jove! pain was no word for it. I lay - there cursing and crawling about for some time, and was momentarily - expecting to have a ‘sighting shot’ into me, when, bang! and I - remembered no more. I have since heard that after this two of our - chaps came along and, dismounting, turned me over and left me as a - ‘green ’un.’ I remember dimly wondering what time of day it was, as - all things seemingly were so dim and dark that I could not see. I then - thought of tying up my head with my field dressing; but whether I did - so or not I could not swear, as I was more or less ‘silly.’ It must - have been a pom-pom or some other kind of shell bursting near me that - did the damage. Recovering a certain amount of sensibility, I was - endeavouring to get under some cover when Captain Chamney rode up. He - shouted out to me apparently from a long distance off, as I could just - hear him, ‘Hello, Mud’ook, what the tivil are you doing here? Badly - hurt are ye? Come on, then, get a hold of my stirrup an’ I’ll take ye - along wi’ me; ye’r far and away too good a man to leave behind.’ I - told him, of course, to go on, as I was all right and would get behind - a rock and have a rest; but the good old ‘Oirishman’ told me to get up - at once as he ordered. And a good job it was, too, he did _order_ me - to do so, or I’d have been resting there now. Just then Trooper Ducat - came galloping up, and the two of them got me between them and trotted - me along some hundreds of yards—it seemed miles to me. At last I got - nearly unconscious, merely rolling along in a sort of mechanical - style. But, try as much as I could, what with loss of blood and - giddiness I could go no further, and as I was a mere dead weight on my - two companions they halted, and I next remember myself sitting behind - Captain Chamney with my blood sopping down his neck and khaki tunic, - my head resting on his shoulder, and my hands locked round his body. - How I got there I don’t know. I suppose they lifted me up somehow. - Anyhow, there I was, and the good old commandeered Free Stater carried - us well. I don’t remember much of that ride. Somebody else rode up - alongside of me—I think it was Trooper Stevenson—and he, being Scotch, - and therefore ‘economical,’ had pluckily picked up my rifle. So, with - Ducat on one side and Stevenson on the other, alternately digging me - in the ribs, I managed to hold on until we got to cover; and here - Ducat, who, luckily for me, was a doctor, bound me up and gave me a - drink. Gad! I was thirsty. Shortly afterwards one of Danjeboy’s - Nepaulese ambulance tongas, which we had brought over from India with - us, galloped up, and I was put inside. I don’t think that worthy - Ghoorka driver liked the sound of Mausers any better than I did, for - he simply galloped the whole way. Over stones, over scrub, over ruts. - I shall never forget that ride. However, I got to the camp all right, - and willing hands carried me to my tent, where I lay till dark with - only a greatcoat for a pillow and a good solid piece of natural veldt - for a bed. Towards evening Ducat came in, and with great kindness went - and made me some cornflour, which I was able to eat. This was the - first food I had had, barring three or four mouthfuls of stale bread, - since 5 o’clock the night before. - - Dr. Powell came back from the fight later. He had been tending the - wounded and dying there. Tired and weary as he was, he at once set to - and tied my head up, first shaving off some of my hair. I don’t - remember much after this. I remember Sergeant Elliott (of Edinburgh) - was brought into the tent with his foot shattered by a pom-pom, and we - groaned out a duet throughout that night. In the fight Elliott was - holding some horses when a pom-pom shell burst in their midst, - shattering Elliott’s foot and finishing off several horses, including - his own. Managing to get hold of another mount, he rode up and - reported himself to Captain Noblett, by whom he was of course ordered - to the rear. So, badly wounded as he was, Elliott rode those five - miles back to camp unaided. Next day or the day after—I do not - remember exactly, as I was unconscious for two or three days, off and - on—the ambulance waggons drove up, and into them we were shoved. - Colonel Lumsden, Captain Noblett, Captain Chamney, and Sergeant - Hewitt, I think, all were there, seeing us off and helping us to ‘keep - our peckers up.’ My one complaint was that Captain Chamney wanted to - shave off my moustache when he was doing the V.C. trick on the veldt. - I asked him why he wanted to. He was much surprised at the question, - and told me in answer that ‘there were too many Boers doing the - shaving for him to think of it himself.’ I must have imagined the - whole thing, I suppose, when I was lying ‘silly.’ - -[Illustration: - - _Photo: Harrington_ - HERBERT N. BETTS, D.C.M. -] - -Another incident which was referred to briefly by Colonel Lumsden, who -for obvious reasons did not make much of it, is thus described in detail -by Trooper Preston: - - Lumsden’s Horse was to do the work of advance guard and scouts. No. 2 - Section, B Company, was chosen for the scouting, and immediately sent - out, and very soon the whole of the 8th Mounted Infantry was spread - over the plain. One sub-section (Troopers Franks, Were, Powis, and - myself) were scouting ahead of everyone else. For the first three or - four miles the ground was fairly level, with a few small kopjes with - trees on them. Then there was a ridge of kopjes with a steep valley - behind, and then another ridge. The scouts got to the first ridge of - kopjes before seeing anyone, then two shots were heard in the - distance, and a man on a big roan horse was seen galloping away. As - the scouts rode between two kopjes on the first ridge, about sixteen - men were seen to come out from the top of the ridge; immediately the - scouts halted, looked at them through their field-glasses, and saw - they were dressed in khaki. Before the scouts started they had been - told to look out for some of General French’s men on their right. One - of the officers coming up then (Lieutenant H.O. Pugh) looked at them, - and saw the same as the others—that they were dressed in khaki. The - scouts then rode round the kopje, intending to meet them. By this time - the sixteen men had got down into the valley, and were making up the - steep hill on the other side to the top of the kopje. Trooper Franks - and I then went down the valley, intending to see who they were, while - the other two went on to the right. The men had by this time got on to - the sky-line, some dismounting and others sitting still. We rode half - way down the valley (which was about two hundred yards across), and - then halted and looked through our glasses. The men on the top then - shouted out something and began to fire at us, so we turned and - galloped for our lives. Trooper Franks, after riding about three - hundred yards, began reeling in his saddle and tumbled off. Lieutenant - Pugh and a few men then galloped up to him and found he was shot - through the back and stomach. The bullets meanwhile were raining about - them. Franks begged us to leave him, saying that as soon as we were - gone the Boers would stop firing; so Lieutenant Pugh gave the order to - leave him and return to the others, who by this time were lining the - ridge behind, Lumsden’s Horse having the highest kopje to hold. As - soon as our Colonel heard Franks was wounded he started off on foot, - with Troopers Betts, Percy Smith, and Chapman, to fetch him. The Boers - immediately advanced down their side of the valley, and began firing - at the Colonel and his party. However, they were prepared for this, - and after a few shots the Boers retired, the Colonel bringing Franks - in on his own horse and walking beside.[5] Then we got the word passed - to retire from the right. Perfect order was maintained, the men - retiring one by one, the others keeping up a continuous fire until - their turn came. At last everyone had got away except Lieutenant Crane - and three or four more, whom the order to retire never reached. The - Colonel and Adjutant were among the last to go away. The behaviour of - the men was just as if they had been accustomed to that kind of thing - all their lives, smoking, and firing at the same time, others lying - behind rocks and writing letters to their relations and sweethearts. - The Boers did not follow us up, and we reached camp safely, but very - sad for the losses we had sustained. - -Another version of these incidents, with such minor differences as help -to give a clear conception of the whole scene, is furnished by the -Special Correspondent of the ‘Indian Daily News,’ who, after describing -the lucky escape of one scout, writes: - - Trooper A.F. Franks, of the same sub-section, the very best of fellows - and liked by everyone, was not so lucky, poor fellow. He accompanied - Lieutenant H.O. Pugh in advance, but, seeing nothing, Franks suggested - that he should go forward to the top of the donga or nullah in which - they were standing; but on reaching the top he was confronted by - thirty or forty of the enemy about three hundred yards away. They - beckoned to him and spoke to him in Dutch, presumably inquiring who he - was; without waiting for a reply, however, they opened fire, and - Franks then turned and retired. He had not gone far before he was - struck, the bullet going through his back and coming out just below - the heart. He managed to stick on his saddle till he reached - Lieutenant Pugh, who caught his horse by the head and led him towards - the kopje above mentioned as occupied by us. Franks was in such pain - that he was unable to bear the jolting of the horse, and so he had to - be laid down on the plain for the time being. Lieutenant Pugh and - other men who had come up in the meantime then retired to the kopje to - report the state of affairs to Colonel Lumsden. All this time, of - course, the bullets were whistling about, and the wonder is that not - more of us were shot. Two men were then sent in search of our doctor, - and Colonel Lumsden, as soon as he heard what had happened, - immediately ordered his horse and, accompanied by his orderly, Percy - Smith, of A Company, and Private H.N. Betts, of B Company, on - horseback—Private Chapman, of B Company, having previously gone down - on foot on the same errand of mercy—rode forward to the spot. On - reaching it our gallant Colonel insisted on dismounting and placing - Franks on his horse, saying the animal was a quiet one, and, - notwithstanding the urgent requests of the others that he would allow - them to give up one of their horses to him, he insisted on walking the - whole distance, quite regardless of the hail of bullets round him. - Progress was naturally slow, as Franks complained of severe pain, but - at last the kopje was reached, none of the party getting a scratch. - They had a narrow escape; the Boers had evidently got the range to a - nicety. They then started a brisk rifle fire on the kopje we were on, - which we returned at every opportunity, but they kept themselves so - well under cover that we had very poor chances of doing them any - serious damage from our side. They gradually crept up closer and - closer, coming down by twos and threes from a kopje about two thousand - yards away, and taking up their position eventually behind a slope - eight to nine hundred yards distant. A regular artillery duel, several - of their shells bursting among the pom-poms and our own Maxim, but not - doing much damage. I fancy our guns did a bit of killing, though the - Boers afterwards acknowledged to four wounded only; our Maxim gave a - very good account of itself. I understand our only casualties in this - direction were two or three wounded horses. We were told afterwards - that the day’s operations were only intended to be a reconnaissance in - force to find out the enemy’s strength and position, after which large - forces from the left and right would attempt to surround them. This - being the case, at about 12 (we had been under fire for about four - hours) a general retirement was ordered from the right. The Boers, - seeing us retiring, were evidently emboldened to throw aside their - usual cautious tactics, and advanced on us rapidly, very nearly - rushing the kopje on which we were before we could get away. The - writer’s horse, which had been tied to a tree, got away, and he would - have been badly left, as in the hasty retreat we were obliged to make - it was impossible to say who had gone on and who was left behind, but - fortunately ‘Molly Riley,’ Mrs. Barrow’s well-known paper-chaser, was - standing near a bush close by, and Private Were, who was just going - off, stopped behind and helped to get hold of ‘Molly Riley.’ We then - started to gallop off, but just then another man came running towards - us much exhausted with scrambling down the kopje, and Were, saying he - was quite fresh, pluckily got off and lent him his horse. Fortunately - at that moment Captain Taylor, our Adjutant, galloped up with a spare - horse, and, Were getting mounted, we all made away for our lives. We - halted at a place some distance off, and it was only then we heard of - our long tale of casualties. A Company suffered very heavily on the - left flank, where part of them were lying in an exposed position. - Besides this, there were several men missing, and it was not till we - got into camp in the evening after roll-call was taken that the exact - extent of our loss was known. Franks was left on the kopje with an - orderly, as it was impossible to move him, and we heard next day that - he was taken to the Boer hospital, and died there at 12 o’clock the - same night. Among the wounded was Paymaster-Sergeant D.S. Fraser, well - known in sporting circles in Calcutta. He had his horse shot under - him, and was himself wounded in the thigh and captured by the Boers. - Our ambulance went out next day and found that the Boers had buried - all the dead, except Major Showers, whose body was brought back to - camp and buried there. The service was a very impressive one, and was - conducted by the Military Chaplain attached to the regiment camped - close by. It was calculated to bring home to us all the stern - realities of war. - -Yet in a trooper’s diary immediately after the most pathetic entry we -find it recorded that when rations were to be distributed by a process -of division and subdivision ‘B—— argued at great length that one-fourth -of two-thirds could not be the same as two-thirds of one-fourth,’ and -the discussion took a heated turn. Such are the trifles that seem -important to men who have just come out of a battle in which perhaps -they were more than once close to the jaws of death. ‘Linesman,’ in -those brilliant impressions of the war in Natal—always truthful in fact, -but not invariably just in deduction—has recorded a very similar -incident at Vaal Krantz, when, from a fire that was deafening, -bewildering in its intensity of concentration on the British front, - - some died, some were carried away on dripping stretchers before they - could learn the full gamut. And the survivors? The few within the - writer’s ken—quarrelled! During a lucid interval in the shelling, the - regimental cooks had contrived to make and distribute tea to the men - lying prone in their shelters. The distribution was not perhaps - impartial. The menace of a 94-lb. shrapnel would make a liquor-measure - uncertain with the eyes of a hundred Government inspectors glued upon - it! So there arose a bickering. Tom down below must obviously have - taken more than his share, else how came it that Mick above had to - content himself with less? ‘Peace!’ yelled the monstrous shrapnel at - the height of the argument; ‘Shut up!’ snapped the pom-pom shells; - ‘Silence!’ boomed the far-off 40-pounder. Not a bit of it. No - foreign-made projectile ever fired shall stop a Briton well under way - with a grievance. That argument flourished amazingly under the shower, - and only died away when the glaring sun overhead began to induce an - unforgiving slumber. - -Ridiculous, of course, such a scene must seem to civilians who have been -fed on the heroics of a melodramatic school, or on the still falser -‘revelations’ of writers who, having never seen a battle, mix their own -pusillanimous imaginings with so-called ‘psychological’ studies and -ironically brand that mixture with the ‘red badge of courage’; but it is -true to the nature of soldiers who are not always thinking great things -while they do them, and who have often a laugh or an oath on their lips -when their thoughts take a flight too serious for words. Burn-Murdoch -has told us how, in the midst of a duel that was practically for life or -death between some Boers and Lumsden’s Horse in this fight at Ospruit, -men laughed outright at something that seemed to them ‘tearfully funny, -coming as it did like the comedian’s joke in the middle of a tragedy.’ A -soldier should make the best of valets because he is never a hero to -himself. Yet he has a firm and never-to-be-shaken faith in the heroism -of others. Lumsden’s Horse, many of them in imminent peril at the -moment, watched their Colonel’s action in going out to bring the wounded -Trooper Franks from a shot-withered slope to some place of comparative -safety, and they afterwards declared it to be a valorous deed well -worthy of the Victoria Cross. To that conclusion Sir Patrick Playfair -also came when the story was told to him, and he said so. Thereupon -Colonel Lumsden was much upset lest somebody might say that he, too, had -been trying to win the coveted distinction. So he hastened to write a -‘disclaimer’ in these words: - - What Sir Patrick really means, and heard about from some of my men, - referred to the death of poor Franks, who was lying wounded on the - veldt about 800 yards from the point we held on the extreme right of - the fighting line. We could see him plainly through our glasses - writhing evidently in great pain; and, as I asked for some volunteers - to ride down and bring him in, I did not care to request them to do a - thing I would not do myself, so rode down with my galloper, Trooper - Percy Smith, now a captain in the Middlesex Regiment and a D.S.O., and - Trooper Betts and Trooper Chapman, the latter of whom afterwards - obtained a commission in the Johannesburg Police. - - On reaching the spot we found Franks lying in great danger and pain. - Having a quiet pony, ‘Harry Stuart,’ I dismounted, and we placed the - wounded man on my horse, and while he was held by two of his comrades - we walked back to camp under a pretty heavy fire from some Boers who - were galloping on our left rear and firing at us. It was a foolish - thing on my part to have done, but, as I said, we were all new to the - game together, and I did not care to ask my men to risk their lives in - an action in which I would not chance my own. That is all. There was - nothing in it. - -Yes, that is all! But let England, mother of nations, thank God for the -sons who, doing such a deed, can say and think ‘there was nothing in -it’! - -Cold reason may bid us approve General Charles Tucker’s words of wise -caution, but all the time our hearts will be beating time to a noble -refrain, the notes of which have thrilled the nerves of British soldiers -in all ages, urging them to risk their own lives rather than forsake a -stricken comrade, and to die like gentlemen before they would let the -stain of dishonour rest on them or their regiment. People who talk -glibly of the necessity for encouraging initiative among junior officers -may hold that Lieutenant Crane should have conformed to the general -retirement, instead of holding his isolated post with untimely -resolution, waiting for the orders that could not reach him, when the -Boers began to close in on his front and flanks. Apparently no blame -attaches to anybody for neglecting to recall Lieutenant Crane and his -party at a time when they might have extricated themselves without -serious loss. Colonel Ross says that the orderly whom he sent with the -message was either killed or wounded, and so the recall never reached -Lieutenant Crane. That it was sent both Colonel Ross and his Staff -officer, Captain Williams (who has since been killed), were quite -positive. In justice to Lieutenant Crane, it must be remembered that a -company officer can know very little of what is going on at other points -of a fighting line beyond the immediate limits assigned to him, and the -privilege of initiative might be strained to a dangerous extent if every -section-leader should consider it discreet to retire directly he found -himself pressed sorely or somebody else giving way on either flank. In -Colonel Lumsden’s words—so eloquent because of their undemonstrative -simplicity—Lieutenant Crane ‘deemed it his duty to hold his position as -long as possible.’ How many thousands of times in the course of our -‘rough island story’ has the Empire had cause to be thankful to the men -who could thus interpret duty as a thing above all personal -considerations, calling for self-sacrifice to the end! It was part of -the white man’s burden which Lieutenant Crane and his comrades of No. 2 -Section had taken upon them long ago, when they settled as -indigo-planters in the wilds of Behar, Mozufferpore, and Saran, where -Europeans are few and natives many. In such districts the Sahib’s lot -may be to face a riotous multitude of frenzied fanatics at any moment, -and he must fight it out single-handed, dying if need be under cruel -torture, but never showing fear. That was the training-school from which -No. 2 Section of A Company came. They were indigo-planters to a man, -self-reliant and imbued with a high sense of the Sahib’s responsibility -to the race from which he springs. Knowing this, we cannot wonder that -the leader deemed it his duty to fight for the ground he had been -ordered to hold rather than give way an inch, no matter what odds were -against him; or that, when he fell wounded, with Clayton Daubney, Henry -Lumsden, and Upton Case dead beside him, others chose to share his fate -instead of leaving him to the tender mercies of their enemies. To such -men no thought of surrender could have come. Corporal Firth had a chance -of getting away, but he went back to where his wounded officer and some -old comrades from Mozufferpore were lying under heavy fire, and elected -to stay with them as they held the Boers in check until nearly every -cartridge was expended. Not before Daubney, Case, and Lumsden had been -killed, Cyril Marsham, Stewart McNamara, Helme Firth, Gwatkin Williams, -McGillivray, and Macdonald wounded did the Boers succeed in making any -prisoners among the little band of indigo-planters, whom they had by -that time practically surrounded within point-blank range. No white flag -was hoisted and there were no ‘hands up,’ but rifles dropped from the -nerveless grip of men who had fought till they were faint with loss of -blood and there was no power in the numb fingers to press a trigger. -Others laid down the weapons that were useless when their last cartridge -had been fired; and then the Boers, closing in upon them, made prisoners -of all who survived. If anybody blundered, the mistake was nobly atoned -for. It is a story of which Lumsden’s Horse and the whole Empire may be -proud. - -An early version of this incident, not quite accurate in some details, -furnished a noble theme for the pen of Sir A. Conan Doyle, who, in his -history of ‘The Great Boer War,’ writes, with a patriot’s enthusiasm and -an enthusiast’s glorious disregard of fettering figures, as follows: - - Before entering upon a description of that great and decisive movement - (the advance on Pretoria), one small action calls for comment. This - was the cutting off of twenty[6] men of Lumsden’s Horse in a - reconnaissance at Karree. The small post under Lieutenant Crane found - themselves by some misunderstanding isolated in the midst of the - enemy. Refusing to hoist the flag of shame, they fought their way out, - losing half[7] their number, while of the other half it is said that - there was not one who could not show bullet marks upon his clothes or - person. The men of this corps, Volunteer Anglo-Indians, had abandoned - the ease and even luxury of Eastern life for the hard fare and rough - fighting of this most trying campaign. In coming they had set the - whole Empire an object-lesson in spirit, and now on their first field - they set the Army an example of military virtue. The proud traditions - of Outram’s Volunteers have been upheld by the men of Lumsden’s Horse. - - - - - CHAPTER IX - _AFTER OSPRUIT—SOME TRIBUTES TO MAJOR SHOWERS - AND OTHER HEROES_ - -[Illustration: - - MAJOR EDEN C. SHOWERS - (KILLED AT HOUTNEK)] -] - - -Unsympathetic critics may discover a lack of due proportion in the space -that has been devoted to this affair at Ospruit, seeing that it was but -an episode in a long chain of operations, the whole of which are dealt -with in a single paragraph of the Commander-in-Chief’s despatches. But -the same argument might be urged against any enlargement in monograph on -the official version of Brigadier-General Mahon’s brilliant march for -relieving Mafeking, to which no writer has done full justice yet, though -there is evidence that the Boers regarded it as the first ‘slim thing’ -achieved by a British commander, and as a stroke of daring leadership by -which they were completely outwitted. Many similar examples, not so -conspicuous perhaps, but all material in their bearing on the greater -issues of a campaign, and therefore worthy of elaborate treatment in -detail, might be quoted. The Editor can at any rate plead that this is a -history of Lumsden’s Horse, and not an essay in perspective. For that -reason he has chosen to reproduce impressions of the different -incidents, not as they might have presented themselves to the mind of a -divisional general or an unemotional spectator, but as they burnt -themselves in upon the brains of men actually fighting for their lives, -and to use as nearly as possible each writer’s own words. It may seem -strange that through all these narratives, from the Colonel’s purposely -restrained and undemonstrative summary to the details that are told with -most convincing force, we can trace no signs of depression resulting -from the fact that Lumsden’s Horse in their first fight were forced to -retire instead of taking part in a victorious advance. This is a touch -happily characteristic of British soldiers. Conscious of having done -their duty manfully, they were content to let the issue be what it -might, so long as they had not lost confidence in themselves or in their -leaders. There was nothing of the beaten soldier about them; no -demoralisation, no sullen discontent, no sham heroics covering a sense -of discomfiture. Whether they had to come back from their sacrifices -because the enemy was in superior force, or simply because the object of -a reconnaissance ‘had been achieved,’ mattered little to them. As Tommy -would have phrased it in his expressive way, ‘it was all in the day’s -work.’ Victory is sweet, no doubt, and men from whose lips that cup has -been dashed cannot but feel a little bitterness in their hearts, but it -is only the bitterness of a wholesome tonic. For soldiers who have -suffered so there is always consolation in the knowledge that their -sacrifices were not borne in vain. And Lumsden’s Horse may take -satisfaction from the thought that their first fight, with all its sad -and glorious consequence, was not brought about by any useless -demonstration without plan or purpose. Though none of them could know it -at the time, they had been engaged with De la Rey’s force, by which -General Ian Hamilton’s left flank was being seriously threatened along -the Brandfort ridges, and their action, which seemed to them indecisive, -had so far relieved the pressure that Sir Ian was able the next day to -deliver his attack on Houtnek and drive the Boers from it in some -confusion. The apparent failure of General Maxwell’s brigade to carry -out the mission assigned to it in the flanking movement mentioned by -Colonel Lumsden may be accounted for by the fact that some of the -Brandfort commandos, finding themselves in danger of being cut off, had -drawn back from the contemplated movement against Ian Hamilton and -thrown themselves into the fight that was then raging about the spurs -and kopjes of the range from which Ospruit springs. Thus they -outnumbered many times the mounted troops under Colonel Henry, who, -having achieved his object, wisely retired from the left, leaving the -Boers in occupation of the ground they had won, but leaving them also -held firmly in check there by Infantry brigades, whose presence -prevented any further demonstration from Brandfort against Ian -Hamilton’s left. When Lumsden’s Horse marched back to their camp that -night, therefore, they might have congratulated themselves—though they -didn’t—on having done remarkably good service by something more than a -reconnaissance in force. The immediate result may be summed up in a few -words. General Hamilton, reinforced by another Infantry brigade and by -General Broadwood’s Cavalry, who rejoined him from Thaba ’Nchu way -during the night, was enabled to advance early on May 1 and strike a -strong blow by which, as Lord Roberts said in his despatch, ‘the enemy -was signally defeated at Houtnek with comparatively small loss on our -side, thanks to the admirable dispositions made by Major-General Ian -Hamilton.’ To this comment Lord Roberts adds an expression of regret -that the troops employed at Dewetsdorp and Wepener had been unable to -cut off the enemy’s retreat and capture his guns; but during these -operations the Boers, being evidently prepared for retreat whenever -their safety might be threatened, moved with very little baggage, each -fighting man carrying his blankets and food on a led horse. It followed, -therefore, that they could escape without suffering any loss beyond that -inflicted by our troops in dislodging them from their positions. This -was practically the official explanation, to which one may add that -Cavalry alone could not follow up effectively the retreat of Mounted -Infantry every man of which knew the country and how to utilise its -peculiarities for checking pursuit. By his masterly stroke at Houtnek, -however, General Hamilton had achieved something more than the capture -of a Boer stronghold. At the end of that action his troops were astride -of the most formidable defensive position between Bloemfontein and Vaal -River, and an unopposed advance two days later to Isabellafontein not -only took the enemy’s entrenchments on that side of Brandfort completely -in reverse, but also effectually prevented De Wet from co-operating with -De la Rey or Botha, and thus opened a way for the general movement -towards Pretoria. Thus the fight at Ospruit, though it ended in a -retirement against which some of the more adventurous spirits chafed, -was a demonstration that helped materially towards the development of -more important schemes; and to Lumsden’s Horse belongs the honour of -having given to this affair an imperishable distinction by sacrifices -that may have been unnecessary but were certainly not inglorious. The -men who risked their lives and liberty, as Firth, Macdonald, and -Williams did, in gallant efforts to rescue their wounded officer from a -position which he had attempted to hold too long, are as worthy to be -remembered as those who met their deaths in the fighting line. To the -fallen, monuments have already been raised. Above the grave of young -Harry Lumsden, who was buried beside Daubney and Case on the -battlefield, a cross was put up by the Boers themselves, who, finding -letters in his pocket, mistook him for the Colonel commanding Lumsden’s -Horse, and buried him with the respect that they considered due to a -brave enemy and leader of men. In the old camp at Spytfontein, to which -the body of Major Showers was borne the next day, another simple -memorial, pathetically distinguished by its loneliness, was raised by -the comrades who paid their sorrowing tribute to him there, but brought -away memories of his soldierly qualities, which they have honoured since -by a more sumptuous monument in Bengal. The old soldier would probably -have wished for no higher honour than the esteem of comrades whom he had -trained in times of peace, and among whom he fell in their first fight. -How sincere that esteem was may be gathered from simple narratives sent -home by officers and men of Lumsden’s Horse, whose letters give -incidental glimpses of heroic actions that might otherwise have passed -into oblivion. - -Lieutenant-Colonel W.R. Walker, officiating commandant, issued the -following regimental order from the headquarters of the Surma Valley -Light Horse, Silchar, dated July 10, 1900: - - As everybody connected with the corps will no doubt wish to hear - details of the death in action of our late Commandant, - Lieutenant-Colonel Eden C. Showers, I publish for information below - particulars from a letter received by the Adjutant from Captain - Chamney, of Lumsden’s Horse, written the day after the action in which - Colonel Showers lost his life. - - Captain Chamney says: Our corps were given the honour of the advance, - the S.V.L.H. the honour of the first of that, and with Lumsden and old - Showers at our head we occupied the kopje that was said to be the key - of the whole position, but were instantly subjected to a heavy - musketry fire. We lost one man and horse scouting, and then got - settled down among some sangars, but the old Major scorned all cover, - watching, absolutely regardless of the bullets, the enemy’s advance up - a spruit on our right flank. Everyone had asked him to get down, but - he always said, ‘Oh, I’m all right,’ and walked from one end of the - line to the other. When all the rest had begun to retire, and we got - no word, the Boers worked up closer and closer. I had only just said - to him (he was but three or four yards behind me), ‘For God’s sake, - Major, get under cover,’ when I heard the sing of bullets over my head - and ‘plint,’ and, looking round, I saw he was hit. I said, ‘Are you - hit, Major?’ and he replied, ‘Oh, nothing much, only my arm; send back - for Dr. Powell.’ I crawled back on my belly to him and got his belts - and things opened, and found also a big hole, just above the heart, - which was bleeding copiously. Then Dr. Powell and two assistants came - up, and we bandaged him as well as we could for bullets flying around, - and, still on our bellies, pulled and lifted the old chap out of the - range of fire. He was suffering evidently a good deal from - suffocation; blood in his lungs, I suppose. I stayed with him as long - as he was conscious—not many minutes—and had then to return to the - men. I found him as we retired a little later there under the tree - where we had laid him, and where we had to leave him and another man - to the Boers. The ‘Retire’ came before he died, and Dr. Powell, making - up his mind to stay with him, fixed his handkerchief to a stick to get - what protection he could from it. However, the old chap dropped off, - and, covering him with a blanket and closing his eyes, the Doctor left - him to his rest and bolted, but, looking back, he saw the white flag, - and saying, ‘What would the old man say if he knew he was taken, even - dead, with a white flag over him?’ returned and took it down, and so - we left him. The Boers took nothing but his spurs and badges. Dr. - Powell returned at night under a Red Cross and got permission to - remove the body to-day and we bury the old man this afternoon. It is a - terrible loss to the corps, and all so utterly sad. - -There is something almost Homeric in that incident of the white flag -being taken from beside the dead warrior’s body under fire. - -The ‘Times of India’ of May 9, 1900, contains the following appreciation -of the gallant Major Showers: - - Among those of Lumsden’s Horse killed in the fighting in the Orange - Free State on the 30th ult. was Major Eden Showers. He was until - recently the Commandant of the Surma Valley Light Horse, and by his - example exercised a wonderful influence over all ranks. He was a son - of General Showers, who did splendid work in the Mutiny days, and made - his name famous by his courageous leading of the assault at Delhi on - September 13, 1857. Major Showers was educated at Wellington College, - and entered the Army through Sandhurst in 1865. He served in the - Dublin Fusiliers, the two battalions of which are now in Natal, one - having been in Ladysmith and the other with the relieving force under - General Buller. After serving with the regiment for nearly seven years - the deceased officer left it with the rank of Adjutant, and joined the - 2nd Life Guards, with which he remained for three years. After ten - years’ service he left the army to take up tea-planting. He worked for - some years at Katalguri under Messrs. Macniell & Co., but at the close - of the season 1881-82 joined Messrs. Octavius Steel & Co., and was - Superintendent of their Cherra Gardens up to the time he resigned to - join Lumsden’s Horse. He was elected by his brother planters to - command the Surma Valley Light Horse in March 1895, in succession to - Colonel Milne, C.I.E., and his nomination was ratified by the - Government. The selection proved that the Government had put the right - man in the right place. While in command he worked the Light Horse up - to a high degree of efficiency, as was shown by the approval of - General Sir George Luck, who at the inspection in December last gave - them unstinted praise. Among other things, the General stated that he - could honestly say that the regiment could hold its own with the best - Yeomanry corps at home, which was saying a great deal. Shortly after - his resignation of the command of the Surma Valley Light Horse, - Colonel Showers joined Lumsden’s Horse as Second-in-Command, with the - rank of Major, serving under his old friend and former subordinate, - Colonel Lumsden. His death is a severe loss to the corps, and is - deeply deplored by a very large circle of friends, who found in him a - man of sterling merit, splendid character, and a credit to the - military profession he was so keen in following. - -The following appears in the ‘Assam Gazette’: - - The Officiating Chief Commissioner expresses the general feeling of - the Province in deploring the death in action of Major E.C. Showers, - Second-in-Command of the Indian Mounted Infantry Corps (Lumsden’s - Horse) now serving in South Africa. As Commandant of the Surma Valley - Light Horse for nearly five years he brought that body to a high state - of efficiency by his soldierly qualities, his untiring devotion to the - interests of the corps, and by his personal popularity among its - members. His untimely death is a serious loss to Assam, and will be - mourned by the officers and men of the corps. He was loved by all who - knew him. - -The Hon. H.J.S. Cotton, Chief Commissioner of Assam (now Sir Henry -Cotton, K.C.S.I.), presiding at the Assam Dinner in London in June 1900, -paid the following tribute to Major Showers: - - Another gentleman had been pathetically alluded to both by Colonel - Kirwan and Colonel MacLaughlin, and the mention of his name recalled a - recent public dinner at Cachar, given as a send-off to Colonel Showers - and other Volunteers. The admiration which all the Volunteers of Assam - had for Colonel Showers was, indeed, a thing to have witnessed. When - he rose to propose Colonel Showers’s health the cheering was - vociferous and so continuous that it was at least ten minutes before - he could get any hearing. He had never been present at a scene of such - extraordinary enthusiasm, and he believed it was thoroughly well - deserved. Colonel Showers was an exceptional man; thoroughly - straightforward and practical, and a born leader of men. What was said - of Jim Bludso might with equal truth be said of Colonel Showers: - - ‘A keerless man in his talk was Jim, - And an awkward hand in a row; - But he never funked and he never lied: - I reckon he never know’d how.’ - - That was the type of man that Colonel Showers was—a simple-minded - Englishman, true and staunch as steel, and courageous to the backbone. - As Colonel Kirwan had told them, he died, as he would have wished to - die, a soldier’s death. He was a soldier in his youth and became a - soldier in his prime, and died for Queen and country. They were all - proud of Lumsden’s Horse and of Colonel Showers, who died at the head - of his men in the first battle in which they were engaged. - -From these extracts, and especially from the episode in which Dr. Powell -played such a gallant part, we may know that the Surma Valley Light -Horse were worthy of the Colonel who had volunteered to serve in a -subordinate capacity that he might be with them in their first campaign -and whose memory they still revere. That all Assam may bear in mind how -he had endeared himself to those who served with him, the men of that -corps have caused a handsome monument to be wrought in red Aberdeen -granite for erection in the country where they first enlisted as -Volunteers under his command. Its gabled base forms a Gothic cross -surmounted by an octagonal spire, and in one panel under a cusped arch -is the following inscription: - - TO THE MEMORY - - OF - - LIEUTENANT-COLONEL EDEN CURRIE SHOWERS, - - LATE COMMANDANT SURMA VALLEY LIGHT HORSE; KILLED AT - HOUTNEK, SOUTH AFRICA, 30TH APRIL, 1900. - - Erected by the Members of his Corps. - -Before this monument was shipped from Glasgow to Calcutta in September -1902 a sketch of it was sent by Mr. Peters, who had taken charge of all -arrangements, to Lord Roberts. In acknowledgment the Commander-in-Chief -wrote: - - I have received with much pleasure your letter of the 16th instant, - enclosing a drawing of the obelisk that is being erected by the - members of the Surma Valley Light Horse in memory of their late - gallant commandant, Lieutenant-Colonel Showers, and I am much obliged - to you for sending it to me. I am glad the memorial is being erected, - as I feel sure it will go far towards preserving and promoting that - _esprit de corps_ which is so important a factor in all units of the - forces of the British Empire. - -It was _esprit de corps_, as Colonel Lumsden expressed it in the -regimental motto, ‘Play the Game,’ that brought officers and troopers -with distinction through their first fight, and the firmness with which -it had taken hold of all ranks may be traced in tributes that show the -finest spirit of comradeship. - -The following letter, received by Colonel A.W. Rendell, commanding the -East Indian Railway Volunteer Rifles, from Captain B.W. Holmes, who went -with the Maxim gun of the E.I.R.V. Rifles attached to Lumsden’s Horse, -is full of the sentiment from which mutual confidence springs: - - Spytfontein, May 1. - - DEAR COLONEL RENDELL,—I am writing to give you an account of the first - action the gun has been in, and to tell you how admirably the men - behaved in what were really very trying circumstances. When we left - Calcutta I had the gun arranged to go on pack saddles on horses; but - when we arrived here we found this would not do, as our animals were - not properly trained, and in jumping about they were always knocking - pieces of skin off and otherwise damaging themselves. We therefore - fitted up one of our transport carts as a carriage, and with two mules - as wheelers and four horses in front we get along pretty well. The - first day we went out to fight we saw nothing, although there was a - little firing about two miles from us. On the way we came to a very - nasty piece of ground, and we succeeded in turning the gun head over - heels down the side of a kopje. By a miracle it was not injured in the - least, and I felt sure it must be going to do some work. Yesterday we - went out again, and had only gone about four miles when firing began - all along the line. We were on the right, next to a pom-pom; the Boer - guns very soon found out the latter, and it had to be moved out of - action. In the meanwhile I had been having a go at the Boer gunners at - about 3,000 yards. No sooner had the pom-pom gone than a shell missed - my head by about a foot, fell twenty yards behind me and burst, - wounding four of my horses slightly. This wasn’t quite good enough and - I got out of action as soon as I could, but not before they had sent - two more shells right among us, or too close to be pleasant; the last - one killed two horses and blew a trooper’s foot to pieces. - - The Boers outnumbered us by about four to one, and shortly after this - we received an order to retire with the rest, which we did. We had - gone about half a mile, with rifle bullets sprinkling around us, when - I was ordered to come into action behind a few stones that were lying - on the plain. There wasn’t an atom of cover for my horses or the men - holding them, although the gun was partly protected. I opened fire on - the Boers at 1,000 yards, had fired about 250 rounds of rapid - traversing fire when they began to retire. I fired about another 230, - when the gun jammed, and at the same moment an officer came dashing up - to tell me to retire immediately. We did so under a perfect hail of - bullets, and although I had six horses wounded out of ten, not one of - them was so badly injured as to be unable to go on, and not a single - man of us was touched. After going about half a mile I gave my horse - to Corbett to lead, and got into the cart and managed to get the gun - into action again. We lost three belts and boxes in our hasty - retirement, but that of course could not be helped. The men with me - were Sergeant Bale, of Jubbulpur; Private Booth, of Howrah; Privates - Dowd, Dickens, Corbett, and Burnand, of Jamalpur; and Private Bolst, - of Asonsole; Private Burnand is my driver. There was one other man of - Lumsden’s Horse with me, named Mercer, who was helping to hold horses. - Sergeant Dale, Privates Booth, Corbett, and Bolst, and myself were on - the gun. Colonel Ross, who was in charge of our brigade, expressed - pleasure at the work done by the gun, and said that we knocked over - several of the enemy, which was distinctly satisfactory. Our - casualties were heavy. We lost our Second-in-Command (Major Showers) - killed, Lieutenant Crane missing and wounded, and one private known to - be killed, and probably one or two others of the wounded have since - died, our killed, wounded, and missing being seventeen in all. - - How our team escaped injury is to me little short of a miracle. The - men behaved splendidly, and if ever we get into as tight a place again - I have perfect confidence in their standing by me and the gun. Our - ambulance is out now looking for wounded, but the Boers have probably - attended to them long ago—at any rate, I hope so. Our men have - certainly had their baptism of fire, and I for one should not object - if we never got it as hot again. - - You would hardly recognise the gun now, I fancy; it is a dirty khaki - colour, with the paint knocked off it in, places and smothered with - dirt and stuff outside. But the inside is, I think, quite as clean as - when at Jamalpur; anyhow, it still knows how to work. - - Yours very sincerely, - - B.W. HOLMES - -From the personal experiences of a non-commissioned officer who was -wounded and captured by the Boers we get side-lights that help more than -anything else towards a clear understanding of the temper and actions of -men on the battlefield. To some extent this story touches on ground that -has already been covered by previous descriptions. Partly for that -reason, but mainly because it is a complete picture of one incident the -nobility of which would have been lost if woven into the continuous -narrative, it has been kept distinct, so that the writer’s impressions -may be reproduced here with all the minor touches and bits of local -colour that made them vivid at the time of occurrence. He begins with -the march out of camp at 3 o’clock that memorable morning: - - We fell in punctually and moved off to the rendezvous, the moon - shining brightly and making wonderful black shadows among the - surrounding kopjes-pronounced ‘koppies,’ by the way. The cold was - intense, and numbed our fingers so that our reins could scarce be - felt; The order to trot was received with satisfaction, for we were - all shivering, men and horses alike. A few minutes later we joined - company with a pom-pom battery of two guns, and a body of Mounted - Infantry composed of Australians and details from various regiments. - Our strength in all was, we have since heard, some 800, while the - opposing Boers numbered three or four thousand, with several big guns. - When our little band was complete, the order was given to trot, and we - proceeded at a sharp pace for about a mile. Daylight was then breaking - and a halt was called, the order being given to dismount and charge - magazines—a sign of business received with much satisfaction. - Thereafter we moved forward in extended order, with scouts in advance - for three or four miles, when stray shots in front showed us that we - were coming into touch with the enemy. - - Before us the country lay in ridges running parallel with each other, - and at right angles to our line of advance. As we surmounted each - rising we expected to view the enemy, but the order to dismount came - without our being vouchsafed any visible sign of their presence. - Before us lay some 800 yards of rising ground, and we swarmed up in a - long open line, fully expecting a volley ere we reached the top. - However, our hour of trial had not yet come, though the scattered - shots heard to our front as we advanced had increased to a sharp - fusillade on our left front. The order then came to extend away into a - narrow valley running at right angles and crossing the ends of the - succession of ridges we had covered. Thus, lying on the slope, we - could see behind for a mile or so, and in the opposite direction, up - the valley, right into the country which the enemy were known to - occupy. - - Shortly afterwards the music began in earnest. A mile up the valley a - Boer big gun appeared and opened fire on troops advancing on the hill - from our left rear. Then out came one of our pom-poms and, galloping - into position, replied from the opposite end of the valley at a range - of some 3,000 yards. The duel between the two lasted for about ten - minutes, the pom-pom firing briskly as is its wont, the more ponderous - Boer gun replying every two minutes. Lying on the slope as we were, in - full view of the valley and within a hundred yards of the line of fire - of the opposing guns, we had a splendid, not to say realistic, - illustration of artillery fire. The singing of the big shells as they - tore through the air was magnificent to our unaccustomed ears. It was - curious, too, to observe the sequence in which indications of - discharge and report reached us. The first sign that the Boer big gun - had been fired was the little cloud of smoke floating near the muzzle. - Next we heard the singing of the shell passing up the valley. This was - followed by the dust raised by the explosion of the shell in bursting, - and not until these evidences of a shot having been fired did we hear - the actual report, which was closely followed by that of the bursting - shell itself. - - For some five minutes the duel proceeded, no evidence of the effect of - the pom-pom fire being visible to our eyes, though it became evident - that the Boers were finding the range, for each shell seemed to land - nearer, until, as it seemed to us, one burst right in the middle of - our gun. At that moment those of us on the slope heard rifle fire - immediately behind. It proved to be our own regiment’s Maxim taking - sighting shots at the Boer gun. This certainly made things livelier, - but there was no comfort in realising that we lay right in the line of - fire, and that replies from the enemy would probably land among us. - However, the Boers took no notice of the Maxim, though it spat out - bullets at a tremendous rate, but continued to devote their attention - to the pom-pom. The greater weight of the Boer metal soon made matters - too hot for Captain Rotton’s[8] little gun, and it shortly afterwards - retired behind the hill, having lost several horses. Then our turn - came, and the officious little Maxim, which had been kicking up a - great shindy in our rear, drew the Boer fire. The first shot whizzed - unpleasantly close to our heads and burst between us and the Maxim, - which, undismayed, continued to pour out a hot fire. Number two was - aimed slightly higher and travelled beyond the gun, killing two horses - and wounding one man. The Maxim stuck it out pluckily for one more - shell, but that fell so close that to have delayed any longer would - have only been folly. On the retreat of our machine gun the Boer gun - retired behind a kopje, and we were left in peace for a time, though - the firing on our left had now greatly increased, and showed that a - brisk fight was going on. - - About 10 o’clock orders were received for part of my section to extend - to the right, and six of us, in command of Sergeant Walter Walker, - went right down into the valley. In our new position we were sheltered - by a low rocky ridge on the left, but the ground was open in every - other direction. The ridge referred to cut us off entirely from what - was going on on our left, and this accounts for the misfortunes which - followed. - - Meanwhile the firing that had begun on our left earlier in the morning - had increased tremendously. Bullets began to come our way very - frequently, but as we were under the lee of a ridge they passed over - our heads, evidently nearly spent, for the sharp ping of a newly-sped - shot had changed with them into the melancholy wail of spirits that - had lived and lived in vain. So great had the noise become that - shouting to each other was ineffectual, not a word reaching even one’s - next neighbour. So we lay and waited. - - Suddenly it struck us that the chain of fire extending in a line to - our left seemed to be swinging towards our left rear, and a few - minutes’ attention confirmed an idea that the position of the opposing - forces must have altered considerably. As we listened the firing - seemed to increase in fierceness and sounded still further to the - rear. The position had become uncomfortable, for our horses were 800 - yards in our direct rear. To lose them would be fatal to our safety; - the six of us, therefore, got up and began to retire slowly, wondering - that no orders had reached us. - -[Illustration: BUGLER R.H. MACKENZIE] - - A shower of bullets swept past, singing in our ears with spiteful - distinctness. Looking round I saw, barely fifty yards away, two-score - Boers kneeling and firing away for all they were worth. A second look - was unnecessary, and we ran like deer, the bullets whizzing by thick - as hail. It was amazing that none of us was hit. Bullets seemed to me - to be pouring between my legs and under my feet. A little rising gave - us momentary protection, but the Boers came on again until within - fifty yards, and poured a hot fire into us. Two hundred yards away we - could see our horses and near them the rest of the section, which had - got earlier notice of the repulse of our troops, galloping away. Each - man got to his horse, but they shouted to me that mine had been killed - by a shell. It was not a pleasant predicament, but before I had time - to realise that the Boers must either shoot or capture me, Bugler - Mackenzie galloped up and offered me a lift behind him. I was dead - beat with running and quite unequal to violent effort. I put my foot - in the stirrup he released, and tried to climb up. But my bandolier, - haversack, and water-bottle all bunched in front and caught the - blanket tied on at the pommel of the high military saddle. Back I - flopped on to the ground. Another effort, and I nearly pulled - Mackenzie, who was a light boy, out of the saddle. The firing all the - time was very hot, and, fearing to bring disaster on all of us, I - ordered Mackenzie off. But he would not budge until Saunders and - Parkes between them helped me up behind the first-named. What a relief - it was to feel the ground slipping past and to know we were getting - out of such a desperate scrape! The Boer fire had slackened for a - little, but the reason was that they had mounted and galloped up to - within close range. Again they opened, and once more the ground all - around was dusted up and the air alive with singing bullets. It was - too much to hope for escape a second time, and sure enough, before we - had gone a hundred yards, the gallant gee with his double load fell - heavily to earth, a bullet having struck him. Being perched high up, I - reached the ground first with a thud I hope never to experience again. - Saunders then fell on top of me, and the horse crashed heavily across - both of us, kicking me on the shoulder as he rolled over. - -[Illustration: E.B. PARKES] - - I must have been stunned for a moment, but soon recovered my senses - and realised that I had broken nothing nor been hit by a bullet. - Saunders lay very still within ten feet of me, and I feared he was - dead. But cautious inquiry elicited a reply. He was all right, but - complained of being unable to move one arm, and we assumed it was - broken. All this time the firing continued, evidently directed at our - retreating section. Judge of my astonishment, on looking up to see why - it should suddenly have increased in our immediate neighbourhood, to - observe Parkes riding back to us. He had pulled up as quickly as he - could when he noticed our disaster. Seeing Saunders lying quiet, he - offered to take me on his horse, but I shouted to him to clear off, as - he was endangering his own life as well as drawing the fire on us. I - could not have left Saunders after his having stopped to take me up, - and for Parkes and myself to have helped him away in the midst of such - a murderous fire would have been folly. Very reluctantly Parkes - galloped off. His horse shortly afterwards was shot under him, but he - managed to get away by running. As for myself, I was so shaken I could - not have gone far on foot, besides which I was already exhausted by - running. In any case, to have got up and attempted escape with the - enemy in such force and at such close range would have been madness. I - accordingly lay very still and called to Saunders to do likewise. - Immediately afterwards a party of Boers some 300 strong swept past us - on horseback, evidently in pursuit of our retiring troops, and then - began a very trying part of our experience. The Boers were some - hundreds of yards in front lying on the face of a slope, and we got - the full benefit of a very hot fire directed against them. Three - shells from our own guns burst all around, and the fire of a pom-pom - sighted a little too high tore up the ground close on our left. - Bullets fell all around us and between us; so embarrassing was the - situation that I began to look about for cover. But turning round I - saw a Boer some hundred yards away steadily looking at us from under - the lee of a rock. Whenever he saw me turn he dropped on to his knee - and levelled his rifle. Quickly I lay like one dead, and whispered - hoarsely to Saunders not to move for his life. It was an anxious wait. - No bullet came, and the Boer, seeing us remain still, stole cautiously - up to where he could see our faces. Realising we were helpless, he - dropped his rifle and came up, assuring us he would not harm us. He - rolled Saunders round, took a valuable set of glasses from him, as - well as belt, purse, knife, water-bottle, and everything worth having. - He was about to commence operations on me, and I was wondering if it - would be worth while to make a dash for his rifle, when he got up and - cleared off. The cause was the approach of a Boer doctor, who came up - and most kindly inquired if we were wounded. Finding nothing seriously - the matter with us, he explained that he must move on to more - dangerous cases, but promised to come back and attend to us later on. - Then a large party of Boers suddenly surrounded us. They stripped me - of my belt, to which was attached a fine knife and a good compass; - also bandolier, ammunition, and water-bottle, the latter evidently a - much appreciated prize. I begged to have my knife back, as it was a - present from a dear friend. To my astonishment, it was handed back to - me. Then one offered to buy it, but was quashed by the others, who - said it was a shame to want from me what I valued so much. Then we - were helped up and marched off towards the ambulance, Saunders - suffering considerably from his arm, I feeling sound enough but very - sick and giddy. Round the ambulance cart was a large crowd of Boers, - evidently enjoying the shelter of the Red Cross. They looked curiously - at us, and the bolder asked for our spurs and badges. We parted with - these, but protested at a request to give up our leathern gaiters. A - doctor bound up Saunders’s arm, and we were sent off in charge of - three guards to the Boer laager which lay over the hill to the north. - After a bit one of the Boers, observing me to move very groggily, put - me on his horse. But Saunders, though his arm pained him a good deal, - had to walk. - -In their first fight, and on many occasions afterwards, Lumsden’s Horse -bore testimony to the sportsmanlike qualities and humanity of their -enemies, especially towards men who were lying wounded and helpless on -the field. Writing many months afterwards, Colonel Lumsden gave some -affecting instances by way of illustration, and several of these were -connected with the affair at Houtnek, though their interesting sequels -were not known in some cases until near the close of the campaign. These -may be given in Colonel Lumsden’s words. He writes: - - ‘One touch of Nature makes the whole world kin.’ Many kindly actions - on the part of the Boers have gone unrecorded in the present campaign. - I cannot, however, allow one or two which came under my special notice - to pass without mention. - - On April 30, 1900, when we were engaged with that clever General De la - Rey, my scouts, while reconnoitring under Lieutenant Pugh, far in - advance of the main body, came suddenly upon a well-concealed Boer - outpost, who opened fire on them, wounding poor Franks severely. Pugh - stuck to him gallantly, making for where he considered our leading - column would be. Franks, however, got so weak that Lieutenant Pugh and - the other two scouts had to dismount him and leave him on the veldt. - Later in the day, when the enemy’s fire slackened, some friends of - Franks were able to go out and carry him in and place him in the hands - of Dr. Powell, who did all that was possible for him in the - circumstances. We were holding an untenable position, and when the - order came to retire early in the afternoon, poor Franks had to be - left until an ambulance might be got to carry him back to our - headquarters camp at Spytfontein. Shortly after our retirement from - the spot where he lay the Boers occupied the ground we had left, and, - finding Franks, treated him with every kindness and attention. It was - the last we saw of him. Some five days later, at the fight near - Brandfort, a Boer ambulance containing several wounded Boers and with - Doctor Everard in charge fell into our hands. On my riding up to - interview the latter, he asked if we were not Lumsden’s Horse, and on - my replying in the affirmative he said, ‘One of your men, named - Franks, fell into our hands on April 30, and was under my care. I did - all I could for him, but the poor fellow died.’ Then producing a small - note-book from his pocket he said, ‘In this I have noted when and - where he was buried. I also found on his person two sovereigns and two - rings.’ These the doctor handed to me with a request that I would be - good enough to forward them to the boy’s mother. I thanked him most - gratefully for what he had done on behalf of my late comrade, and in - due course was able to forward, through Trooper Preston, the relics - handed to me to Mrs. Franks, of The Chase, Clapham Common, London. - - On the same day (April 30), Lieutenant Crane, with a small detachment - of my corps, was sent by Colonel Ross, our commanding officer, to - occupy a low-lying kopje on our left front. They were attacked by an - overwhelming number of the enemy, and nearly the whole of the little - lot were either killed, wounded, or taken prisoners, as they - maintained their position to the last. Lieutenant Crane himself, being - badly shot in the groin, was lying in an exposed position unseen by - us, and under fire of our own Maxim gun, which was playing on the - kopje now occupied by the Boers, and in imminent risk of being killed - by our own fire. Suddenly one of the Boers came forward amidst a hail - of bullets, lifted up Lieutenant Crane, and carried him to a place of - safety. Many a V.C. has been gained by doing a similar action. This - story was subsequently corroborated by Lieutenant Crane, who told me - that the man who behaved so gallantly towards him was named Meyers. - - Strange to relate, in the following September when that ideal Cavalry - leader, General French, made his brilliant dash on Barberton—a feature - of the campaign on which I think too little has been said, and not - sufficient credit given to the leadership and pluck of the gallant - General—Lumsden’s Horse comprised his rearguard, under the command of - General Mahon, of Mafeking fame. As we rode up the heights prior to - following General French’s force into the Barberton Valley, we came - across several Boer families living in tents and grazing their cattle - on the veldt. I rode up to one of the tents and was chatting with a - stalwart Boer and his family. He immediately spotted what corps we - were and said, ‘Oh, we fought against you at Houtnek.’ I asked his - name, and he said Meyers. I then shook hands with him gratefully and - said, ‘You are the man who carried my subaltern, Crane, at the risk of - your life into a place of safety on that day.’ He brought me a cup of - coffee, and while I was chatting pleasantly with his wife and family - he said, ‘Have you got a man with you of the name of McGillivray? I - remember him well, a big Scotchman. We took him prisoner that day, and - on our way to Pretoria I had the pleasure of dividing a couple of - bottles of whisky between him and one or two of his comrades also in - our hands.’ As this Boer was living quietly on the veldt, and not in - the fighting line, I had the pleasure of getting a pass for himself - and his family by way of showing some practical gratitude for his kind - and plucky treatment of my comrades. - ------ - -Footnote 5: - - Franks was left afterwards on the kopje, where he had been placed by - Colonel Lumsden, and the Boers took him to hospital, where he died at - midnight.—ED. - -Footnote 6: - - Really fourteen.—ED. - -Footnote 7: - - More than two-thirds.—ED. - -Footnote 8: - - Now Brevet-Major.-ED. - ------ - - - - - CHAPTER X - _PRISONERS OF WAR_ - - -To be carried off captive after the first hot skirmish into which one -has gone full of confidence and hope is a trying experience for any -soldier, and especially for those who are conscious of having done -manful deeds deserving a better fate. In these circumstances, however, -it implies no humiliation, but only a feeling of rebellious resentment -against the fortunes of war that have, at one fell stroke, swept away -all hopes of further distinction, dashed every ambitious plan, and -severed for a time at least all pleasant associations with comrades -whose friendship is never so truly appreciated under other conditions as -it is amid the rough campaigning experiences that try the temper and the -mettle of all men. The full sense of everything that has been lost comes -upon war-prisoners in the first hours of their captivity with the -crushing force of a hopeless defeat, so that they cannot even find it in -their hearts to be thankful for the lives that have been spared to them. -If this is so in the case of men to whom loss of liberty means no -reproach and who have the proud consciousness that they did not purchase -safety by unfaithfulness to their trust, how much sharper must the sting -be to those who by pusillanimous surrender have brought the dark shadow -of dishonour on themselves and stained the proud blazonry of regimental -distinctions! Happily, British soldiers have not often gone into -captivity with that stigma resting on them; and, though critics at home -were ungenerously prone to assume that the ‘flag of shame’ had been -hoisted too readily in some fights against the Boers, they would have -told a different story if it had been their lot to lie on the bare veldt -within rifle-range of hidden enemies under whose deadly fire it is even -more dangerous to go back than to go forward. The idea of wresting -victory by a rush or wriggling up to it through zone after zone of -hailing bullets across four or five hundred yards of open ground could -only have commended itself to tacticians comfortably ensconced in -arm-chairs far from the buzz and boom of war. Hemmed in by a girdle of -fire that cannot possibly be broken by a charge across such distances, -men must either lie down like sheep to be slaughtered, or walk to their -deaths with eyes open, making useless sacrifices, or surrender; and none -but a braggart who had never been under fire would dare to hurl the -poisoned arrows of reproach at brave men upon whom the last alternative -has been forced. Every soldier knows how unjust is that journalistic -phrase ‘an easy surrender.’ Nobody could have written it if he had -thought for a moment of the bitterness that is in the hearts of men who -have to yield under the white flag; yet it is not necessarily an emblem -of shame for all that. Lumsden’s Horse did not hoist it in their direst -extremity, but they would be the last to jeer at men who have passed -through such an ordeal. If ever captives had the right to hold up their -heads in the presence of triumphant enemies, those men were the troopers -of Lumsden’s Horse who had sacrificed themselves rather than abandon a -wounded comrade. One of them, Corporal Firth, a prisoner in the hands of -the Boers, wrote to his parents from Waterval on May 7, 1900: - - You will by this time have seen that I am now a prisoner of war from - the published lists in the papers. I will just give you an outline of - what happened on the 30th ult. An officer, two non-commissioned - officers, and eleven men were told off to hold a hill as a guard - against an attack on the right of a body advancing from our centre; - this centre body had to retire, and we, receiving no orders, held on - as long as possible until forced to retire, which we did, having five - killed, our officer wounded, and four taken prisoners, leaving only - four who escaped to tell the tale. I could have got away, only went - back to the assistance of our officer, who was wounded about ten yards - behind me. I bound him up under a heavy fire, and Providence must have - watched over me that day, as bullets in hundreds were flying all round - me. I am in good health and received very kind treatment from the - hands of my captors, of which I will write more on another occasion, - as I am not yet settled down in my new surroundings. - -How he and his fellow-prisoners fared after they had fallen into the -power of their enemies is a story told with graphic picturesqueness in -the following letters from Sergeant Fraser, who was surrounded by Boers -when he lay bruised by a heavy fall in company with Trooper Saunders, -who had gallantly risked his own life in an attempt to bring Fraser out -from under fire: - -[Illustration: - - _Photo: Johnston and Hoffmann._ - SERGEANT DAVID S. FRASER -] - - We had imagined that our destination was comparatively close, but we - covered mile after mile without any more satisfaction from our guards - than that it was over the next kopje. The column wound in and out - among many hills ere a halt was called. Though we had started about 11 - in the morning, it was not until 4 o’clock in the afternoon that our - escort stopped at an ambulance tent, which was in charge of a - hospitable Swiss doctor. We had had nothing to eat all day. In the - hurry of getting ready so early in the morning neither of us had time - to think of food, and our day’s rations were in our saddles, now in - the hands of the Boers. So the good Swiss fed us plentifully with - soup, meat, and coffee. He examined me and found only bruises. - Saunders’s arm was much swollen, and the surgeon could not ascertain - what the damage was. It afterwards turned out that the muscles were - lacerated and one of the bones in the forearm cracked. - - In the doctor’s tent was a wounded officer, Lieutenant and Adjutant - Lilley, of the Victorian Mounted Rifles. He, poor chap, had been shot - through the head during the same engagement, and had been brought in a - waggon from the field. He recognised us in so far as to repeat the - name of our regiment, but seemed woefully wounded and repeatedly broke - out in delirium. The doctor who had been so kind to us seemed - assiduous in his attentions, and I am sure everything possible was - done for the poor Australian. We heard afterwards that he had been - left in hospital at Brandfort by the Boers, and found by our troops a - few days afterwards, when they took possession of that place. He - subsequently died from the wound, which was caused by a bullet passing - through his brain. Marching for another mile we came to the Boer - laager at dusk. Those in camp met us kindly, more particularly as the - news given by our guards was that their own commando had apparently - scored a victory. They gave us coffee at once, and a place to lie down - and rest. And thus began our captivity. - - While Saunders and myself were recovering from our exertions, - discussing the events of the day, and generally commiserating each - other upon our misfortunes, we were much cheered to perceive the - approach of two men attired in khaki and helmets. These proved to be - Sergeant-Major Healy, of the Victorian Rifles, and Private Simmons, of - the Duke of Cornwall’s Regiment’s Mounted Infantry. Both had fearful - things to relate of the morning’s action. They had been through all - the heavy fighting preceding the occupation of Bloemfontein, and - agreed that never had they experienced such hot fire as on this - particular morning. About 8 o’clock our guards supplied us with bread - and coffee, and pieces of biltong, stuck on a wire, that had been - thrust into a fire. They then accommodated us with a tent, a blanket - apiece, and an empty sack or two—for we had no coats, and the cold was - intense. In such comfort as we could make for ourselves with these - limited resources we lay down, and soon slept the sleep of the weary. - It seemed but a few minutes since we had turned in when we were - awakened with rough kindliness, and turned out of our tent. The bulk - of the commando had returned to camp after a successful but wearisome - day, and the owners of the tent wanted their own. So out we got into - the bitter cold. They placed us between two tents, and we arranged - ourselves a second time as best we could. Despite the lack of warmth - and comfort, we slept heavily, and the sun was high in the heavens - next morning ere we awoke. - - Bread and coffee formed our breakfast, and this meagre meal was - welcome enough. Our guards themselves had no more, so we could not - complain. As the morning wore on, the sun became rather trying, and - once again we were accommodated with a tent, wherein we discussed at - length the events of yesterday. As this conversation turned inevitably - to our own capture, needless to say we gradually began to despond. But - we were shortly to have our hearts lightened by the discovery of - fellow sufferers—how company in trouble eases one! In marched Firth, - McGillivray, Macdonald, Petersen, and Williams, of our own corps, - followed by Coghlan, of Sergeant-Major Healy’s regiment. Coghlan had a - broken leg, done up in plaster of Paris, and lay on an ambulance - pallet. Needless to say, we had much to tell each other, and Saunders - and myself then heard how Franks, Case, Daubney, and H.C. Lumsden had - been killed, and Lieutenant Crane wounded and a prisoner. It was not - until afterwards we heard that Major Showers had been killed and - several others wounded on the same day. - - The frugal fare of the morning was repeated in the afternoon, except - in the case of the bread. Of it the Boers had none, but they furnished - us with a plentiful supply of a kind of rusk. This appeared to be - simply broken bread dried in an oven. It made a very good meal, but - tried those of us whose teeth had been somewhat worn down by eating - _moorghis_[9] in India. - - To march forth in the morning with a gun in your hand to fight your - country’s battles; to endanger your life that you may return to your - female relatives, decorated and a hero; to hear the vicious ping of - bullets, the shrieking of shells, and know yourself alarmed but - undismayed, are fine things. But to sit at night in the enemy’s laager - with wings clipped, no gun, and a sinking stomach is so untoward a - thing that a man who suffers it may well question the reason of his - birth and entertain hopes that the world is about to end. - - Six of us sat in the dusky light of a tent in a Boer laager near - Brandfort, and our own mothers could not have comforted us. It wasn’t - as if we had had a bellyful of fighting, like others who had begun the - campaign in Cape Colony, or as if after a tremendous struggle we had - been overpowered. Without practically a chance to retaliate, we had - been deluged with bullets that went by in such numbers you could hear - them rattle against each other in their flight. Then instead of the - bullets came the Boers, and we were prisoners—hands up, pockets empty, - hopes vanished!—this in our first fight! - - When night had fallen, the sentries—there were two of them, with - loaded rifles and revolvers—passed us in a big kettle in which had - been boiled water and, they said, coffee. - - One of us sadly asked if they had put in sugar as well, and on - receiving a reply in the affirmative, murmured, ‘What good hot water!’ - Then we munched away at rusks, of which light and tasteless provender - they chucked us in a quantity in the bottom of a sack, and I wondered - if the nourishment contained therein would compensate for the energy - expended in chewing them. I know I registered a mental vow never to - feed my horses on bran alone if ever I got back to India. A few of us - had pipes, and there was no difficulty about Boer tobacco; but here, - again, one was reminded of bran, for although the colour was not quite - the same the taste was nearly identical with what I imagine bran would - give if smoked. As it grew late the cold increased, and by 9 o’clock - we were shivering. Those of us who had managed to retain their - greatcoats were not so badly off, but others, who had nothing but thin - khaki tunics, suffered considerably. On representing matters to the - sentries, they procured for us a few blankets and empty sacks, and, - huddled together, each man endeavoured to sleep to the chatter of his - neighbour’s teeth. - - The laager next morning showed signs of great activity. A large patrol - was about to start in the direction of the British lines, and the two - hundred or so composing this body shook hands, every man of them, with - half a dozen of their comrades, who, it afterwards turned out, were to - form our escort to Pretoria. According to our preconceived ideas of - how troops should move out of camp the behaviour of the Boers seemed - absurd. No word of command appeared to be given, but in a moment the - aspect of the camp that had been full of men lolling about, talking - and skylarking, was changed. Horses were saddled, bridled, and mounted - in a matter of seconds, the ceremony of hand-shaking gone through, and - in less than five minutes from the first impulse which set them - getting ready the patrol had disappeared over the skyline. Some were - trotting, some cantering, and there was no attempt at formation; but - none the less their method, or want of it, was effective, and one - could not help being impressed with the individual independence of - each man, combined, as it was, with complete unanimity of object in - the whole body. - - Our turn came next, and we made our little preparations to start. - These consisted mostly of buttoning up, and, indeed, there was a - charming sense of irresponsibility in having no arrangements to make, - no packing to do, no _hookums_[10] to give. For our conveyance was - prepared a buck-waggon, with the appearance of which the illustrated - papers have made all the world familiar. Twelve mules were stuck in - front, the driver cracked his whip, and the caravan was ready. Down - the centre of the waggon, on a mattress, and propped about with - rolled-up blankets, was placed the wounded Victorian. The rest of us - sat round, with our legs dangling over the side. A Kaffir held the - reins from a raised seat in front, and two Boers sat alongside of him - with loaded rifles on their knees. But they had their backs to the - mules and the points of their guns towards poor us. At the tail end of - the waggon sat two more Boers, also armed. A fifth Boer, unarmed, - barring a whip as long as Chowringhi, marched alongside to curse the - mules and pick holes in their hides when the cursing failed. - - As we stood ready the Boers near shook hands all round with us, hoped - the war would soon be over and we be back in our ain countrees and - themselves restored to the bosoms of their families. We moved off with - a jolt that made the poor Victorian groan, and they shouted good-byes - after us and congratulations that we were going to that wonderful - place Pretoria. Soon a rising hid the laager, and around we could see - nothing but veldt—not a tree, not a house, not a Boer. And now, we - thought, is our chance. We only had to lay hold of our guards by the - throats, wrest their rifles away, and so turn the tables completely—a - poor return for their hearty kindness, but then we did not cherish the - same feelings for Pretoria that they did. These ideas of escape were - rippling round cheerfully but guardedly, when our hopes flopped to the - ground, for over the skyline came cantering a couple of Boers, and we - soon found their business was to trot behind. We might easily - overpower the guards in the waggon; but what profit would there be in - that if one mounted man galloped for assistance while the other kept - watch on our movements? Without the mounted men we might have bagged - our guards and got clear away, as no warning of our escape could then - have reached the Boer lines for at least twenty-four hours. But it was - not to be, and we resigned ourselves to the inevitable. - - When there’s nothing to see, almost as much to eat, and the Devil’s - own pother to think about, travelling is wearisome. Add to these - conditions a place to sit upon as hard as the heart of Pharaoh and the - ever-present gun to keep you on it, and travelling becomes well-nigh - unendurable. - - If it wasn’t for the antics of Brother Boer we should have succumbed - to jaundice, occasioned by nausea of the situation, or some other fell - disease. But the Boer brother, to beguile the tedium of the way, - showed us a thing or two in bullying, in quarrelling, and in - shooting—the last named, to our disappointment, not being a - consequence of the first two. Hanging on to a projection of our waggon - was an attendant to look after the mules, a Kaffir boy about fifteen - years old. His face was unadorned with beard, whisker, or moustache. - One of the Boers snatched the boy’s cap from him, held him tight by - the scruff of the neck, and then chucked the cap into the road. - Meanwhile the waggon proceeded, and soon the cap was a dim speck half - a mile behind. Then the owner of the cap was loosed off, and away he - sped back to his lost property. When he reached it we were a clear - mile away. Thereupon the Boers waxed mighty cheerful, and the - waggoner, loudly chuckling, whipped up his mules into a fast trot, the - little nigger running like a good ’un far in the rear. The going was - too bad for continuous trotting, so in two or three miles the boy had - overhauled us, and, though very blown, he showed his teeth with - pleasure at catching us, apparently bearing no malice for the trick - that had been played on him. But his troubles were not over. As he - laid hold of the waggon to jump on, a great Boer hand was sprawled in - his face and he went down on the road like a thousand of bricks at the - unexpected assault. Loud guffaws from the brethren greeted this - performance. It was repeated again and again till the poor devil was - hopelessly beaten, and unable to continue the game. Then, when allowed - to hang on again, he had to put up with brutal horseplay. His ears - were pulled, his face contorted into extraordinary shapes, and tufts - of wool, bleeding, jerked out of his head. At this point we deemed it - our business to interfere, and, appealing to the man who appeared to - be in command of our guard, and who spoke English well, we asked if it - was usual for the Boers to treat Kaffirs in this way. And if so, we - told him, it was high time every Boer in South Africa was shut up in - St. Helena. This touched him up, and he ordered the two bullies to - drop it. Then ensued a pretty quarrel. Some of us felt sure there were - Hindustani words used—and dreadful they sounded in Dutch mouths. We - fondly hoped there would be shooting, or at least fisticuffs. But the - Boer is like the Bengali—a leviathan in words and a mouse in deeds. - Behind a stone his heart is like that which protects him, and in the - open his heart becomes just like the atmosphere which affords him no - protection. - - When cheerfulness was more or less restored somebody espied a herd of - buck about a mile away. The keen sight of the Boers is astonishing, - and the way they detected the movements of the buck at that distance - was a revelation. Some of us could see nothing at all, but the keenest - thought they could spot a little bit of colour which the Boers said - was a herd of about twenty buck. In a minute three of them were - blazing away with their Mausers, but the herd cleared without - casualty. Throughout the rest of the way the Boers blazed away without - intermission at anything and everything that suggested itself as a - target. There certainly was no idea among them then that it would be - well to husband ammunition. I see by the papers that their commandants - are said to be exhorting the Boers now in the field to save their - cartridges for officers, and not to waste any on the Tommies, but at - the date of which I am writing they behaved as if their supply of - ammunition was inexhaustible. - - About midday a halt was called, the niggers did something to the - harness, which dropped on the ground, and the mules, freed, were - quickly up to their knees in an adjacent dam, and soon after that - busily engaged with the veldt grass. Only once a day were they - supposed to get a feed of corn, and from all we could hear that day - only came round about once a week. In the meantime the Boers had - fished out an empty wine case, smashed it up, lighted a fire, and - placed a great kettle on top. While that was boiling the carcass of a - sheep was produced from a sack, and all and sundry hacked a piece off. - When the kettle had boiled and the coffee was made, the fire was - heaped up afresh with wood, and every man had his bit of meat on the - end of a stick, held it in the flames, where it fizzled and cracked - and spurted as merrily as any steak on a grill in London town. There - was a dish of salt to dip into when you judged the cooking complete. - Our rusk sack was still partially filled, and wasn’t the dam full of - water within a few yards of us? ‘What more could the —— Englishman - want?’ said Brother Boer, as he lapped up all the coffee! In the - newspapers the Boer is made to speak of the _verdomde rooinek_, but my - experience of the Boer is that he prefers Tommy’s pet adjective before - all others. - - Our rustic repast over, the Kaffirs began to collect the mules. This - they did not by running round them, but by sitting still and emitting - sounds into the tenor of which God forbid that any civilised human - being should inquire. Sufficient to say that they were weird enough to - ‘kid’ the mules into leaving their feed and travelling half a mile to - the waggon, there to be yoked again in slavery. Thereafter our journey - was uneventful until we struck the railway, where we fondly hoped to - find a train. But the advance of the British from Bloemfontein had - begun, and the Boers, to prevent a sudden descent on the railway - within their own lines, had taken the precaution of blowing up every - bridge and culvert for many miles inside their own outposts. So we had - to traverse six more weary miles, witnessing for diversion the - destruction that dynamite can bring upon the handiwork of man. Great - iron bridges broken and tossed aside, huge embankments shattered, - railway stations annihilated. Cruel signs, but the inevitable - consequences of war. At dark we reached Smaldeel, a little station - sixty miles north of Bloemfontein, and at that time the southernmost - depôt of the Boer forces on the railway. Three days later the British - were in possession of Smaldeel and fired on the last Boer train - steaming out of the station. But knowing that afterwards did not - comfort us a bit when they locked us up that night. - - Smaldeel is not an attractive place. We were dumped down in the most - unattractive part of it! Imagine a four-roomed house built of wood and - corrugated iron, one window per room and each one of them nailed down, - as it had been for a long time. Imagine in one of these rooms Boer - lumber—old clothes, empties, forgotten bedding; remember the boarded - window, call for a glass of brandy, and think with sympathy of us poor - sinners condemned to such a place for a livelong night. - - What a ghastly night it was! They passed us in a small kettleful of - coffee that ran to about half a mug per man. We were dreadfully - thirsty, but the only water was a single water-bottleful between the - crowd of us—they said there was no more available. For solids we had - the remains of the rusks. On this slender nourishment we had to recoup - our jaded bodies and revive our flagging spirits. Needless to say, in - the morning we looked and felt but sorry representatives of Queen and - country. At daylight we were cleared out of that room, the taste of - which will remain with me until the day I die. The effect on us of the - cold clean air outside was indescribable. We blew ourselves out with - it like pouter pigeons, and nearly dropped down from shock to the - system. We breathed the good air till we forgot to be hungry, thirsty, - or even ashamed of our lamentable plight. The surging of it through - our corrupted lungs was better than—but that would be departing from - the plain unvarnished style with which the soldier man is allowed to - embellish his narrative in lieu of literary grace. - - We were popped into a waiting train the carriages of which for - narrowness and hardness were like coffins without the compensating - immunity from pain and trouble so characteristic of the ordinary - coffin. That we might fit in easily they gave us nothing to eat or - drink, and when the train started we rattled about our compartment - like dried peas in a drum. To see us off the station was crowded with - all sorts and conditions of the human race. It was astonishing to - realise that the throat of man was so constituted that it could be - used to emit sounds which were nothing like anything we had ever heard - before. I heard a hundred High Court chaprassies hold the concert in - which their champion sang a solo in so raucous a voice that it caused - the great crack which now ornaments the Calcutta High Court building. - But it was nothing to Smaldeel station! Take a Boer who has lived on - the high veldt of the Transvaal with his next-door neighbour four - miles off, and bring him into a space where his conversation has to - carry for feet instead of miles, and you are overwhelmed by his voice. - - Three hundred of that sort endeavoured to hold converse with us, - wanting to know where we had come from, why we had come, and what we - thought of our chances in the hereafter—no Boer thinks anybody who has - taken up arms against the Lord’s anointed people has a million-to-one - chance of salvation. We told them as much as we could, some of it with - regard to the truth, but mostly without. They plainly said we were - liars when we informed them we came from India. They knew all about - Indian coolies, so weren’t to be taken in. They were of opinion that - several of us who were clean-shaven were mere children, and deplored - the sinfulness of a Government that could send such lambs to the - slaughter. The clean-shaven ones cordially concurred, and ventured to - hope the Boer Government would do the right thing and ship the little - pets straight away to their mammas. That was another story, said - they—one that Oom Paul would know how to deal equitably with. - Pretoria! Pretoria! It was always Pretoria, as if that ghastly little - village was the hub of the universe. - - I may be allowed here to point out that the Dutch pronunciation of the - name of the late President of the Transvaal differs slightly from that - commonly used in India. Of course, our Indian way is the soundest, but - it may give this feeble narrative a touch of realism to have included - the fact that in South Africa ‘Kruger’ is pronounced ‘Cree-yer,’ with - the accent on the ‘Cree.’ ‘Paul’ is pronounced like ‘towel,’ with a - ‘p’ instead of a ‘t.’ The Burgher General Botha, in his native land, - is called ‘Beau-ta,’ both syllables of equal value and spoken rather - quickly—like our Indian word ‘lotah,’ with which word, in fact, - ‘Botha’ rhymes. Many other words appertaining to South Africa are - pronounced not at all in the way that we have accepted as fit and - proper. Swears, however, find Boer and Briton unanimous both in - pronunciation and frequency of use. - - When we had left the babel of Smaldeel far behind we settled down to a - critical examination of the country we were spinning through. We had - to occupy ourselves with a subject of absorbing interest so as to - divert our minds from dwelling on the vacuity of that part of our - anatomies which it is not considered polite to mention out of a church - or a nursery. But in the matter of country—we found it consoling to - see nothing but rolling downs with never a kopje in sight, right or - left, nearly all the way through the northern part of the Free State. - Surely Bobs and his army would waltz along such easy going and - speedily rescue us from the clutches of the wicked Boer! So far as - Kroonstad there was nothing to stop the British. There a river forming - a deep spruit meandered by, and would certainly give trouble were our - troops to confine themselves to a frontal attack. But by this time the - uses of flanking movements had been thoroughly grasped by our army, - and it could only be a question of a day or two for our fellows to - slip up on either side and squeeze the enemy out. - - Steaming into Kroonstad it was comforting to think what a favourable - country the British army would have to operate in, but the feeling was - as naught compared with that aroused in us when we heard we were to be - fed at Kroonstad. Psychologists evolve wonderful things from the mind - of the intellectual man. But let them starve him. Then see how his - inner consciousness changes its base of operations. Thoughts emanating - from the brain lack the vigour and inventiveness of those prompted by - the working of the more humble organ. The war in South Africa proves - this conclusively. Wherever our troops and Generals have been well fed - the tendency has been to make a mull of things. But they have never - been starved without doing grand work: _vide_ the defence of - Ladysmith, the relief of Kimberley, the brilliant marches of Lord - Roberts’s army, where for days on end whole divisions had nothing but - a biscuit or two to crunch per man. - - We rushed into Kroonstad station with the familiar feeling of dashing - importance that everybody knows about who travels by rail. We pulled - up with the old jerk, only more so, that we so joyously used to - anticipate when children. We sniffed the refreshment-room, caught a - glimpse of the coloured papers in the bookstall, and everything seemed - just the same as in old England—as if we were only waking up to - pleasant reality after a horrid dream. But when we tried to get out - the grimness of the truth was brought home to us: loaded rifles barred - our way. - - However, the grub came, and our sorrows were forgotten in the pleasure - of exercising our fast stiffening jaws. It was great sandwiches of - bully beef, no butter, no trimmings, but mighty good, and bowls of - steaming coffee. There was a fair whack for each man, and none of us - thought of giving half to the poor or saving up any for a rainy day. - Every man ate up all he got and never emitted a sound, other than that - of mastication, until the grunt of interrogation which denoted - finished, and was there any more? There wasn’t, and we got no more - that day, barring what we bought and paid for at extortionate rates. - - At any game in the world the Briton can beat the Boer if the - conditions are such that the Briton has any chance at all. This may - seem a reckless statement in view of the fact that 16,000 Boers are - still holding the field against ten times their number. But I make it - with a knowledge of the circumstances, and am willing to demonstrate - the truth of my statement to any unbeliever who has the pluck to call - on me expressing his doubt. At any rate, by night time, when we - crossed the Vaal River and had reached Vereeniging, the first station - in the Transvaal, we had so ‘kidded’ our guards into a belief in our - desire to reach Pretoria that they trusted us on to the platform, from - which we gravitated into the refreshment-bar with a celerity that - would have astonished Sir Isaac Newton. We found it crowded with - people who didn’t seem to think we were particularly remarkable—at any - rate, they did not offer us drinks: these we had to pay for at the - rate of 2_s._ a peg—cheap enough, considering everything. Hard-boiled - eggs 6_d._ each, sandwiches 1_s._, cigars none under 1_s._ The - last-named we could not run to, so set about looking for pipes and - ’bacca. Boer tobacco is sold in glazed paper bags, about the size of - 14 lb. of sugar, for 1_s._ a time. You can use it either for smoking - or as bedding for horses and cattle—they won’t eat it. Pipes like - those you get at home for 4½_d._ were half a crown, so there is no - need to dissert on the fiscal methods of the Boer: there’s no free - trade about him. He represents McKinley at about two stone in the - matter of Protection. I coveted a pipe for 3_s._ 6_d._ and told the - barman I was very sorry I only had 2_s._ 6_d._, and wouldn’t he give - it to a poor broken-hearted prisoner at a reduction? It was true about - the 2_s._ 6_d._, for I was afraid to produce a sovereign lest some of - them should take a fancy to it, as they had done to so many of our - little valuables. The beast said he’d see me damned first, and I - called him something in Hindustani which attracted more attention than - I liked, when I felt a hand twitching my tunic and saw a little Jew - man winking portentously. I put my hand down, and he slipped a coin - into it—a shilling it was, to enable me buy the pipe. This is one of - the few sporting things I have seen done in the Transvaal, and it was - not a Boer who did it. I don’t think Boers understand sport. They - never do anything until they have got six to four the best of their - neighbour. Every Boer who plays billiards carries a bit of soap, and - the few that are not afraid to play football are adepts at tripping. - They have stopped playing cards entirely, for they invariably found - after a few hands were dealt in a game that nothing but the rags of - the pack remained to be played with, all the good cards having gone up - the sleeves of the players. - - However, I bought the pipe, and refunded the kindly little Jew his - bob. Leaving the bar, I passed a little bunch of Boers who had rather - enjoyed my rebuff at the hands of the barman. - - I gravely congratulated the Boers on their brother behind the bar, and - asked if they had many other Boers as good looking. Discretion may - sometimes be a branch of valour, but there was very little valour - about the discretion I exercised when I left that refreshment-bar. - - The rest of the night in the train was tedious and uncomfortable to a - degree, and cold beyond words. At 3 or 4 in the morning we landed at - Pretoria, and our guards, all South African Republic Police—the hated - Z.A.R.P.—belonging to Pretoria, instead of leaving us in the train - until daylight, hauled us out and marched us off. After a mile or so - we came to a building. We entered by a gate, and found ourselves in a - courtyard with high walls. We were there delivered over to another lot - of ruffians, the first lot clearing off to their homes in high - jubilation at the prospect of rejoining wives and families after many - months in the field. They had not been unkind to us on the whole, and - we found them simple enough, but imbued with considerable contempt of - the Britisher and an unchangeable belief in the ultimate success of - their own cause. - - Sitting on the cold stone pavement of the courtyard, chewing the cud - of our misfortunes, we waited for the only friend we’d got—the sun. - Meanwhile strange sounds came from the high walls surrounding us—heavy - sighs, deep gruntings, weird moanings, harsh cries, and loud beatings. - We wondered what manner of place we were in. Daylight revealed the - truth. We were in the Pretoria Gaol, and all around us were the drunks - and incapables, the vagrants and vagabonds, black and white, that had - been scraped out of the gutter the night before. Mostly they were - Kaffir women—huge, unwieldy, hideously ugly creatures, reminding one - of those depicted by Hogarth in his scenes of low life in London - nearly two centuries ago. When the sun rose the doors of the cells - were opened and we saw strange sights. The gaoler prodded the sulky - ones with a long stick and made them come out. - - Standing about in the fresh morning light, dirty, frowzled, altogether - abominable to look at, they seemed a blot on creation, and the - knowledge of their mere existence hung heavily on one’s mind. It was - not a pleasant awakening to the splendours of the Boer capital. - - For about the tenth time we gave in our full names, and all we could - think of in the way of description, down to red hair, for which the - Boer has a peculiar regard. A Boer with red hair can be a Mormon a - dozen times. Nearly all their clergymen have red hair. In among the - drunks and incapables we found one cell containing representatives of - the British Army, lately free fighting men, but now confined against - their own wishes. One of these, to my astonishment—for his appearance - did not suggest the soldier in the very least—addressed me by name, - and I recognised in him a saddler sergeant who had built me a very - excellent saddle some years before, when his regiment, the 18th - Hussars, was in India. He and a pal had been taken prisoners at the - very beginning of the war in Natal, and so had done six months in - durance vile. They had been so bored with their experiences that they - had escaped and endeavoured to get to Portuguese territory, but - unluckily the ubiquitous Boer had been too many for them, and they - were now being restored to their _status quo ante_, as political - paragraphists describe it. Another was a Yeoman lad from county Notts, - with a very much worn pair of boots to his feet, and it showed fine - public spirit in him that he seemed to deplore this fact more than his - being made prisoner. - - In the corner of the courtyard was a tap, and we all did a bit of - washing. The absence of silver-topped scent-bottles, ebony - hair-brushes, Pears’ soap, &c., was rather a drawback, but it did not - prevent us creating at least a zone of cleanliness. We were then - paraded, and in as martial array as was possible, without guns or - swords and incommoded with blankets and empty sacks, we marched forth - with a loud cheer. To be a prisoner of war was a fate that might - overcome the best soldier that ever stepped, but to be herded with - police mud-scrapings injured the dignity of every one of us. - - Half-an-hour’s walk past cottages, bakers’ shops, where smiling - lassies stood at doorways, and all the signs of a little country town - at home, we came to a great enclosed space at one corner of which was - inscribed the legend ‘Polo Ground.’ We immediately began arguing about - who was to play in the first chukker, and whether we’d have a - ten-minute chukker, with a change of pony half-time, or chukkers of - six minutes straight away. Two known cracks were agreed upon, and - they, to save unseemly fighting, picked up sides. Then each side began - backing itself for large sums (on the nod), while the unselected ones - scoffed and offered 5 to 4 against either team. Needless to say, while - diverting ourselves in this manner we were girt about by armed - horsemen, who conducted themselves with much dignity and secret - spurrings, especially when passing where comely lassies stood at the - doors. In this respect I have observed the Boer does not differ from - the Briton, nor has he any scruples about endeavouring to attract the - admiration of another Boer’s girl as well as his own. Marching along - one side of the enclosure, we came to a great entrance, and realised - of a sudden that we had arrived at the racecourse, rendered classic by - the experiences of our imprisoned troops within its gates. We entered - and found all the offices so familiar to racegoers—grand stand, - paddock, weighing-room, jockeys’ room, horse-boxes—but no equine - wonders. It filled our hearts with sorrow to see such waste—not even a - booky to trill forth the odds. - - But there was a desolation over the scene very different from the stir - and bustle of a racecourse. Our troops had been penned up in a - barbed-wire enclosure that included the paddock, stands, and a bit of - the course itself. Most of the buildings had been utilised as - hospitals, and where or how the poor devils who hadn’t enteric or - dysentery or pleurisy or rheumatic fever existed, Heaven alone knows. - The N.C.O.s had the privilege of sleeping on the steps of the grand - stand, and I suppose the others had to be content with the ground. - Very quickly the accommodation at the racecourse had become - inadequate, and the camp at Waterval was established, leaving only a - hospital and a staff of orderlies. The result was a most woebegone - place, littered with empty tins, rags, paper, and refuse of all sorts. - We elected to occupy a row of horse-boxes facing the paddock. I’m sure - no owner of racehorses would have allowed any of his string to enter - these boxes, but we were only too glad to find a place wherein to lay - our heads. After a long delay they brought us rations of sorts—the - potatoes, I remember well, being little round things about the size of - marbles and everyone gaily sprouting. For the rest we had ½ lb. of - meat and a loaf of bread apiece, plenty of cold water, and the - consolation of being told we had a great deal to be thankful for. - While our troops had been confined at the racecourse some of the - residents of Pretoria had been exceedingly kind in supplying them with - what, to them, were great luxuries to help out the meagre fare allowed - by the Boer Government. A much-appreciated but sticky delicacy was a - considerable supply of golden syrup. In one little hut occupied by a - mess of sergeants, twelve men used to sleep every night, packed as - close as herrings. The morning following the day on which they had - received their share of the golden syrup they found themselves all - stuck together, and had to rise up in one piece like a row of toy - soldiers. - -Lieutenant Crane was taken off to the newly formed camp for prisoners on -a barren hillside north of Pretoria, where nearly all officers had been -confined within triple fences of barbed wire since their removal from -the Model School. Non-commissioned officers and troopers of Lumsden’s -Horse had to share the fate of other captive soldiers at Waterval on the -high veldt outside the Magaliesberg, but luckily they were not among the -number hurried away by retreating Boer commandos to distant Nooitgedacht -when our troops entered Pretoria. At Waterval the daily rations were -scanty enough, though luxurious by comparison with the meagre fare -served out at a later date to prisoners in that place away eastwards -with a name that bespeaks desolation. And by the kindness of the -American Consul, Sergeant D.S. Fraser was able to obtain funds from -India for himself and his fellow-sufferers. This enabled them to -supplement the rough rations issued to them during their imprisonment at -Waterval. To cover the advances made for this purpose Colonel Lumsden -authorised a grant of 5_l._ each to the prisoners, being at the rate of -1_l._ per man per week for the period of their captivity. Thus the value -of such a fund as had been raised in Calcutta before the corps left was -demonstrated in an unforeseen way. By means of it Colonel Lumsden had -been able to start with a treasure-chest of 1,000_l._ and a sufficient -credit in the Standard Bank of South Africa to meet all emergencies. - -[Illustration: WATERVAL PRISON, NEAR PRETORIA] - -Of the uneventful dulness of their life in the prisoners’ camp, where -few visitors ever came, and none whose presence could be considered very -cheerful, we may judge by the fact that hardly anything has been written -about it. The poor fellows who had neither money nor friends to procure -it for them must have fared ill indeed on nothing but Government rations -issued according to the following scale, which cannot be impugned, -seeing that the Editor found it written in choicest official Dutch among -other documents at Pretoria bearing the seal of the Z.A.R. On this scale -the officers were to receive 1 lb. of meat and an undefined ration of -meal, rice, or peas, per head per day, with a weekly allowance of -groceries amounting to 2 oz. of coffee, 2 oz. of tea, and one candle per -head. In practice the meat ration dwindled down at times to as little as -1½ lb. a week for each officer, and the meal, rice, or peas being _à -discrétion_, not of the consumer but of the burgher in charge, were -occasionally off the bill of fare altogether. The rank-and-file were -each to receive 7 lb. of flour, 3 lb. of meal, 3 lb. of rice, 3 lb. of -dried French beans, 21 oz. of sugar, 2 oz. of salt, 3½ oz. of raw coffee -beans, and 2 lbs. of meat _per week_, and had to see that they got it, -as the Boers, being rather short of luxuries themselves, claimed the -right to make reductions frequently on the plea that there had been an -excessive issue for some previous day. Actually at one time the -prisoners at Nooitgedacht, to whom the same scale applied, did not -receive more than an average of 3 lb. of flour and ½ lb. of meat per -head per week, and the beans, which formed their only vegetable diet, -were useless. The captives among whom a few of Lumsden’s Horse found -their lot cast at Waterval were not so badly off as that, but still -there was so much monotony, both in food and in the featureless routine -of daily life, that they must have been very glad to hear the booming of -British guns outside Pretoria and to know that the hour of their -deliverance from bondage was at hand. A few days after the entry of our -troops into the capital, Colonel Lumsden had the gratification of -writing: - - Lieutenant Crane’s many friends in India will be pleased to hear that - he is once more with us and in command of his section, looking stout - and well, none the worse for his wound or his enforced stay in - Pretoria. - - Sergeant Fraser, Corporal Angus McGillivray, Privates R.N. Macdonald, - Peterson and Leslie Williams are also back with us, all looking fit - and strong. - - Lance-Corporal Firth is at present employed in the Financial Adviser’s - office in Pretoria, and has made himself so useful that I cannot - persuade General Maxwell, the Military Governor, to dispense with his - services. - - - - - CHAPTER XI - _TOWARDS PRETORIA—LUMSDEN’S HORSE SCOUTING AHEAD - OF THE ARMY FROM BLOEMFONTEIN TO THE VAAL RIVER_ - - -Lord Roberts was so well satisfied with the results achieved by General -Ian Hamilton’s division and the other columns operating south of Thaba -’Nchu on May 1 that he regarded all the strategical points in that -direction as being securely held, and was therefore no longer anxious -for the safety of the railway, on which future supplies for his army -might be dependent after the exhaustion of those already collected at -Bloemfontein. In these circumstances he determined on an immediate -advance the day after Hamilton had cut the Boer chain in two at Houtnek. -He accordingly sent General Pole-Carew’s division from Bloemfontein to -Karree Siding, where their arrival was hailed by Lumsden’s Horse as -significant of great things to follow, seeing that General Tucker’s -brigade had been pushed forward to occupy the ground over which Mounted -Infantry corps fought two days earlier. General Hutton’s brigade of -mounted troops was ten miles west of the railway at Brakpan by Doorn -Spruit, and General Ian Hamilton’s division had advanced from Houtnek to -Isabellafontein, out-flanking the Brandfort range of kopjes. Thus, on -the morning of May 3 De la Rey found his position seriously menaced, and -after-events proved that he had no intention of making a stand there -longer than was necessary for a rearguard action, by which he might -delay the British advance and give his own main body time to withdraw -all heavy artillery and stores. Threatened on the left by Ian Hamilton, -and finding his right flank in danger of being turned by Hutton’s -Mounted Infantry, De la Rey retired, and our troops entered Brandfort -that afternoon. The Boers, however, had fallen back to a second -position, being neither disorganised nor beaten, but only disinclined -for close fighting, and until dusk they continued to show such a firm -front that the mounted troops could do little against them. Colonel -Lumsden sums up the situation briefly by the following entry in his -official diary: - - On the morning of the 3rd we left Spytfontein at daybreak with Colonel - Henry’s brigade, and joined General Maxwell’s brigade (14th) at the - foot of Gun Kopje, the place where Major Showers was killed. The - Mounted Infantry, covering a front of some three miles, swept the - country towards Brandfort, Infantry and guns following. A little - desultory fighting occurred, driving in the enemy’s advance parties on - to their first position, which we found at about 11 A.M. The guns and - Infantry then came up and cleared the position in about an hour. - During the action we were exposed to a good deal of shell fire, which - fortunately did no harm, owing to the ground being soft and the shells - burying themselves before bursting, if they burst at all. - - At 12 the advance was made on their second and main position, about - two miles off, and lying some five miles north-east of Brandfort. The - enemy offered little resistance, confining themselves chiefly to - long-range artillery fire. When the position was practically taken the - Mounted Infantry were sent away to the right flank to make a wide - turning movement with a view to cutting off the retreat of ‘Long Tom,’ - who, however, catching them on a wide open plain, forced them to - dismount for the attack. The dismounted men advanced some two miles in - his direction, but dusk setting in it became evident that it was - impossible to reach that position with daylight, and we were ordered - to rejoin our horses and return to camp. This we reached about 8 P.M., - having been in the saddle fifteen hours and covered quite forty miles. - There had been no time during the day to feed the horses, which - consequently felt the work very much. Our casualties were nil; but ten - horses died from exhaustion. - -To troopers in the ranks, however, it seemed a much more serious affair, -as well it might, for on them fell the burden of an advance that tried -their powers of endurance if it did not put a very severe strain on -their nerves. One of them, writing rather for his own gratification than -with the idea of helping to make history, gives a graphic picture of the -movement out of camp in the darkest hour before dawn to join other -troops, and then trot on through the ‘pitch blackness’ over ground on -which stones seemed to have cropped up suddenly where no stones had been -before, so that horses stumbled at every stride. Then, as it grew -lighter, they saw that a whole army was with them, extending along a -front that stretched for miles. Lumsden’s Horse halted under a hill near -Ospruit, and British guns opened fire from its crest. At this point the -trooper’s hasty notes become ruggedly picturesque as he describes the -sequence of events: - - The Boer artillery replied, and it became rather a hot corner. Shells - burst all round us and over our heads. We were retired and lay down. - Then moved to the right, gave over our horses to the even numbers, and - moved forward on foot, extending to some ten paces apart. So we - advanced, sometimes mounted, sometimes on foot—always extended. Then - lay down, then advanced again, and lay down—all in long parallel - lines, Lumsden’s Horse being on the extreme right, or nearly so. The - Infantry marched in beautifully regular and even straight lines, - apparently quite indifferent to the Boer guns that now opened on them - and made good shooting too. The shell fell all amongst those Infantry, - but when the dust cleared nobody seemed to be down, and the line went - on unmoved. Then some shells came in our direction, but either fell - short or whistled over our heads doing no harm; yet we were retired a - bit. Then a pom-pom of ours came into action and silenced the Boer - guns. This was all straight ahead. Meanwhile a gun opened across our - front at some Boers, whom we could see plainly retreating on the - right. They replied until the pom-poms behind us opened on them. Then - they bolted and were chased by some Mounted Infantry who came up on - our flank. Again we advanced on foot and got near the big kopje. Then - Colonel Lumsden rode up, called for the horses, and ordered us to - advance and join other corps of the 8th Mounted Infantry in a flank - attack. Off we went at a trot, and then, extending to intervals of ten - paces, advanced towards the kopje in front of us at a walk, but still - mounted. Suddenly there was a bang, and a few seconds later a shell - burst dead on for our centre, but some 200 yards short. After a brief - pause a second shell burst 100 yards nearer, and then another, the - fragments of which kicked up the dust all round us. This we discovered - was what Cavalry called ‘being out to draw fire.’ Still we advanced. - Bang went the gun again, and there was a cloud of dust followed by a - tremendous report not twenty yards from Clifford, Cayley, and me. Iron - whizzed over our heads, but nobody was hit. Our horses plunged and - wheeled round, and, seeing everyone was off, we did not stop either. - Halted and dismounted at a farmhouse lower down near a stream, where - the company assembled. Then handed over our horses, and, advancing - again, with lots of others on foot, trudged a weary two miles, when a - Boer Maxim opened on us; but though the bullets swept ground between - the front line and ourselves, they did no harm. When darkness began to - fall the order came for us to retire, and, our horses being brought - up, we rode back over dykes and sluits and boggy places in the pitch - black. Nobody knew the way, but, seeing lights on our right, we made - for them, and got into camp about 7 o’clock. Not a bad day’s work, - having started at 3 A.M. with nothing whatever in the way of food to - start on. Tied our nags up. Everybody too tired to boil a kettle, or - even light a fire. Ate half a biscuit and some bully-beef and turned - in. The left half-company having come back to camp comparatively - early, got into a hen-roost and made great store of fowls, turkeys, - and ducks. Heard that two foreign officers had been taken—one German - and one Russian—who said it was useless going on, as the Boers would - not stand and would not fight. So ended the Battle of Brandfort. - -[Illustration: - - BRINGING HALF RATIONS UP TO NORMAL - (_From a sketch by J.S. Cowen_) -] - -Colonel Lumsden takes up the narrative at this point in an official -report to the executive committee, and without attempting to describe -the general operations he gives a clear outline of events in which his -corps took a prominent part, leaving details to be filled in by troopers -according to their various views, and they give some realistic sketches, -not only of the actions but also of the men under fire. In Colonel -Lumsden’s epitome of a day when the troops were supposed to rest and -gain fresh vigour for a forward movement, there is a meaning that could -not have been better expressed than it is in this short sentence: - - On the 4th we halted, with no food for horses and only biscuit for the - men. - - On the 5th, when the enemy were driven from a strong position on the - banks of Vet River, we had a long dragging day, most of the march - being done on foot to ease our tired horses, and with little hope of - finding any enemy in front of us, though away on our flank the - artillery on both sides were hotly engaged. At about 2 P.M. we - suddenly got the order to change direction to the left and head for - Vet railway station, which the enemy held in force. We crossed the Vet - river, where Boer commandos had been making a stubborn stand, and soon - found ourselves among our Infantry. Shortly afterwards our guns opened - fire and our Infantry came into action, while the Mounted Infantry - were sent round by our right—northwards—to intercept, if possible, the - retreating enemy. It was a race for the same drift again among the - Mounted Infantry, and we got there first. Crossing the river, we were - told to push forward as fast as possible and seize a kopje two miles - off which commanded a somewhat deep valley on the left, up which the - enemy were retiring. As it was supposed to be a race between us and - the enemy for the kopje, we had not the time to make a thorough - reconnaissance before approaching, with the result that our scouts - arrived at the kopje only some 600 to 700 yards before us, and the - enemy had a charge at us at 800 yards. We immediately opened out and - took cover behind the bund of a tank fifty yards in rear, and, - dismounting, opened fire on the kopje and silenced it. We were unable - to stay there, as the enemy from the valley were galloping up on our - left under the cover of the kopje, so I gave the order to my sixty men - to mount and retire on our supports, who were now coming up a - quarter-mile in rear. We were only just in time, for, as we were - mounting, the Boer pom-pom treated us to a ‘belt’ the shells of which - came fair into the middle of us. - - The supports now opened fire with two pom-poms and 200 men, and the - enemy retired, leaving us free to return to camp, which we reached at - 7 P.M.—another long day of quite thirty miles. Our casualties were - only one scout killed when reconnoitring this kopje. This was Private - A.K. Meares, who was shot through the heart, and whom we buried the - following morning. - -One of the scouts who was with young Meares when they reconnoitred the -kopje describes that episode with convincing directness, and -incidentally records a very gallant action on the part of Lieutenant -Pugh, as if it were the most commonplace occurrence. Following is his -version of the affair given in extracts from a private letter: - - By 2 in the afternoon we were fairly in touch with the enemy, and an - artillery duel commenced. After some time our fire grew too hot for - the Boers, and they retired with their guns. We had been sent forward - to try to turn the Boer flank, and our section, No. 4 B, was ordered - to seize a kopje which was supposed to be unoccupied. We, of the - advanced party, cantered up to within 250 yards of the enemy’s sangar, - and then they opened on us, but I must say they made very bad - shooting; we had got within 200 yards of them before turning to - retire, and yet only one man was hit. We were all in line, about - twelve of us, in skirmishing order, when the Boers opened fire, and - when the order to retire reached us we went back as fast as we could. - Meares—the man who was killed—and I were going in the same direction, - and as his horse was dead done, and had already fallen once during the - day, I reined up so as to get near him in case of need. I was just a - little ahead of him and kept glancing round to see how he was doing. - In looking after him I quite forgot my own horse, and then I don’t - know what happened. All I know is that half an hour afterwards I found - myself breathless, holding one of our officer’s stirrup-leathers and - running for dear life. My horse, it seems, got into a hole and came - down an awful crash on top of me. The others thought both the horse - and I had been shot. Almost immediately after this Meares went down, - shot through the heart from the back. Both our horses righted - themselves, and galloped back to the section. I lay stunned for half - an hour, and then, as I have told you, I staggered up to No. 2 - section, who were covering our retreat. I believe I was making - straight for the Boer line of fire, when one of our officers shouted - out to me and gave me his stirrup-leather to hold as I came up to him. - I was so completely done after a short run that he got off his horse - and gave me a lift on it. Lieutenant Pugh was the man. It was dark by - this time, and as we had driven the Boers off we retired to our camp. - I picked up my section again, and found my horse, who was badly cut - about the head. My face was in a lovely condition—one eye closed, and - my cheek, forehead, and nose one big bruise, and my head was splitting - with pain. It was a providential escape, and if I had not fallen I - should surely have shared Meares’s fate. - -[Illustration: H.J. MOORHOUSE] - -[Illustration: - - A.K. MEARES - (KILLED IN ACTION) -] - -[Illustration: W.K. MEARES] - -[Illustration: H.W. PUCKRIDGE] - -[Illustration: R.G. DAGGE] - -[Illustration: R.P. WILLIAMS] - -[Illustration: R.C. NOLAN] - -[Illustration: T.G. PETERSEN] - -[Illustration: S. DUCAT] - - N.C.O.S AND TROOPERS - -In the simple phrases of another trooper who relates with more fulness -the circumstances in which Trooper A.K. Meares met his death there are -some pathetic touches: - - We had several severe engagements, in one of which I am sorry to say - young Meares was shot dead while his company (B) were retiring from a - very large force of Boers with a few guns. It was altogether a sad - affair, as his brother Willie was riding next him. Being in extended - order, however, they were fifty yards or so apart, and Willie knew - nothing about his brother being hit till he got into camp and found - who was missing. It was then some men said they had seen him fall off - his nag, but could tell no more. Willie went with a party next morning - and found his brother dead. The bullet-wound was right over his heart. - He was buried there. What makes it all the more pathetic is that young - Meares was the only man hit that day, no one else getting a scratch. - -Though the Boers made a brave show up to the last, disputing every -position a hold of which gave them any advantage, the resistance offered -by them to Lumsden’s Horse was only an expiring effort. Their right -flank had by that time been turned by other corps of Mounted Infantry, -among whom the Colonials vied with each other for distinction, and at -nightfall, when Australians with a machine gun had come up to relieve -Lumsden’s Horse, the enemy retired, leaving a Maxim gun and twenty-six -prisoners in our hands. Again, however, they had carried off all their -heavy artillery and equipage, although General Ian Hamilton had that -afternoon got possession of Winburg and was threatening their rear. The -events of following days are summarised briefly by Colonel Lumsden in -his official report: - - Next morning, the 6th, saw us away at daybreak back for the - yesterday’s battlefield and towards the rising sun. We could see - clearly how clever had been the Boer plan of attack and how nearly - they had caught some of us. We followed up their tracks for many - miles, halted at noon for an hour, continued scouring the country—this - time north—and eventually headed west, arriving at dusk at our new - camp near Smaldeel, having advanced only three and a half miles after - marching thirty. - - Away at dawn on the 7th, and, heading north, tramped many a mile on - foot, striking the railway between Vet and Winburg a few miles from - Vet, and continuing north some distance. We halted for two or three - hours, and then retraced our steps to a camp near the railway, - reaching it after dusk. - - On the 8th our regiment did flank guard for the Infantry during a - march of twenty miles, saw innumerable buck, and commandeered twenty - remounts on payment. - -With the incident thus delicately touched upon by Colonel Lumsden an -irresponsible trooper deals more at large in a way that enables us to -understand the troubles by which some commanding officers were beset -when their men, unlike Lumsden’s Horse, did not think it necessary to go -through the formality of paying for what they took. Writing from -Smaldeel, the trooper says: - - Yesterday we went fairly straight, but about two or three miles too - far, and had to come back; but we caught a young Boer leaving his farm - with a rifle and ammunition, and we got another at the farm. The farm - was looted of all its live-stock. The Colonel stopped it when he came - up, but all the poultry was taken. Our men paid for everything. Kruger - has told all these people that their farms will be burned and all the - women taken prisoners. I think they were rather relieved when we left. - One woman said her husband had come back three weeks ago and died of - wounds, and they said the Free-Staters had lost terribly. They never - hear officially, as they keep the deaths dark, but almost every farm - has lost at least one man. In one we passed there were three widows. - They are rather nice people and can nearly all speak English, and are - rather nice-looking. We have fifty-one horses sick—about half with - pink-eye and the other half sore backs and lame—but we make it up by - degrees. Yesterday we collected eleven and the day before about the - same, but in the night they got away. We also brought along 200 sheep - and some cows; the sheep we have given over to the brigade, except - about twenty for our own use. We carry with us to-morrow two days’ - rations and four on the carts in case the transport don’t come up. - McMinn and Francis, of my section, got lost leading sick horses. - McMinn has attached himself to another brigade, but nothing has been - heard of Francis. - -The self-restraint exercised by soldiers who left untouched the stores -and paid for all the live-stock they took at every farm where women and -children had been left by the retreating Boers will be appreciated by -all who know what it is to march and fight day after day on short -rations. Though Lumsden’s Horse laid in that store of supplies, it did -not last them many days, as we gather from a continuation of the -Colonel’s diary: - - On the 9th the usual daybreak start, our men with two days’ biscuits - and one day’s feed for horses, but the officers with only some - chocolate, as we relied on our mess cart being up. We were with the - main body this day, till we neared the crossing of the Zand River at - the Virginia Siding railway bridge, which had been blown up the day - before, and at this point our companies were detached on each side of - the drift to prevent a surprise. We heard General Hamilton having an - artillery duel with the foe some miles off on our right, while on the - left we saw the Mounted Infantry dislodging the enemy’s advance - parties, the war balloon with Lord Roberts and Staff being near the - drift itself. We received orders to concentrate and move away to the - left, and on the far side of the river to join our corps—the 8th - Mounted Infantry—on doing which we were immediately sent into action - dismounted, firing at 1,500 yards, while the enemy’s pom-pom shells - flew whistling over our heads as they aimed at our guns behind us. Our - corps here got its first definite order, and that was, ‘Keep touch - with the enemy at any cost.’ As this came from Lord Roberts direct, we - proceeded to obey it to the letter, with the result that we were under - shell and rifle fire for the remainder of the day. Having got well - ahead of the rest of our brigade, in following up ‘Long Tom,’ which - halted and fired on us at intervals, we kept running into the enemy’s - supporting Infantry, whom we only managed to discomfit thoroughly when - we got at them with our Maxim on the open hillside. Our losses were - only two horses wounded. We were severely shelled several times, but - we escaped casualties through being widely extended and also through - the faulty bursting of the enemy’s shells. On one occasion ten shells - burst among us within five minutes. About 3 P.M., in company with - Colonel Ross, I went to endeavour to get some support, and brought up - one company of Loch’s Horse, one company Tasmanians, and one company - South Australian Rifles, afterwards meeting General Hutton with a - battery Field Artillery, which promptly went into action on our left - flank and shelled the Boers, who were then retiring. Unfortunately, - our force was much too weak to attempt to follow them in the open. Had - it not been so it was the opinion of General Hutton and Colonel Ross - that we might have captured the whole of them—some 1,500, with a - couple of guns. Dusk had then drawn on, and, having lost touch with - our brigade, we marched under General Hutton’s orders to a camping - ground seven miles off in the direction of Kroonstad, arriving about 9 - P.M., without food for men or horses, and there was no firewood within - miles. - - The troopers had each little else but dry biscuit, the officers faring - hardly any better. - -Another correspondent writes of this affair: - - We had a very pretty fight at the Zand River, and were within an ace - of taking two of the enemy’s big guns. To begin at the beginning. We - had marched the previous day from our camp near Smaldeel to within - about five miles of the Zand River. On our arrival there we heard that - the Australians and Oxfords had been having a skirmish with some Boers - at the bridge, and had seized a train of stores, but were forced to - retire. Starting at daybreak in the second line of Mounted Infantry, - we got across the drift all right, and drove the Boer outposts back. - We sat on the further side of the river for about an hour, watching - them bring up two big guns on to a kopje about three miles off, and - wondering when we should be shelled. Presently we were ordered off on - a flank movement, and after trotting some miles came in touch with the - enemy. We dismounted, and moved up a valley with good cover, the - pom-poms following. They drove back the Boer riflemen and presently - silenced a gun, which had been amusing itself by shelling our led - horses, but luckily without effect. We mounted again and started for a - two-mile gallop to get up with their gun, but it had disappeared. - Making a flank movement round the shoulder of the position they had - occupied, and pushing on some distance, we found them again, or rather - they found us first. Their gun got our range beautifully, but every - shell seemed to fall and burst between the horses. Of course we were - widely extended. Retiring, we dismounted and then advanced on foot, - but their rifle fire and shell fire was too hot; so again we tried to - out-flank their position. A Company and half of B Company advanced, - and we climbed a small kopje with a deserted Kaffir kraal on top; - Loch’s Horse, some of the Australians, and the West Riding Mounted - Infantry went round and took up a position further along the ridge. We - sat there for nearly two hours under a terrific shell fire, till it - dawned on us to move below the brow. For the first half-hour they - landed shell after shell (40-pounders) right into the middle of us; - luckily, very few burst properly. If they had fired shrapnel, which - bursts in the air, or lyddite, we should all have been blown off the - top. They then let our horses have a few shots, and killed two and - wounded three. In the meantime urgent messages were being sent for our - artillery, or at least the pom-poms that generally come with us, but - unfortunately they could get nothing but a walk out of their horses, - and the Boers quietly trekked away. We ought to have had them with the - greatest of ease, as we were well round them on two sides and a - brigade was moving somewhere on the third. If the Artillery had got up - in time we could easily have moved round the fourth side. We tried to - keep in touch with the Boers when they retired, but it soon got dark - and we had to stop. - -No stirring episodes or dramatic incidents marked the army’s farther -advance towards a stronghold which the Free State Boers had declared -that they would defend to the last. Colonel Lumsden deals with this part -of the operations briefly in the following notes: - - Dawn on the 10th saw us in the saddle again on the move for Kroonstad. - The leading sections were constantly in touch with the enemy, and - sometimes under heavy shell fire, from which Corporal Kirwan received - a scalp wound not very serious. After a long and weary march we halted - at nightfall near a farm, where we were lucky enough to get some - Indian corn for the horses and a few sheep for the men. - - We made an early start on the 11th for the expected big fight at - Kroonstad, it having been reported on the previous evening that the - enemy were strongly posted five miles on our side of the town. - - We advanced for ten miles with the utmost military precaution, only to - find that the enemy had vacated the position, leaving Kroonstad - undefended. Lord Roberts marched in at 3 P.M., followed by the Guards - and the rest of the Infantry, the mounted troops flanking both sides - of the town. We occupied heights on the left, and halted there for the - night, changing ground next morning to our present camping ground, a - mile distant, where, with the rest of the army, we are waiting for - supplies for horses and men, before a forward movement towards - Pretoria can be made. - - The halt has been a welcome one, as our horses are fairly done, and I - doubt if I could mount 150 men to-morrow, and a few more weeks’ work - like that of the last would reduce the numbers to 100. We are leaving - a dozen horses to-day as unfit to march, and shot six yesterday. Cast - horses wander about all over the veldt and lie dead in the river or - any other quiet place, and fatigue parties are ceaselessly at work - burying the bodies. - - You can form no idea of the condition of our horses, and, but for the - fact that we have been able to commandeer and get remounts _en route_, - we should have half our corps dismounted. We have lost quite - seventy-five horses already. I have stated officially that we require - immediately seventy-five remounts more, and these we expect to get - this afternoon. Mrs. Barrow’s ‘Molly Riley’ looks like a - bathing-machine horse, and I fear is on her last march. - - The men are all very well and in good spirits, are most efficient - cooks, and if allowed would rank high as looters; but orders against - this are very strict, and our men pay liberally for anything in the - shape of foodstuffs wherever procurable. - - The office department has been rather upset by the loss of Sergeant - Fraser, of the Bank of Bengal, who was Paymaster and Secretary, but I - have replaced him by Graves, of the same bank, who is working up - arrears as quickly as possible. He is a very willing and intelligent - young fellow, and will soon have things straight again when he gets a - few days’ halt, but it is impossible to do much on the line of march. - -The troops were not all so punctilious as Lumsden’s Horse in the matter -of prompt payment for things commandeered, and a good story was told of -one brigade at Kroonstad, whose commander, in despair of being able to -check irregularities, issued an order that loot was ‘not to be carried -openly on the saddle.’ Our soldiers, however, had not then been reduced -by hardships and scant fare to the necessity of providing for themselves -at all costs. Some pitiful cases of unauthorised commandeering were -reported in connection with later operations, when columns moving -rapidly through several districts had to draw supplies from Boer farms -and give receipts for them in lieu of cash payments. Detached parties -driven to straits for want of food did not hesitate to adopt the means -they had seen employed by responsible officers, but took care to leave -no trace by which they could be identified. An officer who had to -investigate these cases told me of one receipt given to a Boer widow. It -ran thus: ‘Being without rations and hungry, we have taken all this poor -woman had of live-stock and food. She asks for a receipt. I give it. God -help her!—ALLY SLOPER.’ To the credit of British military -administration, it must be said that this document, though irregular, -was accepted as genuine, and duly honoured by payment in full. - -Lumsden’s Horse had their share of the privations that made -commandeering a necessity, and even looting pardonable; and it is not to -be wondered at if some among them regarded campaigning in anything but -the roseate light that imagination had shed upon it before they left -India. Yet, even at this time, their conduct in circumstances that tried -the character of men individually and collectively won approval from -such a soldier as Colonel Ward, C.B. (now Sir Edward Ward, K.C.B., -Permanent Under-Secretary of State for War). Singling them out on the -line of march, he asked what regiment they were, and seemed astonished -to learn that they were Volunteers. In a letter to the Editor he says: -‘I was much struck with Lumsden’s Horse. They were very keen and -excellent soldiers.’ After an exceptionally hard day one of them wrote: - - We were in the saddle at 5 A.M., and did not bivouac till 8 P.M., and - were under shell fire the greater portion of the day. We had two men - and several horses wounded; and two or three horses killed. It seemed - to me that our task always was to find where the enemy’s guns were - posted, as we invariably drew their fire on us. It was a fearfully - long day, and after fighting for ten hours we had to march for five, - and when we bivouacked we had nothing but a few dry biscuits and a - little jam to eat, but we were making coffee till midnight. We were up - again at 6 A.M., and did an easy march to Kroonstad, where we - commandeered two fowls, and, having been served out with fresh mutton, - we did ourselves very well indeed. Some potatoes had been left in the - farmhouse garden, and these fried in dripping made a feast for - epicures. Next day we marched again, and, after skirmishing about the - hills above Kroonstad, camped outside the town. It had been evacuated - by Boer commandos the day before, and surrendered without a shot being - fired. - - Lord Roberts received quite an ovation as he marched in, but we only - heard the cheers, as our corps was not in the town, but above it. We - have now marched right across the Orange State from Bethulie to - Kroonstad, and are wondering how much farther we shall go. There are - all sorts of rumours about camp—some say Lumsden’s Horse are to - garrison Kroonstad, others that we go on east to Harrismith, and - others, again, that we accompany Lord Roberts to Pretoria. There have - been days when but two men were left in the lines; all the rest have - been on fatigue or duty of some sort. Our horses, it is true, have - been overworked and underfed, but you will be able to form some idea - of the effects of ‘pink-eye’ and other African diseases when I tell - you that of the thirty men in our section alone who were well mounted - when we started from India there are about five of us riding our own - horses now, all the others have remounts; and our section is not the - worst in this respect. My horse is doing me splendidly; except for a - sore back for a few days, he has never been sick or sorry. - - We have learnt to cook now, and can serve up chops, steaks, stews, and - curries as well as any cook—when we can get the meat. We have been - lucky lately in bivouacking near farmhouses, as we can commandeer - chickens and sheep, paying for them when we are caught! We have, for - the last few days, been getting to our camps after sundown, and by the - time the fires are lighted and the meat ready to cook it is quite 9 - o’clock. It takes an hour or so to cook, and the eating lasts longer, - as the meat stands a deal of masticating. We seldom get to bed before - 12, and are always ready by 5 o’clock, so you can imagine how - invigorating the climate of this place is. It is bitterly cold at - night and hot in the day, yet very few of our men are down with fever. - It is a fine climate, but a fearful country. For miles and miles you - see nothing but immense, undulating, treeless, waterless tracts of - poor pasture-land. Here and there you find small ponds of dirty water, - but whether it is rain-water dammed up or whether these are springs I - have not yet been able to ascertain. The farmers here make their - living by breeding cattle, and not by cultivation at all. We have - marched from one end of the Orange State to the other, and I don’t - suppose all the cultivation I have seen would cover ten acres. A year - of drought or disease, I should think, would tell very heavily on - farmers here. - - Queen’s Town is the only town in Africa that I can really say I have - seen; we either camped outside the other towns or merely passed - through without having time to see them. We rode through Bloemfontein, - and from what I could see of it it seems to be a large town built on - the slopes of two or three converging hills, and fairly dirty. - - Several of the towns we have passed consisted of half-a-dozen zinc - houses, two at least of which are bound to be churches; of the - remaining four, one will be a store and the rest dwelling-houses. But - each dwelling-house is a township in itself. Even the ‘mild Hindu’ - marvels at the number of people who live in one house, no matter how - small it may be. There was a farmhouse near our camp at Bloemfontein, - where we used to go sometimes to get a cup of coffee. This house had - two rooms, each one about twenty-five feet square. It contained the - following permanent residents—they said, they had visitors sometimes - too—one old woman and three young ones and three young men and six - children of sorts and sizes. One of the rooms was used as a kitchen - and larder, so there was only one for general use. Needless to say, - these people were Boers! - -One trooper of A Company, writing to friends in Calcutta, has nothing -but expressions of admiration for the behaviour of British Bluejackets, -to whom he pays appreciative tribute in the following extract: - - At Zand River, on the 10th, I was with the naval guns in action. It - was simply grand to see the sailors work them. They were drawn up a - drift in the Zand River by teams of thirty bullocks per gun, and - opened fire from the top of the left bank on the enemy’s position at - 7,200 yards range, and in five shots had blown up one Boer gun and - knocked the whole shoot down about their ears. When the first gun was - fired I happened to be quite near, although at one side of it, and the - force of the explosion made me stagger as if a man were in a strong - north-wester trying to make headway. - -Even the novelty of such things, however, soon began to wear off, and -under the depressing influences of life in a rest camp outside Kroonstad -the trooper took a more gloomy view of things military, writing: - - This place is like most of the so-called towns in South Africa, a mere - cluster of tin huts with hardly a stone building in the lot. We, as - usual, are not within a mile and a half of the town, and only one man - per section of twenty-eight is allowed into it at a time. When you do - get there, there is nothing much to buy or see, and prices are - extremely high. Thank goodness, the climate at this time of year is - just grand; at night it is very cold, and in the day warm, but never - too warm unless one happens to be very hard at work. We seldom have - any time to ourselves; even now, though I am writing letters, I am on - duty with forty other men grazing the horses, about a couple of miles - from camp. We are in a bad way for nags now, and very few of the - Calcutta horses are left. It’s fun going out to commandeer things from - the Boer farms, and it would make a person roar to see the different - things different people choose to take. We are generally in a bad way - for firewood, as this is practically a treeless country; so we break - up chairs, beds, floors, doors, posts, rafters, and every blessed - piece of wood to be got. Here as I sit on the side of a kopje I have a - loaded rifle and cartridge bandolier on, and we are warned to stand to - arms at any moment, as there are some wandering Boers about on the - war-path who have cut the wires and played Old Nick with the railway - and Bridges. It’s wonderful what good health men keep, considering the - hardships they go through; we have not got a tent among the lot of us, - barring those small servants’ tents used by the officers. Many among - us have not even a change of clothes, on account of a _golmal_[11] - made in regard to our kit bags, which got left behind at a camp near - Bloemfontein. Goodness knows if we shall ever see those bags again. At - present I have only the clothes on my back and one extra pair of socks - to my name. Many of us have started growing long beards, and I have a - beauty, but it wants a little trimming. I had a bath about four days - ago, the first for weeks, and please goodness I will have a swim - before leaving this place, as there is a river here which, though - rather full of dead mules and horses, is better than nothing at all. - Yesterday three horses got stuck in the river and were drowned, and - this morning when watering horses I saw three mules and another nag - which belonged to our Maxim gun team _panklagged_, and I fear that - they also have been lost. There is most awful ‘pank’ in some of the - rivers and ponds, and on more than one occasion we have all but lost - men when crossing or watering. I have had about enough of it, and so - has everyone else. It does make a man feel creepy when he has shells - bursting about all round, and Boer shells do burst, for all that is - said otherwise. They make a noise in the air like a huge flock of - ducks when they take a dive downwards in their flight; and the rifle - bullets going past sound like a breeze playing in the branches of a - tree. I have now been in three engagements, and I’m perfectly - satisfied! I don’t mind it where there is some cover, and you can see - your enemy; but when the bullets come from Lord knows where, it’s real - tough bread and butter to chew. The day we lost so heavily the Boers - were rifle firing at over 2,000 yards, and as they use smokeless - powder it was impossible to see them. - -In those closing sentences there is a realistic touch that tells of the -weariness and heart-sickness from which soldiers invariably suffer in -days of rest following a succession of hard marches and heavy fighting. -When there is stern work to be done, or a foe to be faced, these men may -succumb to sheer exhaustion without a word of complaint. It is only -after a day or two of comparative inaction, when supposed, by a pleasant -fiction, to be resting in camp, that they will confess to being tired of -the whole thing, or, as Tommy expresses it, ‘fair fed up.’ A total -change comes with the order for a fresh advance, and everybody welcomes -it except, perhaps, the regimental commanding officer, who knows that -his horses would be all the better if given more time to regain -condition, and his men more happy if there were a chance of re-clothing -them. But what do rags and tatters matter when days have to be spent in -marching through clouds of red dust and night blots out all distinction -between weather-stained khaki and the soil on which it is laid? Colonel -Lumsden must have felt the care for such things heavy on him, but he -gave no sign of it in the notes by which he summarised the renewal of -operations and of hard work that was in inverse ratio to the number of -words employed in describing it: - - We halted at Kroonstad till the 22nd, and then moved out some four and - a half miles to a fresh camp clear of the town ready to join Colonel - Henry’s brigade, and to start marching early next morning. Nothing of - interest occurred at Kroonstad, except that we were able to leave - behind a number of worn-out horses. These were replaced by fifty-six - Argentines, which arrived the day before we left in a sorry condition, - suffering from the effects of forced marches made without food, except - what they could pick up on the veldt. - - The next three days were spent in long weary marches, reconnoitring - the country in front of the main advance, for we had been transferred - at Kroonstad from General Hamilton’s column to the troops selected to - march with Lord Roberts. Just after the men had settled down in camp - at sunset on the 24th, bugles sounded a single G, and, on hearing this - signal, all troops joined in singing ‘God Save the Queen.’ - - We were expecting to be in action every day, but nothing was seen of - the enemy till the 26th, when we came upon him at about 9 A.M. in the - railway station near Viljoen’s Drift, half a mile from the Vaal River. - There some time was spent in reconnoitring to find out the enemy’s - strength, and when a few shells had been put into the station, turning - out only a hundred Boers, we were too late to stop the train which had - apparently been loading up there. It steamed unhurt over the Vaal - bridge, which was immediately blown up. - - A general advance of the 8th Corps was made dismounted, and the enemy - driven back, so that at noon the whole brigade was over the Vaal, much - to the delight of the manager of the mines, who had been in a state of - great anxiety. He treated all officers to breakfast, and told us that - the Boers had not expected our force for two days, and that the party - just ejected by us had arrived that very morning with the intention of - blowing up his mines. He estimated that one million sterling had been - saved by our unexpected arrival. - - Our only casualty during the day was Sergeant H.A. Campbell, slightly - wounded. - - At 5 P.M. we moved off to our new camp, guarding the Vaal bridge, with - the promise of a sorely-needed halt next day. - -From this brief chronicle nobody would suppose that the honour of -reconnoitring and drawing Boers out from their hiding-places among the -sheds and shanties of corrugated iron at Viljoen’s Drift Station had -fallen to Lumsden’s Horse. Lieutenant Pugh, however, supplies the -missing links in a private letter: - -[Illustration: - - _Photo: Bassano_ - SERGEANT PERCY JONES, D.C.M. -] - - It was my section’s turn to do the scouting, and they did very well, - getting information that there was a train and fifty men in the - station this side of the Vaal. Two other regiments of Mounted Infantry - each sent out an officer’s patrol of about fifty men, and each came - back full split. One of their officers told my scouts that if they did - not wish to be shot they had better clear, but Peddie thought this was - not business; he, being in charge of the advanced scouts, went on till - they were fired on and then halted. We had to wait for orders to - advance for about half an hour, and saw the train steam out of the - station and over the bridge and presently blow up one span. With a - dash we could have caught the men and train, and probably saved the - bridge, as we had two Maxims, and we could easily have driven the - Boers off. We then crossed the river and drove their rearguard out of - Vereeniging. They took the opportunity of burning a large store of - mealies at the station. Our guns got into them well as they bolted - across the plain. We had a very nice fight, and everyone is much - pleased, even the Chief of the Staff. - -Through all this advance, in which Lumsden’s Horse, with other corps of -the 8th Mounted Infantry, reconnoitred ahead of the army, troopers who -had been trained to field sports proved invaluable, and sometimes at -least a match for the wily Boer. Nobody distinguished himself more by -skill at this work than Corporal Percy Jones, whom Colonel Lumsden -regarded as one of his best scouts, a man of great self-reliance, -unfailing in resources, and with a very keen eye for a country, so that -he never allowed the section of which he was leader to be entrapped or -surprised. For repeated acts of daring enterprise he was promoted to the -rank of sergeant and given the ‘Distinguished Conduct’ Medal. Others -who, being selected for some specially difficult or dangerous duty, had -on occasion distinguished themselves as scouts, or who, by actions of -individual gallantry, won mention in despatches, with subsequent -honours, were Trooper Preston (D.C.M.), Trooper H.N. Betts (D.C.M.), -Trooper W.B. Dexter (D.C.M.), and Corporal G. Peddie. Trooper H.R. -Parks, Sergeant Dale, Sergeant Llewhellin, and Corporal C.E. Turner also -performed meritorious actions, for which they were mentioned in -despatches.[12] - -Though little has been said of the privations endured by our soldiers -during their forced marches from Kroonstad to reach the Vaal River -before its steep sandy banks could be made formidable by entrenchments, -as the Modder was, some troops suffered severely from want of sufficient -food, and nearly all were on short rations. It is certain, however, that -not many could have been so near the ravenous stage of starvation as a -private in one colonial corps, of whose act a trooper of Lumsden’s Horse -writes: - - The day we crossed the Vaal River a very interesting thing happened; - we were very hungry, and when we got to Vereeniging a dog was seen - running away with half a loaf of bread in his mouth. Immediately a - private darted out of the ranks and rode the dog down, took the bread - out of his mouth, and ate it. - -At last Lumsden’s Horse were on Transvaal territory. Another vaunted -stronghold, which the Boers had declared they would defend to the last -extremity, was in our hands, without even the semblance of a struggle -for it. Generals French and Hutton had crossed the Vaal at important -strategic points west of Vereeniging. All the most important drifts were -thus held by us, and the ways open for British columns to enter the -Transvaal without opposition. On the following day Lord Roberts, with -his headquarters, moved across Viljoen’s Drift and issued a proclamation -declaring that the Orange Free State had ceased to exist, and had become -from that moment an integral part of the British Empire, to be known -henceforth as Orange River Colony. - -[Illustration: J.S. CAMPBELL] - -[Illustration: C.E. TURNER] - -[Illustration: E.S. CHAPMAN] - -[Illustration: G. INNES WATSON] - -[Illustration: C.E. STUART] - -[Illustration: C. CARY-BARNARD] - -[Illustration: E.S. CLIFFORD] - -[Illustration: CORPORAL KIRWAN] - -[Illustration: H. GOUGH] - - N.C.O. AND TROOPERS - - - - - CHAPTER XII - _JOHANNESBURG AND PRETORIA IN OUR HANDS_ - - -In all operations up to this point Lumsden’s Horse, with Loch’s Horse -and companies of the West Riding and Oxfordshire Light Infantry, forming -the 8th Mounted Infantry Regiment, under Colonel Ross, had, with other -corps of Colonel Henry’s brigade, been so actively engaged scouting -ahead of the main column with which Lord Roberts moved, that they had -neither time nor opportunity to know what was being done by other -divisions of the army. It is necessary, therefore, to explain briefly -here the general dispositions for an advance on Pretoria at the moment -when Lord Roberts crossed Vaal River into Transvaal territory. Since -they marched out of Kroonstad the troops, whose advance was most -direct—following the line of railway with slight divergences—had covered -just a hundred miles in four days. Mounted troops, being employed to -reconnoitre on each flank and keep up communications along their front, -almost doubled that distance. In face of such a rapid advance the Boer -commandos which had dispersed after their evacuation of Kroonstad found -a difficulty in concentrating for the defence of any strategic points. -They were evidently puzzled by the sudden mobility of British forces, -and, what with Methuen marching for the west, French’s Cavalry making a -dash for the drifts at Parys and Reitzburg, as if Potchefstroom were -their objective, the main column pushing along beside the railway for -Viljoen’s Drift, and Ian Hamilton marching as if for Engelbrecht’s Drift -on the Heilbron-Heidelberg road, the Boer commandants could not agree as -to which point would most likely be threatened first or at which they -might make a stand with the greatest chance of success. Hasty -preparations were made by them with a view to checking General Ian -Hamilton, whom they credited with a design on Heidelberg and the Eastern -railways. Possibly that, combined with a great movement in force upon -the junctions outside Johannesburg, might have been the shortest way to -end the war, because, as we know now, the Boer Generals attached very -little importance to the defence of their big towns, while they realised -fully all the strategical advantages of free communication between -Pretoria and the eastern districts; and President Kruger especially was -anxious to keep open a line by which prominent members of his -Administration might be able to get away with a sufficient store of -bullion for private and political uses at the last moment. The defenders -of Engelbrecht’s Drift, however, waited in vain watching the trap they -had laid for General Ian Hamilton. His line of march had been suddenly -changed by orders from Lord Roberts, and, instead of crossing the Vaal -where he was expected, east of Vereeniging, he had made a rapid march -westward to strike the river between General French’s Cavalry and the -main body, leaving our right flank to be guarded by General Gordon with -the 3rd Cavalry Brigade. With regard to all this and the ceremony at -Viljoen’s Drift, when Lord Roberts proclaimed the annexation of Orange -Free State to the British Crown, Lumsden’s Horse knew nothing at the -time. Content with their own share of the good work that had been -accomplished, they were consoling themselves by the prospect of at least -one day’s well-earned rest for men and horses. But that good fortune was -not to be theirs after all. Colonel Lumsden, continuing his official -record, explains how these pleasant hopes were dashed: - - The 27th dawned, the horses were turned out to graze, leave was given - for men to go into town, and general cleaning up began, when suddenly - at 10.30 A.M. we had an order to move at once to help the 3rd Cavalry - Brigade under General Gordon, who was reported to be in a tight corner - to the north-east. Horses were caught, saddles put on, and we were - away by 11, with no rations for man or horse. The rest of the brigade - joined in four miles further on. All proceeded with every precaution - through a difficult bit of trappy country, arriving about 4.30 P.M. at - the drift where General Gordon was supposed to be stuck up. There no - signs of him could be seen, so we made tracks back to a point four - miles north of Vereeniging, where we were to have joined our column, - when it camped there that night. We struggled on until, our horses - giving out, the whole brigade bivouacked at 8 P.M., having put behind - us some seven miles of our return journey, and having done quite - twenty-five miles. Lieutenant Neville, with a guide, was sent in to - headquarters for instructions, and returned at 3 A.M. with the order - that our brigade was to come on at once and resume its position in - front of the headquarters, leading the army. By 4 A.M. we were away - again in the bitter frosty cold, leading our starved horses, the sun - rising as we waded a nasty drift over the Klip. We reached our place - in the advance guard at 7, in the nick of time, just as all had begun - to move off, and were at once pushed on three miles at a trot ahead of - everything, fighting being expected at the notorious Klip River - position. No Boers, however, were seen. The country was ablaze with - the burning veldt, which the Boers had set fire to systematically as - they went, and the Klip River was gained without a shot. There were - sounds of heavy fighting, however, in the hills on our left, where - French and Hamilton were forcing back the enemy on Johannesburg. - -[Illustration: LIEUTENANT G.A. NEVILLE.] - -With an editorial desire to link the separate operations into one chain, -I may here describe from personal experience what happened away on that -left flank where French and Hamilton were hotly engaged with the -outposts of a Boer force, whose object in holding the high kopjes -between Gatsrand and Klipriviersberg was obviously to force upon us a -wider flanking movement, by which the western columns would be further -separated from the main body and thus unable to co-operate with it -effectively. It is improbable that Louis Botha had any hope of being -able to defeat the British forces in detail by delivering a -counter-stroke on each column in turn. It is far more likely that his -idea even at that period was to lengthen out the British line of -communications as far as possible, thus weakening it by attenuation and -making it more vulnerable to attacks by small raiding parties. -Co-operating with him was Christian De Wet, to whom such a plan would -have been sure to commend itself as offering a chance for numbers of -Free-Staters to slip through the girdle that was gradually closing about -them, re-cross the Vaal, and harass their enemies on ground where local -knowledge would give them every advantage. - -On this supposition the resistance offered to General French some -twenty-five miles north-west of Vereeniging had peculiar interest for -me, because I watched the operations there with some foreknowledge of -the probable Boer tactics gained in a curious way. Four days earlier I -had breakfasted at a farm next to Christian De Wet’s, not far from -Rodewal station. The farmer invited myself and a companion into his -house, above which a white flag was flying, and when told that this was -our Queen’s birthday he produced a bottle of whisky with which to drink -to Her Majesty’s health, which we did readily enough, although he -declined to join us. There was no unfriendliness or want of hospitality -in that, and, indeed, we should have mistrusted the man if he had put on -a pretence of loyalty because he had been induced to hoist the white -flag as an emblem of neutrality. There were no troops at that moment -nearer than Lumsden’s Horse, who could be seen on the sky-line about -four miles westward, moving towards Vredefort Road Station. - -From that direction presently came a young Boer well mounted but -unarmed. His wary movements at first seemed to indicate that he had no -desire to be seen by our troops, but our host explained that the road -took many turns and twists which might puzzle a stranger. The horseman -was evidently not well pleased to find Englishmen at the farm, but this -we, being somewhat vain, attributed to jealousy, seeing that the youth -and our host’s comely daughter were exchanging glances in which there -might have been a world of other meaning, though we suspected it not. We -knew instinctively that they were not quite strangers, but there were no -signs of friendly recognition in our presence. After a brief -conversation, carried on between the young man and the farmer aside, -though neither of us could have understood the taal they talked, our -host came forward and explained that his neighbour was simply riding -from one farm to another, where the family had all surrendered and -obtained their permits to live in peace. There was nothing to be done -then except shake hands and part, but the next day my Basuto servant, -who, having lived in Johannesburg, had a wholesome dread of Boer -sjamboks, gave me a full interpretation of what he had overheard the -young man say in that neighbourly talk with our burgher friend. The -burden of it was that this guileless youth, Ferreira by name, had been -sent by Christian De Wet to let everybody know why the Free State -commandos were retiring with Botha’s Transvaalers instead of defending -their own homesteads. It was only to lure the English on to destruction, -and Christian De Wet promised that he would slip back again in a day or -two to Rodewal and play Old Harry with the invaders. - -Up to the time of joining General French’s force in the afternoon of May -28 I had regarded this as a vain boast. A closer study of Boer tactics, -however, was enough to show what they were playing for, and I watched -with some apprehension our Cavalry moving westward in vain attempts to -outflank the mobile Boers, who were galloping from kopje to kopje on one -side of a vast dam fringed by treacherous mires which French’s squadrons -could not cross. Ian Hamilton meanwhile conformed to this movement -without getting touch of the enemy or drawing near to their stronghold, -which was obviously on the frowning crest of Klipriviersberg (shortened -by the Boers colloquially to Riviersberg). - -Being alone, and far from my supplies, I slept supperless that night in -a deserted Boer store, for the sake of such shelter as a wall and roof -might give from a keen icy wind that swept in gusts through the broken -windows. I had neither overcoat nor blanket, and saw nothing to lie on -but a filthy floor or the bare laths of a rickety iron bedstead. I chose -the latter. Having been in the saddle from 5 in the morning until 10 at -night, with the exception of necessary halts for my horse to graze, I -was soon oblivious to the discomfort of that rude couch, and, for all I -knew, my pillow might have been softest down instead of hard -saddle-flaps. But long before daybreak the cravings of a hunger that had -only been tantalised by coffee and biscuit twenty-four hours earlier -awoke me to a consciousness that my limbs were aching with cold and sore -from the chafing of those sharp-edged laths. Striking a light, I looked -at the little thermometer attached to my wallet, and found that it -registered ten degrees of frost. More sleep was not to be thought of, so -I groped through the darkness to a stall only less draughty than the -store I had slept in, found my horse shivering there, rubbed him down -with a wisp of straw, by way of restoring his circulation and my own, -and waited for the dawn. Then I found my way across vleis and spruits to -where General Ian Hamilton’s force was moving off through dense mists -from Cyferfontein to attack the Boer position on Riviersberg. When the -rising sun dispelled those mists the Gordons and City Imperial -Volunteers were spread out in thin lines stretching fan-like across a -segment of the veldt, and so they went on hour after hour without -finding any sign of Boers. The pangs of hunger being all-potent, I rode -off in search of a farm, hoping also to come across another British -column within a few miles. After an hour or more I was gladdened by the -sight of Haartebeestefontein Farm standing in the midst of green -mealie-patches and belted about by eucalyptus trees—the very picture of -peace. At that moment four Boers drove out from the farm-yard in a -well-horsed Cape cart, but made no sign at sight of me except by driving -the faster. They needn’t have been in such a hurry to get away from an -unarmed and famished Englishman, who had not one comrade within miles. -But luckily they didn’t know. - -Though French’s Cavalry had been at the farm a day before me and -ransacked the Veldt-Cornet’s deserted house, in search of any documents -that might have been left there, ducks were swimming in a pond close by -and fowls cackling about the sheds from which some Kaffirs presently -appeared. To my request, for bread or eggs or milk they had but one -answer, ‘Ikona.’ The sight of a loaded revolver might have produced some -effect, but, having none, I dismounted and made a systematic search. If -food in any shape was there it must have been very cleverly hidden. -Finding not so much as a bundle of oat-hay for my horse to nibble at, I -rode on across ridge and hollow another five miles or so, and then came -upon a little dorp or hamlet, from which all the inhabitants except a -Dutch schoolmaster and his wife had disappeared. They declared that not -a scrap of food had been left behind. But the good vrau gave me a cup of -excellent coffee, and with thanks for the best of hospitality, which -gives all it can, I jogged along another league or two, following the -straight road towards Johannesburg and expecting every minute to fall in -with the rearguard of a column going that way. All the while I had not -seen a single soldier or the trace of an iron-shod hoof that was not at -least a day old. The unmistakable marks of ‘ammunition’ boots were not -there, and neither horse nor man had left footprints on tracks where the -morning’s thaw had softened them. At last from a rugged ridge I saw -smoke curling up from houses among the trees that marked the course of a -river some two miles ahead. Not caring much by that time whether Britons -or Boers might be in those houses, I rode straight for the nearest of -them, which turned out to be a farm in the barn of which I saw much -forage. - -Evidently none of our mounted troops had been there, but it was too late -to think of turning back. That, in all probability, would have brought a -Mauser bullet whistling about my ears. ‘Bluff’ was the only game to play -in such circumstances, so I called to a Kaffir servant, told him to -fetch forage for my horse, and then swaggered towards the house as if I -had been a Staff officer with a whole regiment at my back. On the stoep -a bearded Boer met me. He had been lying prone on ground where rhenoster -bushes grew. Their burrs were still sticking to his serge jacket, the -left elbow of which was stained by the red earth on which it had rested, -and his right thumb was black with a coating of burnt melinite. I saw it -all as he raised one hand in a sort of half-military salute, and -extended the other to welcome me, and in that moment I knew he had just -come down from Riviersberg heights for lunch in the intervals of -fighting. So, still playing an assumed part, I asked what weapons he -had, and he brought me a well-worn Martini-Henry; but that was not what -I wanted. After some show of misunderstanding the Boer brought his wife, -who talked English fluently enough, and when I had explained to her the -awful consequences of concealing arms or ammunition from a British -officer, holding plenary powers of punishment, there was no necessity -for saying any more. Without even waiting for my words to be -interpreted, her husband went out and came back with a Mauser rifle, the -fouling of which was still moist round its breech-chamber, and a -bandolier half full of cartridges. These I took charge of, not knowing -what I should do with them if a Boer commando happened to come that way. -As to British troops—well, at any rate, I had no hesitation in assuring -the Boer that his household would be safe from them. I did not think it -necessary to add that none would be likely to come anywhere near him. In -return for my leniency (save the mark!) he suggested something that had -been in my mind all the while, and thereupon his good wife brought a -deliciously white loaf and milk that was fragrant in its freshness. She -was sorry that they ‘had nothing better to offer.’ Nothing better! -Heavens, how sweet it tasted! Yet I was restrained from eating or -drinking much by the thought that any show of my famished state would -give me away. It was difficult to parry all questions concerning the -number of troops I had with me, so I said that my men must have found a -lot of arms to collect or they would have been there sooner. Upon that -the Boer volunteered information as to the number of rifles which could -possibly be in farms or cottages round about. All this information I -noted down ostentatiously, wondering as I did so how on earth I should -get out of the hole into which circumstances were thrusting me deeper -and deeper. - -At that moment, as luck would have it, two West Australians of the 4th -Regiment M.I. turned up, and, leaving them to collect the arms of which -such careful note had been made, and to eat the remnants of my -unfinished meal I mounted to ride off in quest of their main body, -taking care, however, to command proper protection for the house in -which I had been so hospitably entertained. ‘Well played,’ said one, -with much outward show of respect, as he produced a bottle of brandy -from the ample pocket of his ‘coat British warm,’ and offered me a nip. -I saw that he, at any rate, understood the game. At Eikenhof Drift I -found the main body which turned out to be no more than a patrol. Its -appearance drew fire from the Boers, who were apparently holding that -road into Johannesburg strongly. They began to show in groups of twenty -and thirty on kopjes where no sign of them had been seen before, and -were evidently meditating a movement by which the drift might have been -outflanked. To prevent this Major Pilkington, who was in command, -detached some men from his scanty force to hold two smaller fords, and -in a short time there were several casualties from rifle fire at short -range. Just then we could hear the roar of guns where General Ian -Hamilton was attacking miles away on the left. Hard pressed, yet -determined to hold on where he was, Major Pilkington had not a galloper -whom he could send with a message to his divisional General, Pole-Carew. -I volunteered to carry it, and started for a ride of twenty miles across -unknown country, making sure that I should hit off some column within -that distance. But all the troops under the immediate command of Lord -Roberts had been following the line of railway—where their front was -cleared by the 8th Mounted Infantry, with which were Lumsden’s Horse and -other regiments of Colonel Henry’s brigade—in a turning movement, the -extent of which will be appreciated after perusal of the preceding -narrative. I had ridden a distance that would have measured nearly -thirty miles from point to point without seeing more than a small patrol -of British troops. That night, or early the next morning, when Major -Pilkington had withdrawn his small force, a thousand Free State Boers -crossed Eikenhof Drift and got in rear of the British columns to rejoin -De Wet. Meanwhile, with French or Hamilton on the west, and in advance -of the main body on the east, deeds were being done that sealed the fate -of Johannesburg and Pretoria. Lumsden’s Horse took a full share of -honours that day, though their Colonel does not descant upon these at -great length in his official report, but contents himself with the -following record: - - On the 29th we marched at 5.30, expecting to arrive after ten miles at - Natal Spruit, where fighting was certain. Our maps and information - were, however, wrong, for we found ourselves most unexpectedly in - sight of the place with the smoke of the train leaving the station. - - We were sent to endeavour to cut it off as it wound about the kopjes, - and had a very exciting gallop of three miles, blowing up the railway - behind the train. Again we pushed on to try and cut her off at the - next big bend, but again were too late, and ran into the fire of a - party covering the retreat of the train. - - We then took up a position commanding the railroad, while under - Colonel Ross’s orders a party of five men was sent to block the line - at any cost. This very dangerous task was given to Lieutenant Pugh and - the undermentioned men, who carried it out with great determination - and coolness: Privates Turner, Were, Dagge, and Parks. - -An officer of high rank, whose opportunities of knowing what happened -give especial value to his testimony, says: - - On May 29 the 8th Mounted Infantry were ordered to move from Klip - Drift to cut the Natal Railway line, the Springs line (the main line - north of Elandsfontein), and the telegraph wires at important points. - When near the junction of Natal and Free State lines we saw a - train-load of burghers from Natal passing northwards to where, beyond - the junction, the railway runs from a broad valley into one of several - converging kopjes through a deep cutting in the steep and rugged - hillside. With the object of heading off that train as it slackened - speed on a stiff gradient, Lumsden’s Horse made a great gallop up the - valley towards a point where it narrows to a neck, from which the - hills rise abruptly on each side. Their course for two or three miles - was over rough ground parallel to the railway and nearly midway - between it and a branch of Natal Spruit. They were unable, however, to - arrive in time, and the Boers, detraining, occupied a kopje just above - the railway cutting, the gorge and banks of which they could command - from the ridge above and from a ganger’s hut, which they also held in - force. Thus they had the railway between them and Lumsden’s Horse, and - seemed in a good position for sweeping all approaches to it by an - effective rifle fire. Lumsden’s Horse dismounted in the hollow and - advanced against that kopje. - - It was, however, necessary to destroy the line, and the Engineer - officer who accompanied the force for the purpose of blowing up the - line was not handy. Lieutenant Pugh, with four men, then volunteered - to get into the cutting at its deepest point and either block or break - it. As the Boers were holding the ganger’s hut close to this point, it - was a warm corner! However, Pugh and his party reached the line. The - four men covered his further advance from the edge of the embankment - whilst he descended into the cutting. Having nothing wherewith to - break the line, he effectually blocked it with a number of huge - boulders—quite sufficient to stop any train passing through. This - occupied some time, and his covering party were pretty busy with the - Boers at the hut, who were at first inclined to run in on him. But as - one or two of them paid dearly for their temerity, their efforts - ceased, so that Pugh and his party were enabled to retreat from their - little picnic without loss. Pugh is now a D.S.O. - - It was a long and hard day that 29th of May; the 8th Mounted Infantry - were under fire from 7 A.M. till 9 P.M. Lumsden’s Horse were among the - _few_ troops in at the finish on the hill north of Elandsfontein, - where the parting duel was fought with the Boers as they retreated. - All the lines were cut. The consequent bag was fourteen engines and - over 400 waggons—not a bad day’s work. Even Lord Kitchener is reported - to have ‘smiled’ when he heard the news. - -[Illustration: - - _Photo: Harrington & Co._ - LIEUTENANT H.O. PUGH, D.S.O. -] - -This incident is described with further detail in a private letter by -Lieutenant Pugh, who, modestly minimising his own share in a very -hazardous enterprise, writes: - - Yesterday our orders were to take Elandsfontein, cut the wires and - blow up the railway, and to do the same at Germiston. The first - excitement began at Elsburg, where we saw a train going out of the - station. Seeing it was on the move, we sent some men to try to cut it - off, but it went back up an angle like the Darjiling train. There was - another angle, and we galloped about three miles to that part, but the - train was too fast and went round a kopje, where its occupants - evidently got out and opened fire on us. If we had known the line we - would have got that train easily by going to the left instead of to - the right. While we were dismounted and firing an order came for six - men to rush for the line and try to block it. The Colonel passed on - for the six men at the end to go. It happened to be partly my section - and partly No. 4. One man could not find his horse, so I went off with - four men and galloped right up to the railway and under the - embankment. It was held by a fairly strong picket, who luckily did not - fire till we were under cover. I put two men on to fire at that - picket, of which three were hit—the range was only about fifty - yards—and the other two on to about 100 on our left front 200 or 300 - yards off. We were also fired at from a kopje on our right. The picket - presently cleared, and I made a rush for the line: it was in a cutting - and out of the fire. I rolled some boulders on the lines, and on - getting back found a pretty hot fire had opened on us from behind: it - turned out to be one of our own Maxims. We mounted and galloped back - without a scratch. - - Colonel Ross’s orders then were to push on and support the 4th Mounted - Infantry, who held a kopje on our right. Here we lay for two hours, - our position overlooking the Boksburg railway station, supported by - two Colt guns from Ross’s Battery, which kept up a steady fire in - answer to the enemy’s shells and bullets until their retirement. We - then continued the turning movement to the right and took possession - of the station, halting there for a few minutes to re-form, while the - Royal Engineer Company attached to us for the purpose blew up the line - at this point. One of our sailors, Private Dexter, swarming up the - telegraph post, cut all communication with Springs. At the time we and - a company of Compton’s Horse were the only troops up, and, being - reinforced by two companies of the 4th Mounted Infantry, which were - placed under my orders, we were told to proceed with all speed due - west to blow up the Pretoria line, which we should find four miles on. - We succeeded in doing this, but too late to cut off one train, which - just evaded us, our horses being too done to go faster than a modest - trot. We again halted a few minutes, facing a long kopje in front of - us. - -[Illustration: - - WALTER DEXTER, D.C.M., B Company, - cutting the telegraph wires at Elandsfontein - (_From a sketch by J.S. Cowen_) -] - -Colonel Lumsden adds: - - While the Royal Engineer Company were busy blowing up the railway at - this point, Captain Rutherfoord on the left, with our scouts, with his - usual keenness soon came in touch with those of the enemy, and a brisk - fire ensued on both sides, Captain Rutherfoord holding his position - until I was able to reinforce him on his right flank. Colonel Ross - soon hurried up further reinforcements on his left, which enabled us - to hold the kopje and forced the enemy to fall back on the convoy they - were covering. As night was approaching, pursuit with our tired horses - was utterly hopeless, and we were ordered to move to our left and - encamp at Germiston, which lay in the hollow behind us. This, being - the junction of railway lines that branch off in several directions, - was the key of the Boer position. Our day’s movements had, however, - been very successful, and Colonel Henry issued a brigade order next - morning saying he had been congratulated by the Commander-in-Chief on - the day’s work; while Colonel Ross was also congratulated on the - prominent part taken by his corps, which resulted in the capture of - fourteen engines and a large quantity of rolling-stock. This was very - pleasant news to us, but the work was telling its tale on the horses, - who were dead beat and fast tumbling to pieces from overwork and want - of food. Our casualty was fortunately only one during the day—namely, - Private J.D. Bewsher, who was shot through the knee while we were - engaging the enemy opposite Boksburg. - - Owing to the pace we had travelled and the hilly nature of the - country, our Maxim gun under Captain Holmes, with its escort, had not - come into camp when we retired to bed. The men, as on many previous - occasions, had to turn in without food, and their horses were in the - same plight. - -In another action, on the 30th, north of Germiston, Trooper Elwes, son -of the Archdeacon of Madras, was wounded by a bullet through the ankle -and Trooper Radford had his horse shot in two places. - -[Illustration: - - _Photo: D. Brownsworth_ - P.C. PRESTON, D.C.M. -] - -Describing Trooper Preston’s adventurous ride with despatches and his -readiness of resource in a difficult situation, another correspondent -writes: - - Eight men of Lumsden’s Horse in charge of Sergeant Macnamara were sent - out in a big patrol under Captain Harris, 1st West Riding M.I., with - orders to take the Johannesburg Waterworks. Captain Harris paraded his - sixty men, and chose two of Lumsden’s Horse as his orderlies. We then - rode down the kopjes to the plain below, Compton’s Horse firing over - our heads at the Boers all the time. As we went down we met Trooper - Elwes, No. 2 Section, B Company, being brought in wounded through the - ankle when on patrol with Lieutenant Pugh. About a mile away there was - a farmhouse under the kopje which was held by the Boers; some - Australians with us rushed the place, and captured three Boers and a - waggon of ammunition. After marching about an hour, firing every now - and then and being fired at, we got to the Waterworks on a hill - towering above Johannesburg. The fort is on another hill half a mile - away. It seemed as if trenches had been dug for us round the - Waterworks, high banks of gravel perfectly protecting us. Trooper - Preston, of Lumsden’s Horse, was sent back to Germiston with a - despatch saying the Waterworks were occupied; he was to make the - shortest possible cut, and gallop all the way. This orderly had a very - exciting adventure. His shortest road lay through the outskirts of - Johannesburg. When riding through these streets he saw several Boers - peeping out of their houses, and at one place they actually tried to - stop him. He galloped through them, however; they then shouted out to - know if the English were in Johannesburg yet, and he answered that - they were, knowing that if he said no he would as likely as not be - shot at. They then asked where he was going to, and he said Pretoria. - Thus it was that a man of Lumsden’s Horse was the first, or one of the - first, to enter Johannesburg. A little further the orderly met two - Kaffirs who could talk English, and who told him that among the rocks - on a small kopje on the left of the road was an armed Boer waiting to - shoot him. The orderly was puzzled what to do, as he could see no Boer - behind the rocks; however, he dismounted and advanced on foot towards - the kopje, leading his horse behind him. Having got within speaking - distance of the rocks and still seeing no Boer, he put his rifle to - his shoulder and pointed it at the biggest rock, shouting out, ‘Hands - up, or I fire!’ Immediately two arms were seen above the rock, the - order ‘Hold up your rifle’ was obeyed at once, and the orderly found - he had captured the Boer. About a mile further on he met some - Australians, and having to gallop with the despatch he handed the - prisoner over to them, taking with him the rifle and ammunition. Alas! - at the door of the Colonel’s tent whom should he meet but Lord - Kitchener himself, who, seeing the orderly had two rifles, - commandeered one. Meanwhile the Boers kept up a continuous fire at the - Waterworks. However, several Englishmen and young ladies had climbed - up the hill at the back and brought food and drink for the first of - their countrymen whom they had seen—several of them, while Tommy ate - and drank, firing away with the soldiers’ rifles at the fort. In the - evening Preston brought the message to retire to camp, which was done - in a very orderly fashion, the patrol arriving back soon after dark - with the total casualties of three men wounded, having spent the most - or one of the most exciting and agreeable days in the whole campaign. - -Colonel Lumsden describes other incidents in the following passage: - - A party of West Riding Regiment’s Mounted Infantry scouting on our - left did not get off so easily, for seeing some men in khaki and - helmets to their front they mistook them for friends, and, getting - within speaking distance, were much surprised to find their morning’s - greetings met with a summons to surrender. Their immediate attempt at - flight resulted in two casualties—one wounded and taken prisoner, the - other, although wounded, getting back to camp. Firing then became - general on our right, where the 3rd Cavalry Brigade was on outpost - duty, and we were hastily summoned to saddle up and reinforce them. We - arrived in time to witness an artillery duel, the Boers retiring - slowly under the fire of the Cavalry pom-poms. The morning’s work, - however, resulted badly for them, they having had sixteen casualties, - which were attended to by our medical officer, Captain Powell, who was - luckily on the spot. - - We then returned to camp, and shortly afterwards Captain Holmes came - in with his Maxim gun, reporting that he had lost two of his scouting - party, Privates Cary-Barnard and G.I. Watson, whom he had sent out in - advance while journeying to rejoin us in the early morning. A few - hours afterwards the missing men came into camp, stating that having - been informed that our men were in front they had ridden confidingly - into a body of about fifty men dressed like our own troops in khaki, - thinking they were friends, but were suddenly disillusioned by being - ordered to surrender. Under the conditions attempting to escape on - their worn-out horses was out of the question, and they had no option - but to deliver up their arms. They were cross-questioned as to our - strength and the likely duration of the war. Private Watson, in reply - to the latter question, told the General that he considered fighting - would be over in a few days, a reply that seemed to cause much - amusement. They were then offered the choice of remaining as prisoners - or giving their word of honour that they would fight no more during - this war. They chose the latter, thinking the end was very near. - - Next morning, June 1, our orders were to march on Johannesburg, six - miles distant, which we reached unopposed in time to see the Union - Jack hoisted over the Fort, which had been divested of all its guns - except a few rendered useless. We then marched some five miles north - of the city, and camped for two days. On the morning of the 3rd we - marched twelve miles towards Pretoria, meeting no resistance, but - again losing touch with our Maxim, which, being unable to follow us - across country, had to stick to the road, and which we were destined - not to see for several days. - -So Lumsden’s Horse had gratified one desire on which their hearts were -set for many months. Their brigade had led the fighting line practically -into Johannesburg, and when the Union Jack was hoisted over its public -buildings they cared nothing for the ceremonial parades, but were only -anxious to take the lead again in a march on Pretoria. With soldier-like -brevity Colonel Lumsden’s chronicle sums up the operations of an -eventful day: - - On June 4 we advanced to Six Mile Spruit, again being the foremost - corps of the leading brigade, all anticipating a heavy fight in front - of us, as the spruit was said to be our enemy’s last position and - likely therefore to be desperately contested. These prognostications - were not, however, realised. Careful reconnaissance showed that there - were no Boers at the spruit. We then proceeded leisurely up the chain - of hills beyond it, concluding they were not held, but with every - precaution against the unexpected. It was not until midday that we - came in touch with the enemy, who opened on the 4th Mounted Infantry - on our right with shell fire. We were then pushed forward to take a - commanding kopje, and got a smart peppering from a few snipers hidden - in the rocks on our left flank, but had no casualties, though the - bullets were falling thickly among us as we crossed the open. - - It now became evident that the enemy’s main position was on our left, - and I was ordered to occupy a ridge about one mile distant in that - direction, opposite a steep kopje about 1,000 yards off held by the - Boers. Here they were beautifully entrenched and kept up a steady fire - on our line, which we returned with interest, until aid arrived in the - shape of three fifteen-pounders on the right, two pom-poms on our - left, and three Colt guns in the centre. These searched the ridge for - some hours without dislodging the Boers, whose trenches must have been - admirably constructed, as a move on our part from one rock to another - was sufficient to draw a hail of bullets, while we were unable to spot - a single Boer. - - Here Private Charles E. Stuart was wounded by a bullet through the - ankle, but was unable to be removed from the firing line until the - fire slackened late in the afternoon, when a kind friend carried him - down on his back to the ambulance tonga at the foot of the hill. - - At about 4 P.M. the enemy’s fire began to dwindle, and eventually - ceased altogether, and just as we meditated leaving our ridge to cross - over to theirs our Infantry became visible, advancing from westward - along the ridge which the enemy had occupied, while to our right - front, some two miles off, more British Infantry appeared on the sky - line, showing that the Boer position had been quitted. At this period - our Brigadier’s orders came for us to retire from the kopje and make - our bivouac for the night somewhere on the plain below. - - June 5 was the day on which we reached the goal we had been struggling - for. Pretoria at last, not fighting our way in, as anticipated by - everybody, but forming a peaceful procession, with our baggage behind - us, news having arrived that the Governor had surrendered the town - late the previous night. - - We were not allowed to halt, but just passed through the city and out - to Irene, a station ten miles south of Pretoria and on the - Johannesburg line, which we at present occupy, the whole corps - protecting the rail from Pretoria to Johannesburg. - ------ - -Footnote 9: - - Hindustani for ‘fowls.’—ED. - -Footnote 10: - - Hindustani for ‘orders.’—ED. - -Footnote 11: - - Hindustani for ‘blunder.’—ED. - -Footnote 12: - - See Appendix IV.—ED. - ------ - - - - - CHAPTER XIII - _ON LINES OF COMMUNICATION AT IRENE, KALFONTEIN, - ZURFONTEIN, AND SPRINGS—THE PRETORIA PAPER-CHASE_ - - -That march through Pretoria, marked by none of the pomp and pageantry -which imagination conjures up as essential features of a great triumph, -must have seemed a lame and impotent conclusion to the stirring drama of -real life in which Lumsden’s Horse had played their manful part, cheered -always by the prospect of a glorious reward for all their struggles, -hardships, and sacrifices in the final downfall of Boer power when the -Transvaal capital should be in our hands. They were not the only people -who entertained such sanguine hopes and felt proportionally disappointed -at the inadequate realisation. For nearly every soldier at that time in -South Africa, from Lord Roberts downwards, Pretoria had been the goal, -and its conquest the climax beyond which no operations of serious -importance could possibly be called for. Few people, if any, realised -then how little value Boers attach to great towns as strategical bases. -With the capture of Johannesburg and Pretoria we had theoretically all -their arsenals and main lines of communication in our hands, and -according to all hard-and-fast rules of warfare the campaign should have -ended then. That impression was certainly strong on the -Commander-in-Chief’s mind shortly before dusk of June 4, when Colonel De -Lisle, whose Mounted Infantry had followed the enemy to within 2,000 -yards of Pretoria, sent an officer under a flag of truce to demand the -surrender of the town. The end might possibly have come then, if, -instead of waiting five hours for a reply to that summons and seven -hours longer for the unconditional surrender which Lord Roberts insisted -upon when Commandant-General Botha’s tardy message reached him, we had -risked everything in a night attack on the town. But at dawn the next -morning Botha sent a simple message to say that he was not prepared to -defend Pretoria further, and therefore he entrusted the women, children, -and property to his enemy’s protection. In other words, we were quite at -liberty to march into a town from which every fighting commando, all -treasure, and nearly every munition of war had by that time been safely -removed. One big gun was still in the station on a train that waited to -take British prisoners away, but they had risen in mutiny at the last -moment and refused to go, wherefore the train went without them, its -movements being hastened by the sight of British troops coming over the -hills. To Colonel Henry’s Mounted Infantry, of which Lumsden’s Horse -formed a part, was given the honour of being first to enter Pretoria by -the Rustenburg Road, as the Guards Brigade of General Pole-Carew’s -division marched in on another side, without firing a shot. So the goal -was reached; but we found it to all intents and purposes a hollow -triumph. There had been no surrender of the Boer army or of anything -that could weaken its power for further resistance. The cage was in our -hands, but the hawk had gone with wings unpinioned. Every soldier -probably felt, as Lumsden’s Horse did, that any show of triumph would -have been out of place in the circumstances. They took no part even in -the ceremonial parade when Lord Roberts made his formal entry and the -Union Jack was hoisted on the Raadzaal that afternoon, but had at least -the satisfaction of knowing that their services of the previous day were -appreciated by the Commander-in-Chief, who, in his despatches, wrote: - - I marched with Henry’s Mounted Infantry, four companies Imperial - Yeomanry, Pole-Carew’s division, Maxwell’s brigade, and the naval and - siege guns, to Six-mile Spruit, both banks of which were occupied by - the enemy. The Boers were quickly dislodged from the south bank by the - Mounted Infantry and Imperial Yeomanry, and pursued for nearly a mile, - when our troops came under artillery fire. The enemy then moved along - a series of ridges parallel to our main line of advance, with the - object of turning our left flank; but in this they were checked by the - Mounted Infantry and Imperial Yeomanry, supported by Maxwell’s - brigade. - -[Illustration: J. SKELTON] - -[Illustration: R.P. HAINES] - -[Illustration: H.W. THELWALL] - -[Illustration: C.K. MARTIN] - -[Illustration: H.S. CHESHIRE] - -[Illustration: H.B. OLDHAM] - -[Illustration: M.H. LOGAN] - -[Illustration: J.V. JAMESON] - -[Illustration: H. HOWES] - - INVALIDED HOME AFTER THE SURRENDER OF PRETORIA. - -Seeing that Louis Botha, with all the main body of Boers, had retired -eastward, Lord Roberts realised the importance of making his line of -communications secure in that direction, and he therefore paid a high -compliment to the troops under Colonel Ross in selecting them for that -duty. A few days after taking up the positions assigned to him, Colonel -Lumsden wrote from Irene a letter in which he expressed his opinion of -the work that had been done by all ranks in the corps under his command: - - We have been told off to hold the line of communications from Pretoria - to Johannesburg, A Company and Headquarters taking the first ten - miles, B Company the second, and the remainder of the 8th Corps in - detachments all down the line. We are here for an indefinite time, - awaiting events. - - Our Maxim gun under Captain Holmes has rejoined us here, having been - with General French’s columns. - - This is a much needed rest for all, and especially for our horses, as - they are utterly unfit to do more than a couple of days’ hard - marching, and I can only put ninety mounted men, including officers, - into the field. - - This, considering the corps landed with a full complement of 250 - horses and has since received nearly 150 remounts, will give you an - idea of what we have gone through, and the wear and tear our horses - have had through hard marching and short feeding. - - Taking it as a whole, officers and men have kept excellent health, the - only prevalent disease being dysentery. The days are bright and sunny, - without being hot; at times it is even cold. The nights, however, are - always bitterly cold, and it is quite a usual occurrence, on awaking, - to find the grass covered with frost and the water in the hand-basin - frozen over. This will give you some idea of the pleasure of sleeping - out with only the sky for a roof. - - Our total casualties have amounted to twenty-five—just ten per cent. - of the force we landed with, and a very large proportion of our - ordinary fighting strength, considering that the most we have ever put - in the field was 186, and we are now reduced to under a hundred - mounted men. - - We have heard of the release of our prisoners, and expect them to join - us in a few days. Our only casualties in this shape were the seven - taken on April 30 at Ospruit. - - I cannot say too much in praise of the conduct of my officers and men - from first to last, under many hardships and in very trying - circumstances, and I feel sure they have gained a name for themselves - which their many friends both in England and in India have just cause - to be proud of. - - I am confident that my meed of praise will be fully endorsed by those - under whom I and my corps have had the honour to serve. - - It is considered that the war is virtually over, and, at any rate, I - fancy all Volunteer corps will be disbanded within a short time. - - I have kept our accounts as nearly as possible up to date, but we are - unaware if any pay already claimed has yet been placed to our credit - in Cape Town, and in the meantime troopers are receiving advances - through this office out of the funds brought by me from India. - Fortunately, I have been able to cash cheques in the towns we have - passed through, and I hope I may succeed in doing so at Pretoria - to-morrow, as our cash in the box is reduced to four sovereigns. - - We have received no mails, either from England or India, for the past - six weeks, and we are all anxiously awaiting news. - -The Special Correspondent of the ‘Englishman,’ whose close association -with the corps in all circumstances can be traced through every letter, -does not take his banishment to lines of communication with the Stoical -philosophy that characterises Colonel Lumsden. After the freshness of it -has gone he writes: - - Irene—that’s where Lumsden’s Horse have been putting in time since - Lord Roberts supplanted Paul Kruger in the jurisdiction of the town - and in the hearts of the people of Pretoria. Irene is not so called - because of any resemblance it bears to the Irene of the classics. For - of all the forsaken places which it has pleased Providence to dot down - on this earth of ours Irene is the most forsaken. Perhaps the Boers, - in their cunning, calculated that by giving it a name like music its - reproach in the land might be less. The predominating feature of the - scenery in Irene is the railway. That, with rare persistence for a - Transvaal railway, runs right through the place in a straight line. - The late Government of this country knew a lot about railways. A crow - might have done the distance between, say, Bloemfontein and Pretoria - in 250 miles, but it takes the railway 500 miles. And each mile cost - as many hundred pounds to build. The Government fell in with the - contractor’s miscalculation. The railway is full of curves, elegant - but unnecessary, and the Government—_garib admi, sahib! Huzoor, - bucksheesh!_ - - Near the station stood a culvert so big that it deserved to be called - a bridge. There the Boers had placed a charge of dynamite. The - dynamite went off pop, and the bridge, the embankment, a section of - the river, and a large slice of the scenery became as naught. Then as - Lord Roberts swept north he dropped a Sapper or two—no orders, no need - of any. But in three days trains as long as Chowringhee skipped over - where the bridge had been, and only the two Sappers trembled for the - safety of their bag o’ tricks. No Tommy ever doubts the inventions of - a Sapper. And, despite the absent-mindedness attributed to him, Tommy - is a man ever suspicious of the doings of his neighbour. But everybody - knows about Sappers and their wonderful works. - - Hence it was that Lumsden’s Horse went to Irene. The powers that had - newly begun to be in Pretoria said we were to do steady Horatio, - without any theatrical business, to that bridge, while the Sappers - slung things about and made it _pucca_. After three weeks of guarding - this babe of the Royal Engineers the truth dawned upon Lumsden’s Horse - that they were on lines of communication. ’Twas no place for them, - thought they, but the authorities had their own designs, and Lumsden’s - Horse were spread out to such places as Zurfontein, Kalfontein, - Oliphantfontein, Springs, &c., where the railway had been foolish - enough to risk itself in the air and endanger its existence thereby, - for the Boers are death and dynamite on everything in the shape of a - bridge. However, while Lumsden’s Horse took care of those places no - Boers ventured to disturb the peace, though they played the devil with - them when we had gone. - -Troopers who had not been spoilt by luxurious idleness as prisoners of -war in Pretoria took a less cynical view of their situation at Irene -until the monotony of it began to depress them. Notwithstanding their -disappointment at having to leave Pretoria behind them before they had a -chance of discovering how illusive was its outward show of plenty, they -soon became reconciled to the fate that deprived them of a share in the -garrison duties which would have seemed but a dull substitute for the -festivities and celebrations that imagination had conjured up as a -natural sequence of a triumphal entry into the Boer capital. On -discovering that the surrender of Pretoria had not brought peace -appreciably nearer, the correspondent of the ‘Indian Daily News’ wrote -quite cheerfully: - - We saw very little of the town, as, after waiting near the racecourse - for about two hours, we were, much to our disgust, marched off to a - station called Irene, about ten miles down the line, where we were to - be put on lines of communication. Our hopes of a bit of a spin in the - town after the toilsome march up were therefore blasted, and growling - was more or less general, naturally enough. I think our tempers were - not improved by the fact that the road out was a mass of dust, which - kept going down our throats and into our eyes till one could hardly - speak or see. Once in camp and settled down, things wore a very - different appearance, however. Irene is a nicely wooded place, with a - beautiful stream of water running just handy—in fact, a perfect - camping ground; just close by is situated the model farm of the - Transvaal. The grounds are very extensive, and fruit and vegetables of - all sorts are grown. There is also a large fenced-in enclosure, where - deer, hartebeeste, and other animals run wild. We stayed at Irene two - days, and then the 8th Mounted Infantry, accompanied by three sections - of B Company, went on to Kalfontein, a station about ten miles further - south, leaving A Company and No. 3 Section B Company to garrison - Irene. Arriving at Kalfontein late in the evening, we camped about a - couple of miles from the railway station till next day, when our - company moved into the station compound. We parted with the 8th - Mounted Infantry here, they being sent to various stations down the - line, and sorry we were to lose our old friends. Kaalfontein railway - station is surrounded by nice trees, under which we kept our horses - and made ourselves at home. Knowing that this would be our station for - some time, we laid in a stock of pots and pans collected from the - empty farmhouses, of which there were several in the vicinity, and did - our cooking in _pucca_ style. Ducks, geese, and turkeys, to say - nothing of cocks and hens, besides our rations of mutton and beef, - kept us going merrily, and groceries, &c., were obtainable from a few - storekeepers, who paid us visits once a week. It was not surprising, - therefore, that after a month of this sort of thing, with - comparatively light work, after the rough time we had been having on - the march up, the appearance of the men all round improved - considerably, chubby rosy cheeks and well-filled-out bodies taking the - place of hollow sunken-in features and more or less meagre frames. The - weather, though bitterly cold in the nights and early mornings, and - very warm as a rule during the days, was thoroughly enjoyable, and - accounted in a great measure, no doubt, for the improved state of most - of the men’s health. Our work consists in patrolling the line south of - Irene, and also the country round on every side, and we also supply - men daily for observation posts in various directions. - - The life we lead is, for the most part, a peaceful one, though in - examining farms and scouring the country round, which we do in parties - of six, under an officer as a rule, there is always the chance of - being potted by the wily Boer. This has happened on three occasions - during our stay, our men being fired upon at close range, and having - to flee for their lives. None of us was touched, but the bullets came - pretty close most times. These small patrols, by the way, are, I - think, the most unsatisfactory part of one’s work, looked at from a - personal point of view. One stands every chance of being shot, and - knows that immediately one is fired at it is a case of turning and - riding for dear life, without a chance of retaliation, or at any rate - immediate retaliation, as the Boers always outnumber us and hold the - positions on these occasions. - - Most of the farms round about Kalfontein are unoccupied, the farmers - and their families evidently having left in haste, only carrying away - a few necessaries with them; but some of their houses have been left - in charge of the Boer Memsahibs, the Sahibs having gone on a - man-shooting expedition with the nearest commando, or, perhaps, being - Commandants themselves. A case in point is that of Commandant Erasmus, - who has a large farm about seven miles from here, where he has left - his wife and five or six comely daughters. Needless to say, this is a - favourite patrol, though the girls are shy and retiring, and the old - lady waxes very wroth when approached with a view to doing a deal in - sheep, saying she has only enough to keep herself and family going, - doubtless including papa when he pays them his periodical visit by - stealth during the night. - -Another trooper takes up the narrative with a sigh of regret for the -things that cannot be got at Boer farms for love or money: - - We are all languishing for an iced whisky peg and a decent meal, and - often wonder whether we shall enjoy either again. Our work has been no - picnic, and, though we are all as enthusiastic over it as ever, I must - admit our experiences have been many and hard. We have dwindled down - in numbers, too, through casualties and sickness, and our clothing is - showing signs of wear and tear. The spick-and-span stage has long - since vanished, and a wash once a week is a luxury. Some had grown - quite respectable—disrespectable I might say—beards, but the Colonel - has a rooted antipathy to hirsute growth on the chin. We have also had - some changes. Trooper Percy Smith has obtained a commission in the - Berkshires, but _pro tem._ is doing duty with the 8th Mounted - Infantry; Trooper Huddleston (a cousin of Lady Roberts and brother to - the E.I.R. Traffic Manager) has been appointed Assistant-Commissioner - of Police in Kroonstad, while Lieutenant Pugh fills a similar office - at Heilbron. - - We have been cut off from our mails for more than a month, and are - very anxious to see the letters that have accumulated somewhere for - us. Our doings, I expect, have been telegraphed to India as they - occurred, for there is a plethora of newspaper correspondents - following in the wake of the army and with Headquarters—Lionel James - represents the ‘Times,’ and has been to see his Indian friends. - - The Kaffir we have come in contact with here is a bad lot, and he has - harassed the Boer farmers terribly during the war, being a perfect - Pindaree in his depredations. He loots anything and everything he can - lay hands on, and shifts his allegiance from Boer to British directly - our troops enter his province. In this respect the excuse he makes is - that since the outbreak of the war the Boers have not troubled to pay - their native servants any wages, while keeping them at work as usual. - - All the Volunteers (Colonial and Imperial) receive 5_s._ and as much - as 7_s._ 6_d._ per day, while Kaffirs earn on an average 4_l._ 10_s._ - per mensem in our employ. It comes a bit rough on us to find our - remuneration fixed at 1_s._ 2_d._ _plus_ 3_d._ for rations per diem. - Considering that we mainly exist on private purchases of stores, the - want of ready money is a great hardship. Some of our troopers have - spent from 10_l._ to 20_l._ a month on groceries and smokes since our - arrival in Africa. Ten shillings for a packet of cigarettes has often - been willingly given, while nobody would think two shillings for a - loaf of bread exorbitant. The reason for these prices is always that - the Boers have commandeered all they could lay hands on in their - retreat. Since our departure from Bloemfontein we have not seen our - tents. Our nightly shelter has been the frosty canopy of heaven, and - our couch the African veldt (pronounced ‘felt’). - -A letter to the ‘Indian Daily News’ gives some interesting personal -details: - - At Irene and Kaalfontein several of our men who had been prisoners at - Pretoria and Waterval, and others who had been left behind at various - places sick, rejoined, and we were very glad to have them back among - us again. Some of our number have had their services requisitioned by - Government, among them being Lieutenant H.O. Pugh, who has been - appointed Assistant Commissioner at Heilbron; Sergeant P.P. Warburton, - Secretary to the Irish Hospital at Pretoria; Sergeant W.C. Conduit to - the Engineering Department of the railway near Johannesburg; Private - J.E. Cubitt, Assistant Traffic Manager on the railway at Johannesburg; - Private F.M. Clifford, Mounted Orderly to General Ian Hamilton; - Private Huddleston, Assistant Commissioner at Kroonstad; and Private - Firth, to the Financial Department at Pretoria. Sergeant D.S. Fraser - was also appointed to the Financial Department at Pretoria, and worked - there for about a month, but has now rejoined the regiment and resumed - his duties as Paymaster; and Sergeant Thesiger and Privates - Moir-Byres, Lytle, Thelwall, and Thornton worked in the Remount - Department at Johannesburg until the Depôt there was closed. - -Among those who had been prisoners from April 30 until our entry into -Pretoria, and about whose fate some doubt existed for a time, was -Trooper Clarence Walton. His gallantry in sacrificing himself while -attempting to save a wounded comrade was mentioned by Colonel Lumsden as -an act of conspicuous devotion on a day when the corps gained high -credit and a reluctant rebuke for many brave deeds. Like others who fell -into the hands of enemies that day, he experienced nothing but kindness -from his captors. To this he bears willing testimony in the following -letter: - - Starting from the time of our first action of April 30, when I had the - misfortune to be slightly wounded and taken prisoner, it might be - interesting to add my experience of the treatment I received to that - of the other prisoners. After our fighting line retired from my - direction a Boer came down to me and asked if I was wounded. I told - him I was hit in the foot, and he offered to take my boot and gaiter - off for me, which I accepted. He then got a small pony and helped me - on, and took me to a farm about half a mile distant, where an English - doctor (on the Boer side) attended to my case immediately, and then - gave me a jolly good meal, better than I had had for some time. The - following night I was taken to Brandfort Hospital, where I received - every kindness possible, the nurses being exceedingly attentive, and - the Boers themselves, far from showing any ill-feeling, came and - talked and gave me tobacco. One lady cycled to her home with the - object of getting some books for me to read; but unfortunately she - arrived back just too late, as we were being placed in the waggon to - go to Smaldeel and entrain there for Pretoria. Lieutenant Crane, who - was also a prisoner, travelled most of the way in the same waggons and - train as myself. He was kind enough to allow me to share the little - tobacco he had got, for which I was exceedingly grateful. After - reaching Pretoria I was handed over to our own people at the hospital - on the racecourse, where, although I did not have quite such a - comfortable time as I had had with the Boer ambulances, I had nothing - to complain of, as the British residents at Pretoria did everything - they could for us, and we have to thank them for all the little - luxuries they gave us. The food we received from the Boers was - sufficient to keep one alive, and that is about all. - - After Pretoria was taken I found myself a prisoner of the R.A.M.C., - which I found to be very irksome, although at Pretoria the Major in - charge allowed us our liberty to a great extent. When I got to - Bloemfontein I was fortunate enough to meet Dr. Roe, late doctor in - Assam, who treated Saunders and myself with great kindness, and did - everything he could to make us comfortable. - -Life at Irene was not all unpleasant. Several lively incidents -brightened existence there, and some reflex of them comes to us through -the cheery words of Captain Neville Taylor, whose arduous duties as -Adjutant did not prevent him from garnering a fund of merry anecdotes. -Here is one: - - After Pretoria had been taken A Company and Headquarters remained at - Irene, and B Company went to Kalfontein, ten miles south on the line. - The duties at both places were similar, in that they had to patrol the - line and the neighbourhood. One of the Irene regular patrols was to - Pretoria and back daily. - - On one of the usual patrols into that town Captain Rutherfoord passed - a German ambulance proceeding south, who explained that they had been - allowed to do so, but carried no pass. Arriving at Pretoria, he - reported the fact to the authorities, and also that he had stopped the - ambulance until he could get orders concerning it. On inquiry, having - ascertained that nothing was known about it, he obtained a letter to - the Commandant at Irene, who was told to ascertain that the ambulance - people were carrying no papers for the use of the enemy, and, if - satisfied, to allow them to proceed. The Commandant, being a man of - high ideals, did not see his way to thoroughly searching the - ambulance, which contained four German nurses, in addition to the four - doctors, and he therefore allowed them to pass on having taken the - senior doctor’s word of honour that they had with them nothing of any - use to the enemy in the way of papers. The ambulance then went on its - way, but stopped the night at Kalfontein, ten miles beyond Irene. In - the evening a wire came to us for an officer’s patrol to bring all - those people back to Pretoria. Captain Rutherfoord was accordingly - sent to Kalfontein for the purpose, and returned in the evening with - the party. - - Colonel Lumsden and all of us felt so sorry for the prisoners that we - decided to ask them to dinner, which invitation being accepted, in due - course we all sat down together in our little mess-house. - - During our stay at Irene, as it was bitterly cold, we had run up a - small hut: walls of piled-up stones, a tin roof, and a most cunningly - contrived fireplace which did not smoke. We decorated the place with - flowers, had a tip-top dinner, and drank _crème de menthe_ as our only - beverage. The dinner went off in the wonderful way dinners do. None of - us could talk German, and none of them English, and yet we conversed - freely and had the greatest fun. The show concluded with songs, and - the last remembrance I have of it was that the Colonel and the - prettiest ‘sister’ were taking down one another’s addresses and - betting gloves about something in the quietest corner. Rutherfoord had - been hiding as much as possible, as he felt himself to blame for being - the cause of all their trouble, but we gave him away at the end, and - though they all pretended to be very angry with him, we unanimously - allowed that he had beaten all but the Colonel in winning the favours - of the fair sex. - - At about 2 A.M. we escorted them back to their caravan and said - good-night, first of all pointing out that a sentry was posted over - them, with orders to shoot at sight if anyone left the waggons during - the night. They started for Pretoria at daybreak, but most of the - officers were there to see them off, while one met them a few miles up - the road. The Colonel was late for breakfast that morning. We heard - afterwards that on arrival at Pretoria they were searched, and the - result was that the doctors went to gaol, and the dear ladies were - sent under supervision out of the country. We all, however, are quite - certain that they were innocent victims of Boer duplicity. - -Another story is very characteristic of Tommy’s smartness: - - At one of the camps—I think Elandsfontein—a party of us got leave to - go into the town for dinner. We had come in late, and either had not - been given or had forgotten the countersign. Near the town we came - upon a sentry, who challenged in the usual way, and who let us through - after making certain that we were officers of Lumsden’s Horse. After - going a few yards we heard him say to his pal that it was all right, - as we were only ‘some of those d——d Volunteers,’ this being meant in - all politeness and only Tommy’s _patois_. One officer of ours, - however, half-jokingly threatened to report him if he talked like that - again. After a good dinner we were returning to camp and came upon the - same sentry. ‘Halt! Who goes there?’ ‘Friend.’ ‘Advance one and give - the countersign.’ One officer, advancing, said, ‘D——d Volunteer.’ - Tommy shouldered with a slap and roared out, ‘Pass, D——d Volunteer, - and all’s well!’ He had the best of us, and we laughed as much as the - guard. - -About this time the Boers in Pretoria were also making merry over an -incident associated with countersigns in which one who played a sentry’s -part had the laugh on his side at the expense of British officers. It -happened at a crisis when Botha was known to have secret emissaries in -the capital warning him of every preparation for a fresh movement, and -it illustrates perfectly the aptitude of Boers as spies, and the -easy-going inefficiency of our own precaution against traitors. A young -Boer, speaking English fluently, came from Botha’s force just after Lord -Roberts was supposed to have dispersed it in the neighbourhood of -Diamond Hill. He reached our outposts not far from the limits patrolled -by Lumsden’s Horse, and, being armed with one of the passes that have -been lavishly distributed and frequently abused, he had no difficulty in -getting through the British lines. Once inside them, he was free to move -about anywhere and ascertain that nearly all available troops, except -one division, had been withdrawn from Pretoria for concentration -elsewhere. He even loitered about to hear the talk at a club frequented -by officers and by ‘friendly’ civilians, whose privileges of membership -nobody assumed the right to question. There and in hotel halls or -billiard-rooms, where officers, regardless of attentive listeners, -incautiously spoke of their own probable movements, this young Boer -picked up much entertaining gossip and useful information. But he also -learned, to his dismay, that nobody could move about the town or leave -it after nightfall without the countersign. His idea was to get out -again under cover of darkness, with all the news that he could gather -for General Botha, but he heard that provisional police would by that -time be patrolling all the streets, alert and zealous in the performance -of their new duties, and also that every outlet by which a horseman -could pass would have double sentries posted after sunset. A wary Boer -never tries rash experiments if he can avoid them, and this young man, -having no unpatriotic wish to run his head into a noose, adopted other -measures. - -Going to a friend’s house, in which some British uniforms were kept as -trophies until the police discovered and appropriated them, he dressed -in khaki, donned a greatcoat, and armed himself with a Mauser carbine. -All this may seem impossible in a town under martial law, but arms and -ammunition were found in private houses long after the date of this -incident, and nobody ever heard of exemplary punishment being meted out -to offenders, who generally got off scot free on a plea of ignorance. At -any rate, the young Boer, thus equipped to counterfeit a provisional -policeman, sallied forth at night, when a high collar, turned well up -for protection against the icy north wind, and a hat slouched over the -eyes, would not have attracted any attention. Making use of mental notes -previously taken, he placed himself near the corner of a street so much -frequented by officers on their way to or from the club that special -police seldom troubled to look after it. There he had not long to wait -for a chance of challenging, and in response the countersign was given -as a matter of course without the least suspicion. Safe in the -possession of this password, the ingenious young Boer mounted his horse, -and, claiming to be the bearer of despatches, rode past our outlying -pickets and off into the darkness on his way to the nearest Boer -commando. Some officers of Lumsden’s Horse were in the Pretoria Club -that night, but it was not they who gave away the countersign. -Occasional visits to Pretoria in the vain hope of finding that some -articles of luxury or much-needed outfit could be bought there became -great events in the lives of both officers and men during their -banishment to lines of communication. Somehow a goodly number of them, -for whom sport was an irresistible attraction, managed to assemble on -ground a mile outside the racecourse when three score of competitors -started for the first military steeplechase ever ridden near Pretoria. -After this event Colonel Lumsden wrote with pardonable pride: - - Beharis will be pleased to hear that Captain Rutherfoord, of ours, won - the first paper-chase in Pretoria. There were sixty starters over a - stiff country, with the result that grief was plentiful. - -But that view of the result, though entertained by nearly every -spectator who was near enough to watch an exciting finish, did not -commend itself to the official whose decision none could question. How -it all came about may be told by an eye-witness, who was also a -competitor until, finding himself hopelessly out of the race, he took to -‘skirting,’ and finally joined a crowd of onlookers at the winning-post. - -The German Staff officer who said that English soldiers went into a -fight as if it were sport and took their sport seriously as training for -battle, must have been thinking of some scene like that in which British -officers and Volunteers of all ranks figured on Pretoria Racecourse that -last Saturday in June 1900. There we were in the midst of war with an -active enemy not many miles off, yet nobody seemed to concern himself -much about what the Boers might be doing at that moment. All were intent -upon the important business in hand. A paper-chase had to be run, and -every man meant to do his best, whether mounted on a Basuto pony that -had never jumped any obstacle more formidable than a boggy spruit -before, or on a raking Waler or clever English hunter. Lord Roberts had -given permission for a paper-chase and theoretically the sport took that -form. There were no prizes for winners, no clerk of the scales, no -weighing-in, no penalties for infringement of Hunt Club rules. All who -cared to start might enjoy that privilege. But practically the thing -resolved itself into a steeple-chase under regulations that forbade -riding from point to point at discretion; a course being marked by flags -round which every starter was compelled to go or lose his chance of -distinction. Paper-hunting would have been child’s play in a country -like this unless it had led us over rough kopjes and away across the -veldt, where there might have been a chance of Boer patrols chipping in. -So to add some touch of excitement, and the spice of danger, without -which no British sport is worthy of that name, artificial fences were -made more difficult to negotiate than torrent-filled spruits or boggy -water-courses. Two stone walls enclosing a mealie patch came handy, and -suggested themselves as most appropriate for a start where spectators -might see some fun at the outset if veldt ponies tried to tumble over, -as they generally do, without jumping. A run without hound-music as an -accompaniment did not commend itself to the immortal Jorrocks, whose -eulogy of ‘’unting, the image of war without its guilt and only 25 per -cent. of its danger,’ would have been considerably modified in -application to such sport as ours of that day, if that genial M.F.H. -could have seen the horses some men chose to risk their necks on. They -were of all sizes, shapes, and breeds. As for the fences, an Irish -hunter would have larked over every one in his stride; but it is quite -another thing with horses that have never been trained to leap. - -[Illustration: - - _Photo: Bourne & Shepherd_ - CAPTAIN RUTHERFOORD, D.S.O. -] - -Pretoria did not give itself away all at once to the temptations of a -novel spectacle; but there were ladies in carriages among the little -crowd of sightseers, and some stolid burghers looked on with approval, -while others took part in the chase, for Boers have a bond of sympathy -with us in love of horse-racing and field sports. The Commander-in-Chief -came, sitting his shapely chestnut with a firmer and more workmanlike -ease than half the horsemen present could boast of, and looking as if he -could still show them all the way over a stiff hunting country. His -appearance at the starting-point was a signal for marshalling the forces -into line. - -Then a Staff officer gave the word to go, and away went the motley -field, more than half a hundred strong, spurring, hustling, charging -like a Cavalry squadron for all they were worth. A light-weight, who -served with distinction in Her Majesty’s Navy years ago, was quickest -off, and led them over the two stone walls, closely followed by Captain -Cox, of the New South Wales Lancers. Then came the second flight, riding -for the walls knee to knee. Thanks to bold hearts and resolute riding, -they all got over. A fall in that dense formation with another rank -rushing close behind would have brought more than one rider to -unutterable grief. But the ranks began to thin where a spruit had to be -crossed, with steep banks into and out of the drift. There the -‘Skipper’s’ pony, with speed unchecked, gained a good lead, but he came -down at the next made-up fence and gave his rider a nasty fall. The -active light-weight, however, nipped into the saddle and went on cheery -as ever. Then in clouds of dust, through which the fences could scarcely -be seen, leggy horses and diminutive ponies rushed onward, jostling for -a lead as before. Captain McNeil, of Montmorency’s Scouts, came down and -broke his collar-bone, and Gibbs, of the Somerset Yeomanry, falling with -his horse on top of him, had two ribs broken. But still ‘the chase went -sweeping heedless by’ over a wide dug-out, with a hurdle to screen it -and a trappy ditch where the road had to be crossed. Then they spread -out to gallop over stony ground for the spruit, into which many -floundered. The pace was beginning to tell on horses out of condition as -they struggled up hill to go for a formidable bank of sandbags topped -with loose earth that had been dug out of the ditch in front. Down-hill -again to a hollow, where the little stream meandering between boggy -ground had to be crossed three times. There several jaded steeds came to -a standstill, having shot their bolts, and only a select few went up the -next hill to the trappiest fence of all, where water flowed between deep -banks. There the ‘Skipper’ got his third fall, but he mounted again and -followed the leaders as they rounded the flag and rode for home. Captain -Cox had also been left behind, and the running was taken up by Captain -Rutherfoord, of Lumsden’s Horse, with Major Kenna, V.C., of the 21st -Lancers, in close attendance. Flanks were heaving and pipes wheezing -before the next boulder-strewn ridge had been crossed. ‘A run is nothing -without music,’ said a subaltern as he roused his panting steed for -another effort. He nearly blundered, as many others did, over the next -little fence, and they were being left hopelessly behind. Kenna and -Rutherfoord charged the last stone wall side by side, and rose together -at it. Rutherfoord landed first, and had the race in hand, but, -mistaking the post, eased his horse too soon. So Kenna, V.C., got a neck -ahead in the straight run home, and thus won his right to claim the -brush or whatever may be a substitute for it in paper-chasing. That was -the official verdict, but Lumsden’s Horse still hold that their champion -was first past the post. - -One day a pleasant incident enlivened Colonel Lumsden’s ordinarily -uneventful round of inspections. He had been visiting posts south of -Irene, and was hurrying back to headquarters on an affair of urgent -importance, when a train stopped at one of the sidings. Before he had -time to realise that it was a special, or to make any inquiries, the -train began to move again. So he jumped on to the nearest platform, and -presently found himself in a corridor, cleaner and more carefully looked -after than any he had seen on a Transvaal railway up to that time. Not -knowing what to make of it, and half-expecting to meet an angry Chief of -the Staff face to face, he refrained from exploring further. Presently a -lady passed and said, ‘Won’t you come in?’ Colonel Lumsden was smoking -at the time, and declined for that reason. ‘But mother wishes you to -come,’ was the reply. So the gallant Colonel yielded with ready grace, -and found himself in the presence of Lady Roberts, who, with her -daughters, was on the way to Pretoria. They were just then nearing -Irene, and Colonel Lumsden drew attention to the camp of his Indian -Volunteers, in whom he thought Lady Roberts would naturally be much -interested. To his surprise he saw a huge bonfire burning, and in -silhouette against it were the words, ‘Welcome to Lady Roberts!’ -Sergeant-Major Stephens had hit upon this happy idea, and put it into -execution just at the right moment. One of the daughters, seeing it, -said, ‘Oh, mother, there is a warm welcome for you, at any rate!’ Lady -Roberts frequently referred to this impromptu welcome in conversation -with Colonel Lumsden afterwards, and spoke appreciatively of the -pleasure it had given her. - -For nearly two months—from the fall of Pretoria on June 5 to July -29—Lumsden’s Horse were scattered up and down the railway lines between -Pretoria and Johannesburg. - -Colonel Lumsden gives the following official account of this period in a -letter to the executive committee of his corps: - - My headquarters are still at Irene, while my corps is stationed in - detachments along the railway from here to Springs. I am daily - expecting an order to concentrate either here or at the latter point, - having received official information that we are to be relieved by - Mounted Infantry from the Regulars. - - Beyond living in a constant state of alarm, standing to arms at all - hours of the night, and our patrols shooting and being shot at, there - is little or nothing of interest to record. - - Scouting parties have had several narrow escapes, but nothing of a - serious nature occurred until yesterday (July 13), when I heard by - wire from Captain Beresford at Springs that Private Claude F. Walton, - of the Mysore detachment, had been wounded rather severely while out - on patrol with Captain Clifford, but without, I understand, - endangering his life. The shot was fired from a farmhouse, which has - since, I am glad to say, been burnt to the ground. Two days - previously, when I was on a visit to Springs, Captain Chamney and his - patrol had rather a narrow squeak, but got safely away under a pelting - fire. - - The Boer outposts are within four to five miles of our position at - Springs, where Colonel Ross and part of his corps are stationed, but - they are too weak to take the initiative. - - The weather is still bitterly cold at night, but the men have now had - time to rig up temporary shelters of sorts, while the detachments at - Zurfontein and Springs have been fortunate in obtaining iron-roofed - shelters to live in. - - I much regret to have to inform you of the death of Private M.B. - Follett, of the Mysore detachment, from enteric fever in hospital at - Johannesburg on the 7th inst., and that the undernamed have been left - at various hospitals on the march up sick, or sent down from here. - - Some may return to headquarters, but I anticipate that most of them - will proceed to England or to India, invalided or convalescent. - - Young Follett’s brother was fortunately with him at the last, and it - is gratifying to note that the rites usually accorded to an officer - were observed at his interment. - - The men in the attached list have mostly received their regimental pay - up to date, and I have done my best to see that any balance due to - them in this respect will be paid before they leave Cape Town. - - I have also given in such cases five pounds to each man for - necessaries on the voyage. This responsibility I have taken on myself, - having ample funds in hand, and I feel sure the committee will approve - my action, more especially as many men are utterly unable to get into - communication with their friends and are entirely without money. - - I understand Government intends to grant this amount to each soldier - as a war gratuity at the close of the campaign; the sums thus given - will therefore be recoverable. - - _List of Men in Hospital_ - Private D.O. Allardice │ ” J.H.A. Burn-Murdoch - - ” E. Adlam │ ” R.G.H. Muskett - - Lance-Corporal Hugh Blair │ ” C. McMinn - - Private E.N. Bankes │ ” A. Martin - - ” H.C. Bennett │Sergeant-Major E.H. - │Mansfield - - ” C.J.D. Bewsher │Private R.C. Nolan - - ” W.R. Birch │ ” H.B. Oldham - - Lance-Corporal Butler (A.D.)│ ” H.W. Puckridge - - Private W.B. Brown │ ” E.B. Parkes - - ” Baldwin │ ” P.W. Pryce - - ” J.S. Campbell │ ” N.J.V. Reid - - ” Cheshire │ ” J.W.A. Skelton - - ” H. Cooper │ ” J.S. Saunders - - Sergeant E. Dawson │ ” S. Sladden - - Lance-Sergeant J.S. Elliott │ ” B.C.A.A. Steuart - - Private A.H. Francis │ ” H.W. Thelwall - - ” E.H. Gough │ ” W. Turnbull - - ” G.A. Gowenlock │ ” T. Thompson - - ” R.P. Haines │ ” A.N. Woods - - ” C.C. Harvey │ ” C.A. Walton - - ” W.H. Holme │ ” F.W. Wright - - ” J.V. Jameson │ ” C.F. Walton - - ” R. Tait Innes │ ” L.H. Zorab - - ” Jackman │ ” W.S. Lemon - - ” G.E. │ ” C.E. Stuart - - ” D.J. Keating │ ” A.C. Walker - - ” H.M. Logan │ - - Regimental Sergeant-Major Marsham’s friends in Behar will regret to - hear that bad luck has again overtaken him. On the way up to rejoin - after recovering from his wounds, he was so unfortunate as to be in - company with the Derbyshire Militia when they met with their disaster, - and is believed to have been taken prisoner with them. So far I have - no official communication as to this, but, not having heard from or of - him, conclude it is only too true. - - Private Percy Smith and Lance-Corporal Hugh Blair have received - commissions in the Regular forces and are no longer with the corps, - although the former is for a time attached to the Oxford M.I.—part of - our own regiment under Colonel Ross. Blair is among the sick men - mentioned and at present in Cape Town. - - Lord Roberts has also been good enough to grant commissions to Private - Douglas Jones—in the Army Service Corps—Privates J.A. Fraser, Collins, - T.B. Nicholson, J.S. Biscoe, and Corporal Bates. Several of the latter - are for the West India Regiments. All these remain with me for the - present. - - Lieutenant Pugh and Private Huddleston have been appointed Assistant - Commissioners at Heilbron and Kroonstad respectively. - -[Illustration: - - _Photo: P. Klier_ - CAPTAIN W. STEVENSON, VET. SURG. -] - - The names of several other applicants are still before His Excellency, - and I hope to advise you soon of their having received commissions - also. At the same time I do not expect any of these will leave the - corps until its disbandment. Young Maurice Clifford has been taken on - by General Ian Hamilton as orderly, and is also likely to receive a - commission, as well as Leslie Williams, son of the late popular - Gwatkin Williams. - - Captain Rutherfoord, Lieutenant Crane, and Sergeant Macnamara have - been offered commissions in the Transvaal Mounted Police, and will - probably remain in this country, as I believe will a good many others. - - Captain Stevenson is likely to obtain an important veterinary - appointment out here, and Dr. (Captain) Powell is also in the running - for a high medical post should he prefer this to returning to India. - - All the above, added to the continued requisitions for men of my corps - for various offices, point to the esteem in which they are held by the - authorities apart from their fighting qualities. In fact, were it not - for strong remonstrances on my part to official requests, I should be - in a fair way to lose a big percentage of my men before the work for - which they came out has been completed. - - In my previous letter I mentioned the sad plight to which our horses - had been reduced, and that at the time of writing I doubted my ability - to place ninety mounted men in the field fit for a two-days’ march. - You will now be pleased to hear that in this respect things have - improved, and that I can now mount 180 officers and men on fairly - serviceable animals, few, however, remaining of our original Indian - chargers. In this connection I may also mention that out of sixty - Argentine remounts received at Kroonstad, only one is alive. - - Now comes the important question of finance. - - I have been spending various sums on comforts for the men, the largest - item being 50_l._ for a much-needed supply of tobacco. - - The men are very badly in want of clothes, especially breeches, - tunics, and boots. I have indented on the Government Stores at - Bloemfontein for a complete outfit, and hope to receive it shortly. - This, of course, will be issued to us gratis. Nothing in the shape of - clothing can be got for money. - - I am enclosing a statement showing roughly the financial position of - the corps. From this you will see that, provided the war is not - prolonged beyond our present anticipations, there will be an ample - balance left to admit of the payments estimated for in Calcutta. - -[Illustration: - - _Photo: Johnston & Hoffmann_ - SERGEANT ERNEST DAWSON -] - - - - - CHAPTER XIV -_ALARMS AND EXCURSIONS—BOER SCOUTING—A RECONNAISSANCE TO CROCODILE RIVER—FAREWELL TO COLONEL ROSS_ - - -Lumsden’s Horse found their duties on lines of communication not all -uneventful, and had on occasions some adventures more exciting than the -incidents of a patrol to Pretoria or Elandsfontein or Johannesburg, -though that had to be conducted with proper precautions against possible -surprises from Boer raiders who were always on the prowl within a few -miles of our outpost lines, but rarely to be seen. Emboldened by the -inaction of British troops in Pretoria and by some successes which -Christian De Wet had achieved down Rodewal way, where he captured and -burnt a train containing mail-bags with precious letters for Lumsden’s -Horse, the enemy began to press on every weak point they could find. -They evinced especially a desire to get possession of the mines near -Springs, being not only bent on wanton destruction, but also impelled -thereto by the fact that Supply officers there had been gathering stores -of forage from the country round about. Apart from its position in the -centre of a district richly mineralised, Springs was of considerable -strategic importance as a stronghold for the protection of the railway -junction at Elandsfontein, to which its commanding kopjes, if strongly -held, were a formidable flanking defence. Nothing but the belief that -Botha’s forces had been so scattered and demoralised by defeat at -Diamond Hill as to be incapable of great offensive movements could have -induced the military authorities to neglect an adequate defence of -Springs. The Boers seemed to realise its importance more than we did, -and if they had brought artillery to bear upon it the safety of -Johannesburg might have been seriously threatened. Fortunately, however, -either Botha’s irresolution or divided counsels among his colleagues led -to the abandonment of such enterprises after one or two attempts which -were frustrated by General Hutton and Colonel Henry, whose Mounted -Infantry reconnaissances at this juncture were characterised by great -skill. Nevertheless, some strong Boer commandos were persistent in their -attempts to get a footing at Springs, so that Lumsden’s Horse had to -reinforce other corps of the 8th Mounted Infantry and take their full -share of outpost work, in which they were frequently harassed by the -enemy. Some interesting details of this phase are furnished by troopers -whose letters were published in the Indian newspapers. One correspondent -writes to the ‘Indian Daily News,’ dating from Springs, July 14: - - You will see from the above that we have been moved again, and I fancy - we shall be kept on the go now for some time to come, as both we and - our horses have had a long rest and are quite fit again. - - It was rather a bore getting shifted out of our comfortable quarters - at Kalfontein, but now that the wrench is over I fancy most of us are - glad to be on the march once more, as life there was beginning to get - just a trifle monotonous and humdrum. - - About a week previous to our leaving Kalfontein No. 3 Section B - Company, who had been left at Irene with A Company, were sent to - garrison Zurfontein, a few miles down the line, and we joined them - there, the whole of us then marching to this place, which is the - terminus of a branch of the main line running eastward, and is - situated about twenty-five miles from Johannesburg. I should have - mentioned that we left a few of our men at Kalfontein to help to - garrison the place until further orders. We stayed at Elandsfontein - and Boksburg on the way here, and the men who had been through such - exciting scenes so recently in these places naturally took a great - interest in them and ‘fought their battles o’er again.’ - - We have had rather an exciting time of it on two occasions since being - quartered here. On the 11th inst. we sent out a patrol of six men - under Captain Chamney, and just as they got to the top of a bit of - rising ground they found themselves within a few hundred yards of an - approaching body of the enemy, who no sooner saw our men than they let - ’em have it with their Mausers. There was nothing for it but to turn - and get away as quickly as possible, and this the patrol did, managing - once again to elude the bullets. The Boers followed, but soon gave up - the game, as it was only a few miles from the town, and they evidently - did not consider it good enough to venture too close. On getting out - of range and up to the next rise our patrol halted and sent a man back - to report matters to Colonel Ross, and, after staying out about an - hour to see if there were any more signs of the enemy, they returned - to camp. A larger patrol was sent out during the day, but saw no signs - of Boers, these gentry evidently having returned to the adjacent - hills. A small farmhouse, from behind which our men were shot at, was - burnt down; but this did not have much effect, as another of our - patrols was fired on two days afterwards near the same place, and this - time we were not so fortunate, as Private Walton, of No. 3 Section B - Company, was shot through the right thigh and got another bullet - through his hat, just shaving his skull. He managed to ride into camp - with the others, but will have a long spell in hospital, I fancy. His - wound was dressed as soon as he got into camp, and next day he was - sent on to Johannesburg. - - This is one of the coldest places we have struck so far, and early - morning patrols and night pickets are consequently more unpopular than - ever. There is one great consolation, however, and that is we can get - good and cheap draught beer here; this is a luxury we have not - indulged in for ages, so, needless to say, the thirsty ones are having - a great time. - -The special correspondent of the ‘Englishman’ treats one of the -incidents above referred to in a lighter vein: - - In the middle of July our detachment at Springs, where there had been - a good deal of desultory fighting, had some fun for their money. They - went out patrolling one day, a dozen or so strong. A farmhouse loomed - in the distance, and as the magnetic pole draws the needle so did this - innocent, nestling farm draw the patrol. If you live on biscuits for a - month you develop a craving for bread. Same with everybody, from - General down to mule-drivers. It would be side on the part of - Lumsden’s Horse to hold aloof from any popular taste, and as one - leary-nosed tea planter said he smelt dough, the patrol rode for that - farmhouse, animated by the noble sentiment that the devil might take - the hindmost. But this time the devil nearly copped the leader, for - the Boers opened at short range from stone walls near the farmhouse. A - patrol’s duty being to locate the enemy, and not to die valorously or - otherwise, our men turned tail, thought of their misdeeds, and - streaked for home. Unluckily C.F. Walton, of B Company, bestrode an - Argentine which feared neither Boer nor bullet. The brute wouldn’t - budge under the fire, and Walton received a hail of lead all to - himself. One bullet struck his hat, cutting the bottom of the - crack—our squashed Cashmere ones—clean away, shedding his hair in a - way that no brushing will alter, for it shaved a line clean along his - scalp. Just as he got his horse on the move he was struck again, in - the thigh, but managed to gallop away without further mishap. - Examination proved that the bullet had gone right through the upper - part of his leg, inflicting a severe but not dangerous wound. Walton - is now in hospital and doing well. - -Fuller details and a more consecutive narrative of other events are -given by a correspondent of the ‘Madras Daily Mail,’ who writes: - - Our duties are not only to guard the station and railway line and - patrol the country, but also to furnish observation posts, whose duty - it is to report the movements of any bodies of men they may see; the - patrols also demanding the production of passes from anyone—native or - white man—whom they may meet. The Boers are not far off, and life is - not without its excitement; for on two occasions our patrols have been - fired on, once getting a particularly hot reception and being chased - for a considerable distance. One man in particular had a narrow escape - when the enemy—who were lying in wait for the patrol—suddenly charged - down over the top of a neighbouring ridge. He was in the middle of a - small copse ahead of his companions and did not see the Boers, who - galloped round on each flank of the wood, and, dismounting just this - side of it, commenced firing at the rest of the patrol. Hearing the - rifles so close, he attempted to return, and found, on getting to the - edge of the wood, that he was cut off by a line of men along a wire - fence, who fortunately were so busy firing that they did not see him. - He eventually made a dash for it from the upper end of the wood, - coming out behind the Boers and making a long detour. Of course, - directly he got clear of the wood he was seen and became a target for - all their rifles, but he got safely away. - - During a prolonged stay in a place like this we manage to make - ourselves very comfortable. In the vicinity of Kaalfontein the - farmhouses were for the most part deserted and had been left just as - they stood. From these farmhouses we are always allowed to help - ourselves to useful and non-valuable articles, such as cooking - utensils and eatables; so what with chickens, ducks, &c., while the - live-stock held out, and most excellent mutton issued as rations, not - to mention an occasional porker (bought from the Kaffirs) or haunch of - venison (shot by one of the officers), our larder was well stocked, - while extras in the way of groceries could be obtained from an - enterprising Jew storekeeper, who would drive round with his stores. - Then, too, bivouacs and shelters of all sorts can be rigged up, and - very welcome they were at the time, as during June and the beginning - of July the cold was intense. - - At Springs, the terminus of a branch line from Elandsfontein Junction - through Boksburg, together with four companies of the 8th Mounted - Infantry and the Canadians, we remained six days. Here the Boers were - rather closer than they had been at Kaalfontein, and it was the rule - rather than the exception for the patrols to be fired on. One morning - our patrol was shot at from a farmhouse flying a white flag, the - advance scouts being only 150 yards distant; one of them, Trooper - Walton (Mysore and Coorg Rifles), received a bullet through his thigh - and another right through the crown of his hat, actually cutting the - hair along the top of his head, but he managed to get away without - further injury. On receiving the news Colonel Ross immediately sent - out a strong patrol with a pom-pom and burnt the house to the ground, - but saw nothing of the enemy, who are always careful not to interfere - with a strong patrol, their plan being to allow a small party to - approach their ambush and then suddenly open fire, hoping to empty a - few saddles. Fortunately, however, it is not easy to hit a man on - horseback at an unknown range or else the Boers are uncommonly bad - shots, for our patrols have now been fired upon on seven or eight - different occasions at comparatively close range and only one man has - been hit. One afternoon a party of Boers, about thirty in number, were - seen by the look-out man coming down to a Kaffir kraal, about three - miles out. Lumsden’s Horse were ordered to saddle up immediately and - give chase. The Boers, however, did not wait. They had evidently come - down to get mealies from the Kaffirs, as we found some bags they had - dropped in their haste. - -[Illustration: - - A TYPICAL BOER - (_From a sketch by J.S. Cowen_) -] - -In these operations Lumsden’s Horse learned a great deal about the -tricks and methods of Boer scouts, and soon began to realise that these -could best be met by bringing all a shikarri’s varied experiences into -play. In reality the wily Boers do not send out patrols, according to -our interpretation of that word. When any considerable number of them -are seen together, it may be taken for granted that their scouts have -previously done all the work expected of them, or that they are off -somewhere in another direction, acting as a screen for some more -important movement. When watching a hostile force, with a view to -aggressive tactics or defensive measures, the Boers hardly ever show -themselves. If caught by chance on the move, they either halt where they -are and lie down or steal away one by one to the nearest cover, knowing -perfectly well that any large body moving can be seen a long distance -off, while separate figures become almost invisible dots on the vast -plain and attract no attention from people whose eyesight is less keen -than a Kaffir’s. Once concealed from view, they are careful not to show -themselves again on the sky-line, or on a sunlit slope, where their -shadows would betray them. From hunting wild game they have learned to -pursue the tactics of an antelope or a haartebeeste in eluding a -vigilant enemy. As a herd of deer, browsing peacefully in some hollow, -leaves a trusty sentinel on the nearest hill to keep watch, so Boers -tell off one of their number for a similar duty, and he, like the -sentinel buck, remains motionless beside a tree or stone, invisible -himself, but allowing no movement on the plain to escape his watchful -eye. The man on whom this task falls is generally a veteran trained by -long experience to a knowledge of the veldt and the habits of every -being, man or beast, frequenting it. By the actions of horses or cattle -on the pastures, not less than by the hurried movement of more timid -wild animals or birds, he knows whether they have been disturbed by -anything unusual. Then he stoops down to listen, and his ears are so -sensitive by long practice that he can distinguish the rumble of wheels -or tread of marching men miles off, though the sound comes to him no -louder than the whisper of wind among dry grass. And a bird on the wing, -or animal scuttling through the undergrowth, will warn him at once of -approaching foes. - -[Illustration: CAPTAIN CLIFFORD] - -If the Boers want to lay an ambush they do not set about it in a clumsy -fashion, but with due foresight, calculating all the chances. Far in -advance of the trap thus prepared they will probably have posted some -men among the rocks of a kopje, or preferably in a dry donga between -high banks that effectually conceal any movement. These advanced scouts -never show themselves or fire a shot when the prey for which their -comrades are waiting approaches. They simply allow it to pass, and then -perhaps will be heard a whistle like that of some wild bird, the lowing -of cattle that cannot be seen, or other sound familiar enough but -conveying no particular meaning at the moment. Yet in all probability it -is a preconcerted signal from the foremost scouts to others within -hearing, who pass on the message, so that every movement of the coming -patrol or column is known to the Boers waiting in ambush for it. Thus -many mishaps have occurred in a way that nobody could account for, and -by practising similar methods Lumsden’s Horse at length became a match -for their enemy at the same game. Other lessons than those learned at -Springs were, however, needed to perfect them in the craft on which the -safety of an army may sometimes depend. One such experience fell to -their share in a reconnaissance towards Crocodile River, which Colonel -Lumsden describes in a letter to the executive committee of Lumsden’s -Horse: - - A few days after the despatch of my previous letter, Colonel Ross, - with a detachment of my own corps and the greater part of the 8th - Mounted Infantry, collected at Irene under instructions to proceed to - Pretoria. While we were still in camp there orders came from - headquarters to patrol the country to the west and north-west as far - as the Crocodile River. On receiving the above orders, Colonel Ross, - accompanied by myself, Captain Taylor, and a small patrol of the - Oxfords under Lieut. Percy Smith, went out to reconnoitre the country. - Captain Clifford, of ours, had already proceeded early in the day - (July 20) with a patrol of fifteen men in the same direction. - Overtaking this party about noon, Colonel Ross ordered Captain - Clifford to push on and ascertain that the ground was clear of the - enemy as far as the river. Colonel Ross’s party then returned to - Irene. Late in the evening Captain Clifford’s patrol came back and - reported that his party had been ambuscaded before reaching the river, - and had had to make the best of their way out of a tight place on - jaded horses at the best speed they could, leaving two of their - number, Privates Bearne and Cayley, in the hands of the enemy. Captain - Clifford estimated the enemy’s strength at 300, and reported that as - far as he could ascertain they were laagered in a strong natural - position near Six Mile Spruit, commanding a perfect view of its - valley. Not being quite satisfied with the information, Colonel Ross - ordered him to proceed again next day with a patrol of thirty. Captain - Sidey accompanied him. The task was a difficult and dangerous one, - for, although the first twelve miles were clear of the enemy and - comparatively open, the last eight miles of the journey led down the - valley of Six Mile Spruit, with high hills to the right and lower ones - to the left, the enemy’s laager being situated about half-way down on - the right. The Boers had thus the option of stopping the patrol on the - way down, or cutting it off on the return journey. The reconnoitring - party could reach the Crocodile River in comparative safety by - advancing along the higher ground to the left of the valley and - holding the commanding posts as far as numbers permitted. But as this - course failed to draw out the Boers, it was useless as a method of - discovering their strength and whereabouts. Captain Clifford therefore - effected a compromise, reached the river as above described, and when - about half-way through the valley on the return journey turned off in - the direction of the Boer laager, leaving Sergeant Mitchell and four - men in observation on high ground to cover his advance. As soon as he - and his party were well down to the Spruit, the Boers rushed out in - large numbers, forcing them to retreat in haste towards the covering - party, who were unable to fire, as they could not distinguish friend - from foe. The whole patrol, being outnumbered by ten to one, with - their line of retreat threatened, had no choice but to escape as best - they could in an easterly direction. Three men were taken prisoners - through their horses being exhausted. Sergeant Mitchell’s party, - finding itself cut off, escaped in a southerly direction, and reached - Johannesburg in safety next day. The patrol that night came back nine - short. It turned out that three had been taken prisoners, and the - remaining six arrived in camp from various directions the following - day. The three prisoners returned three days later, having been - treated with great kindness by the Boers, who only took their horses, - rifles, and accoutrements, and were evidently much amused by the way - in which our patrols were sent out every day to face almost certain - capture or death in accordance with orders. They considered this - patrol as very useful to supply them with the necessaries of warfare, - and treated the whole thing as a huge joke. During the retreat on the - first of these two patrols Private Graham did very good work. When - Cayley’s horse had fallen and then run away, Graham made him hold his - stirrup to expedite his flight on foot, and offered to take turn and - turn about riding and running with him. It became evident that they - could not both get away, so Graham, taking Cayley’s rifle and catching - his horse afterwards, brought both animals and rifles out of action, - saving them from the hands of the enemy and earning the commendation - of the Colonel on his arrival in camp. On the 22nd Colonel Ross’s - Irene command was ordered to start at two hours’ notice for Pretoria - viâ Swartzkop. He complied, camping at Swartzkop for the night, and - reaching the camp by the Pretoria Racecourse next day. - -[Illustration: - - _Photo: Elliott & Fry_ - J.A. GRAHAM, D.C.M. -] - -Captain Clifford, in an official report of the incident to Colonel -Lumsden, does full justice to Trooper Graham’s conduct in the following -words: - - When about two miles from Crocodile River, while I was questioning a - farmer, the enemy suddenly opened fire on us from a ridge in front, - between 300 and 400 yards distant. I was with the scouts when this - happened. We galloped back to the rest of the patrol, which only - consisted of a total of nine troopers, and before we could take up any - position the fire began to come from three sides, so I gave the order - to retire as fast as possible to avoid being surrounded. In the - retreat, under a heavy fire, Trooper Cayley, one of the scouts, was - thrown from his horse, whereupon Trooper Graham, with great gallantry, - stayed behind and gave Cayley a ride on his own horse, running by his - side, and then mounting and Cayley running. The rest of the patrol - being scattered, and the ground much broken, these two were not missed - for some time. After some distance had been traversed, the Boers were - getting so close, and the fire so hot, that it would have been - impossible for both to escape. Trooper Cayley thereupon flung himself - into a small ditch and Trooper Graham made off, not, however, without - bringing Cayley’s rifle. On the way to rejoin the patrol, and still - under fire, he came across a riderless horse of another of the party, - and brought it safely back with Cayley’s rifle. The patrol then, - observing him coming, turned to his support, and the Boers - discontinued the pursuit. - -For his gallant behaviour on this occasion Trooper Graham was -recommended by Colonel Lumsden for the Victoria Cross; but instead of -that coveted decoration he subsequently received the Distinguished -Conduct Medal. - -[Illustration: - - _Photo: C.G. Brown_ - BERNARD CAYLEY. -] - -The talented correspondent of the ‘Englishman’ writes as follows of the -same affair: - - One morning a patrol set forth to spy the land, an officer and eleven - men. They rode west for fifteen miles and entered the hills aforesaid, - their object being to reach the junction of Six Mile Spruit with the - Crocodile River. The way being purely cross-country it was a difficult - matter to locate their destination, and seeing a farmhouse at the top - of a valley the patrol made for it with the object of being directed. - The valley traversed was some thousand yards wide from ridge to ridge. - At the far end was the farmhouse, and beyond a low hill. Down the - middle of the valley ran a spruit between high banks, forming a donga - deep and wide enough to cover mounted men. The path running up the - valley crossed the donga 600 yards from the farmhouse. Our fellows - trotted up to the farmhouse, some tackling the lady of the house, and - the others the Boer himself, who was spotted on the road a little way - off. The good lady was a bit nervous, and rather hastily volunteered - the information that the Boers had all gone away. Though never - dreaming of their presence so near, this aroused the suspicions of the - man to whom the remark was made, and he went up to the farmer, and - roughly demanded where the Boers were. The question rather startled - him, and from his manner it became evident that Boers were about, - though he swore they had left the night before. - - Thereupon the patrol, in open order, advanced across the rising to the - right, with Bearne, Graham, and Cayley in front. A wire fence - obstructed the way, and it was a moot point whether to go round by a - gate to the left or to use the wire-cutters. This fence was eighty - yards from the top of the ridge, to which it ran parallel. The cutting - of the fence saved the lives of the men mentioned. Hardly were they - through the opening than a heavy fire was opened on them at a range of - fifty yards. The rest of the party being a hundred yards behind, not - yet up to the fence, Cayley, Bearne, and Graham whipped round, and - made for the cutting, which was luckily immediately behind them. If - they had gone round by the gate to the left they would have had to - stand fire getting to the gate, and then run the gauntlet all the way - back. As it was they got safely through the cutting and legged it - after the rest, the party making straight down the valley for the - donga already described. As the distance between the Boers and the - donga was only 800 yards, it can be imagined how hot the fire was. - Extraordinary to relate, not a man was touched during the brief but - dangerous interval which elapsed between leaving the wire fence and - reaching the donga. Arrived there a new foe sprang upon the unlucky - patrol. - -[Illustration: L.C. BEARNE] - - From the left of the hill behind the farmhouse, and at the point where - the left ridge forming the valley joined this hill, another lot of - Boers opened a heavy enfilade fire at a thousand yards’ range. Their - sanctuary was a sanctuary no longer, and again the patrol fled, this - time straight for the opening in the hills by which they had entered. - Meantime the second lot of Boers kept up a brisk fusillade, many of - them mounting horses and galloping along the ridge parallel with the - flying patrol. As our men had travelled some twenty miles, their - horses were pretty beaten, so that the Boers, in light order, had no - difficulty in catching up and taking pot shots at short range. Shortly - after leaving the donga, Cayley’s horse fell heavily, and got away - from his fallen rider. Thereupon Graham pulled up, gave Cayley his - stirrup, and the latter ran until exhausted. Graham then very - gallantly insisted upon Cayley riding while Graham ran. When beaten, - Graham mounted again and Cayley ran. At this point the Boers had got - close up and were pouring in a hot fire, and, the situation - endangering both men, Cayley, who was much exhausted, let go, - insisting on Graham leaving him, hoping himself to escape the Boers by - hiding among the rocks. Near the same place Bearne’s horse stopped, - dead beat. Bearne got off and ran until done, when he, too, took cover - from the Boers, who were close at his heels peppering for all they - were worth. - - By this time the remainder of the patrol, headed by Captain Clifford, - who was in charge, had got well away, and they eventually returned to - camp late at night, having had to walk most of the way back, as their - horses were too done to carry them. But Cayley and Bearne never had a - chance, for the Boers had never lost sight of them. They were quickly - routed out of their cover, and having dropped their arms when running, - defenceless, they had to surrender to overwhelming numbers. The Boers - explained to them what had happened on their side, and it would seem - to be only by a bit of luck that the whole patrol was not captured. - Right behind the low hill at the back of the farmhouse was a laager, - where a number of Boers were encamped. Five, _they_ said, though there - must have been quadruple the number, Boers had gone over to the - farmhouse already mentioned half an hour before the patrol appeared. - Failing to find forage there, they had proceeded up the hill with the - intention of crossing into the next valley to visit another farmhouse. - When on the sky line they spotted our patrol advancing. The Boers - immediately lay low to watch what happened. Realising that the patrol - was riding into the lion’s mouth, they meant to keep doggo until the - party was close up, and consequently far away from the only point of - escape—viz., the road by which it had come. When close up they would - open fire, warning at the same time their own camp over the hill - scarce a mile away. Luckily for us, their camp proved slow to hear, - else the main body of Boers would have rushed for the donga and - regularly trapped the crowd. As it was our men had reached the donga - before the laager had awakened to the situation. - - Cayley and Bearne were kindly treated but marched about unmercifully, - eventually reaching the main Boer laager at Commando Nek, where a - short time previously the Lincolns and Scots Greys had come to such - terrible grief. There the unhappy pair were released to struggle - twenty miles into Pretoria as best they might. - - Shortly after the adventurous descent on the Crocodile River - fastnesses, which I have already described, a second and larger - patrol, with Captain Clifford again in command, set forth to avenge - the disasters of the first. As I have a particular regard for my - personal safety, and believing the neighbourhood accursed, I found it - convenient to be otherwise occupied at the moment when patrol No. 2 - started. And subsequent events proved me wiser than my generation. Not - being present at what happened, I cannot, of course, tell exactly how - it came about. Nor could I piece the twenty different accounts given - me into a satisfactory whole, for the very good reason that no two of - the stories afterwards told me would fit in. However, it would appear - that it happened somewhat thus. - - The party started out at daybreak, and reached the scene of the - previous disaster in good time in the morning. Needless to say, the - Boers were on the look-out this time, and so soon as the patrol hove - in sight made their dispositions. With a wariness born of experience - there was no venturing into the valley. The party spread over the - ridge along which the Boers had followed them on the first occasion, - and advanced in skirmishing order with scouts in front smelling out - every nook and cranny. And so they came, as they say in racing - parlance, right along the ridge until close up to the farmhouse. All - the time the Boers in force were happily contemplating these - operations from the opposite ridge, which they had selected as being - the one not likely to be scouted. As the ridge ran into the hill - behind the farmhouse it became necessary, if any act of retribution - was to be performed on the farmer, to diverge from that line of - advance and make for the farmhouse. This was done, and of course - brought the patrol into closer order. At the farmhouse one of its - occupants handed a note to Captain Clifford. It was from the farmer, - and ran, ‘Am going down the road to kill a pig for a neighbour. Will - be back in a few minutes.’ And then the band began to play. From the - hill in front and the ridge on the right the Mausers spoke out their - unwelcome messages in a continuous stream, till it seemed as if the - blue sky above must crack for the noise. Round whipped the patrol and - in went the spurs, Captain Clifford leading his men down the valley - that seemed as if it must spell death for the whole party. There were - 200 Boers in all firing at an average range of 800 yards for a - distance of two miles. Several horses were shot, several fell, some - stopped from exhaustion; but there was no way of getting out except - along the road which ran parallel to the ridge occupied by the enemy. - The rocky going on the other ridge precluded a retreat over its - inhospitable sides, besides which it was commanded on both slopes from - the hill behind the farmhouse. - - That night at Irene the return of the patrol was anxiously awaited. It - seemed a strange thing, to many marvellous, that no man had a mark on - him, and this shows again what extraordinarily bad shooting the Boers - are capable of at moving bodies, and particularly when they are not - certain if another and concealed movement is not being conducted on - their rear. Of the party sent on the expedition one by one continued - to arrive back, some late the same night, some during the next day, - some even the day after, until at last the lot were accounted for. - Three of the unlucky patrol had trekked for Johannesburg, and advised - us by telegraph of their safety. Another struck the railway at - Kaalfontein. And so they straggled in, weary, hungry, and dirty. - Several were taken prisoners, but treated kindly enough, one attention - in particular being much appreciated. That was a stomach warmer of - peach brandy before they were set free for their march back to Irene. - Rather an insulting message given the released ones was to the effect - that the Boers would have coffee ready next time we came. - -After these events Colonel Lumsden’s request for more active employment -than his corps could find on lines of communication was granted, and the -sequel is described by a correspondent of the ‘Madras Mail’: - - We left Springs on July 16th, expecting to join General Hutton, who, - we heard, had had a severe engagement with heavy casualties, and was - in want of more mounted troops. However, after a night at Kaalfontein - we moved on to Irene, which place is the headquarters of the 8th - Mounted Infantry, now on communications between Johannesburg and - Pretoria. We remained at Irene a week, during which time we had some - half-dozen men taken prisoners owing to their horses giving out when - being pursued by the Boers, who were always lying in wait for our - patrols. We were exceedingly fortunate in having nobody hit on these - occasions. The prisoners were in every case released, their rifles and - horses, of course, being taken from them. Apparently the Boers now - find prisoners an encumbrance. - - On the 22nd we moved to Pretoria, camping three miles outside the - town. Pretoria is prettily situated in a hollow surrounded by hills. - These hills to the south-west, and about ten miles out, sheltered a - number of Boers, and on the 27th we set out on a reconnaissance to - find out something about them. The force, under Brigadier-General - Hickman, consisted of the 2nd, 6th, 7th, and 8th Mounted Infantry - Regiments, a battery of Field Artillery, and a battalion of Infantry - (the Cornwalls). We saw nothing of the enemy until evening, when the - advance guard came into touch and exchanged shots with the enemy’s - scouts, who retired. The next morning we had scarcely started when we - heard the now familiar double thud of the Mauser, and found that the - Oxford Company of the 8th Mounted Infantry were engaged. It was a very - different country from what we had been used to, and it did not suit - us nearly so well. We were in a valley with steep hills on either - side, the slopes of which were covered with loose stones and rocks of - every size and shape, which made the going almost impossible for - horses and very trying for the men. The pom-poms came into action - close on our left and shelled a steep kopje opposite for some time; - meanwhile, a brisk rifle fire was being kept up by the Mounted - Infantry on our left. At the end of about an hour the General had - apparently found out all he wanted to know, for the order to retire - came, the 8th Mounted Infantry to act as rearguard. Lumsden’s were - deputed to guard the left flank, which we did, retiring by alternate - companies along the top of the range of kopjes, while the Infantry and - guns moved along the valley. The enemy followed in a half-hearted way, - but were easily kept in check by the pom-poms, which dropped shells - into them whenever they showed themselves in any numbers. Beyond - firing at a few of their scouts, we (_i.e._, Lumsden’s) saw nothing of - them. The casualties had been slight, the Oxford Company 8th Mounted - Infantry having one man killed and one wounded. An officer’s charger - hit was all the damage done to Lumsden’s Horse. - - On the 27th General Ian Hamilton’s division, consisting of General - Bruce Hamilton’s, General Mahon’s, and General Hickman’s brigades, - marched into Pretoria. Lord Roberts and his Staff, with General Ian - Hamilton on his right and Lord Kitchener on his left, took up his - position in the market square while the troops marched past, cheering - him as they went. The same day we heard the good news that 5,000 of - the enemy had surrendered to General Hunter. - -More active service, however, meant for Lumsden’s Horse a transfer to -some other column, and the time had thus come when they were to bid -farewell to Colonel Ross, under whom they had served for four months, -and from their comrades of the 8th Mounted Infantry, with whom they had -marched and fought in many actions. Colonel Lumsden expressed the -feeling of all ranks in his parting words to Colonel Ross, which were -full of appreciation for the many kindnesses shown by that gallant -commander towards Lumsden’s Horse. What Colonel Ross thought of the -corps and its officers may be gathered from the regimental order -acknowledging their services, and from a letter in which Colonel Ross -writes as follows: - - Lumsden’s Horse joined the 8th Corps M.I. about the middle of April - 1900, and served with the corps till the end of July, when they were - transferred to General Mahon’s command. This was probably the most - completely equipped ‘unit’ that joined the forces in South Africa - during the war—a well-organised regimental transport, of Indian - pattern, a complete regimental hospital and veterinary establishment, - and every ‘necessary’ of life for man and beast for a campaign in - almost any country. - - The _personnel_ of the corps was in keeping with everything else. - Colonel Lumsden, though not an experienced campaigner when he first - arrived on active service, was a capable organiser, and had the - natural gift of commanding the respect and cheerful obedience of all - who served under him, and he soon qualified as a competent leader - under fire. He was ably supported by a well-selected body of officers - and non-commissioned officers; and there was an evident determination - among all ranks that the representatives of the Indian Auxiliary - Forces should justify their selection by the Indian public. The - ‘rank-and-file’ was composed of gentlemen who had been used to the - comparative luxury of an Indian planter’s life, and who were untrained - in cooking for themselves and attending to their horses. But they soon - adapted themselves to the situation, and cheerfully took their share - of all the work of Regular soldiers, and with such success that an - experienced officer like General Hutton expressed his admiration of - the manner in which they did it. - - The ‘fighting’ capacity of Lumsden’s Horse cannot be entirely - estimated from the gaps in their ranks. They were, as a result of - their training in civil life, more ‘self-reliant’ than the - rank-and-file of our Regular Army, and the looser formations they were - consequently able to adopt account in a great measure for their - comparatively small losses. The opinion formed of the corps by the - Commander-in-Chief can be gathered from the great number of - distinctions, promotions, and commissions in the Regular Army which - were conferred on those who remained. The time-honoured maxim, ‘Blood - will tell,’ was never better exemplified than in this corps, and, - should it be my lot ever again to command troops in the field, I ask - for no better fortune than to have a similar body to Lumsden’s Horse. - - W. Ross, - - Late Lieutenant-Colonel Commanding 8th Corps M.I. - - - - - CHAPTER XV -_A MARCH UNDER MAHON OF MAFEKING TO RUSTENBURG AND WARMBATHS—IN PURSUIT OF DE WET_ - - -To have served under two leaders of high reputation for ability in -handling Irregular troops was a stroke of good fortune that did not fall -to the lot of many Volunteer Corps in South Africa. Lumsden’s Horse had -every reason to be thankful that the lot was theirs, and they -appreciated it fully. In exchanging from the 8th Mounted Infantry -Regiment to another column, of which Colonel Bryan Mahon was Brigadier, -they did not forget the commander under whom they had served so long; -but affection for him was happily consistent with out-and-out admiration -for the officer to whose force they were transferred after leaving -Irene. Both were thorough soldiers, having strong sympathies with -Volunteers and a complete understanding of the peculiarities that -distinguish them from Regulars. In other words, both were born leaders -of men. Colonel Mahon, or General as he then was by local rank, had -proved himself to be a commander of great dash and resourcefulness in -his conduct of operations by which he won not only the affectionate -confidence of his own troops, but also the respect of enemies who still -speak with admiration of the young Cavalry officer who beat them at -their own game by rapid flank movements on the way to Mafeking, and -effected the relief of that beleaguered garrison in spite of all De la -Rey could do to prevent him. In ten days he marched a distance of 230 -miles through country destitute of supplies, where no other forces had -disputed possession with the Boers since war began. He outwitted the -cleverest of De la Rey’s lieutenants at Kraaipan by a night march which -won his adversary’s admiration, and he took a great convoy of Cape carts -and heavier transport full of provisions into Mafeking without having -lost a single waggon. Describing that surprise at Kraaipan, when, after -waiting in expectation of an attack by which Mahon should fall into the -trap laid for him, the Boers suddenly realised that the British column -had disappeared, one of their scouts said, ‘We did not get much rest, as -somebody had to be on the look-out all night. Your laager was quite near -to us, but we did not see or hear anything move. In the morning, -however, the whole had vanished, and when it was too late to stop them -we heard they were trekking away north-west towards a desert where -nobody but Boers or natives would expect to find water. Your General -must have had somebody with him who knew that country well or he would -never have ventured there.’ The ‘somebody’ in this case may have been -Colonel Frank Rhodes, the bearer of a name which is one to conjure with -still among the native tribes of Bechuanaland. He was Mahon’s -Intelligence officer, and information gleaned by him made the night -march possible; but it was the young Brigadier who planned and carried -it into execution at a time when his enemies thought they had him surely -trapped. When a complete history of the campaign comes to be written, -that march of Mahon’s for the relief of Mafeking will rank high among -the most daring and successful operations. All this story was known -weeks before the General himself arrived at Pretoria with the Imperial -Light Horse, who had won fresh honours in that enterprise under a leader -whose praises they never tired of singing. No expectation of being -brigaded with such a famous corps under such a brigadier had occurred to -Lumsden’s Horse when they left Irene. Indeed, they seem to have regarded -themselves as an integral unit of the 8th Mounted Infantry up to the day -when Colonel Ross, receiving orders for a movement southwards, went off -with other corps of his command, leaving Lumsden’s Horse behind. -Meanwhile, however, they had been placed for a time at the disposal of -Colonel Hickman, under whom they took part in the brief operations -already described towards Crocodile River, which were merely a -reconnaissance for the more important enterprise to follow. - -It will be remembered that Lord Roberts, about this time, had both hands -fully occupied in keeping Botha at arm’s length in the east and -stretching out his left with considerable force westward to ward off -attacks by De la Rey and others who were causing General Baden-Powell -much anxiety for the safety of Rustenburg, which he held with a very -small number of troops. It would never have done to let the newly -emancipated hero of Mafeking be subjected to another siege. Therefore, -when he reported that a strong force was again threatening Rustenburg -Lord Roberts determined to withdraw that garrison to Commando Nek, while -the small force holding Lichtenburg was to retire upon Zeerust. -Accordingly, General Ian Hamilton received orders to march to Rustenburg -and bring Baden-Powell’s force back with him. At the same time Sir -Frederick Carrington was directed to advance from Mafeking with his -mounted troops to the assistance of Colonel Hore, who, with 140 Bushmen, -80 men of the Rhodesian Regiment, and 80 Rhodesian Volunteers, was at -Eland’s River with a convoy of supplies for the Rustenburg garrison, and -held up there by an intercepting body of Boers. This brief summary of -the general situation is necessary to a clear understanding of the -exigencies that necessitated General Ian Hamilton’s movement eastward -along the Magaliesberg, and the reconnaissance immediately preceding it, -in all of which important operations Lumsden’s Horse were actively -engaged from start to finish. The force marched in three columns, -Colonel Hickman’s being on the left, General Ian Hamilton’s in the -centre, and Brigadier-General Mahon’s on the right, each being separated -from the other by a rough range of hills which in places became quite -mountainous. - -All this range, sweeping round the hollow in which Pretoria lies, and -then stretching away westward by irregular curves past Rustenburg to -Eland’s River, is known as the Magaliesberg, and famed for the fertility -of valleys that broaden out at its feet from many rugged kloofs. In -peace-time it is the great tobacco-producing district of the Transvaal—a -veritable garden, where orange groves, flourishing in wild luxuriance, -sweeten the air with their fragrance, and brighten the landscape with -the richness of their golden fruit. In war-time its commanding crests -and narrow defiles formed a series of strongholds for the commandos that -rallied round General De la Rey and by their daring raids gained a -reputation as the best fighters of all Boers then in the field. Every -Kaffir path by which scouts could move unseen was familiar to them. They -knew every point from which wide views could be obtained in all -directions, and every nook in which men might hide secure from -observation, ready for a sudden attack if occasion should serve, yet -having more than one way open for escape from any danger that might -threaten them. General Baden-Powell with the relieved garrison from -Mafeking had marched through a mountainous country and crossed the -Magaliesberg to Rustenburg, meeting no opposition. The Boer forces -belonging to that district had then more serious affairs to occupy them -elsewhere. But after the fight at Diamond Hill, when General Botha -retired to the Eastern Transvaal, De la Rey came back to his old haunts -on the Magaliesberg, surprised a British post near Zilikat’s Nek, and -began a series of operations by which he threatened to cut off all -supplies from Rustenburg. - -Colonel Lumsden continues his diary: - - Two days after our return to Pretoria from the reconnaissance under - Colonel Hickman the 8th Mounted Infantry received orders to entrain at - 4 A.M. for Wolve Hoek, the station next south of Vereeniging; but at - the station the order as far as we were concerned was countermanded, - and we were told to return and report to General Mahon. His - instructions were that we should remain in our present camp and fall - in as rearguard when his column marched off for Rustenburg on August - 1. The morning of that day, therefore, found us in rear of the baggage - of his column, which was moving to Rustenburg, north of the - Magaliesberg Range, to the relief of Baden-Powell, while General - Hamilton proceeded up the valley south of the Magaliesberg. Mahon’s - brigade was unique in its composition, consisting almost entirely of - Volunteer Mounted Infantry—viz., Imperial Light Horse, Lumsden’s - Horse, New Zealand Mounted Infantry, Queensland Mounted Infantry, a - regiment of Yeomanry, two squadrons 18th Hussars (the squadrons that - were captured after the battle of Talana), and the M Battery R.H.A.—in - all about 1,500 strong. - - Firing began two miles out of Pretoria, and pom-poms and guns played - merrily all day, clearing the range which divided the two columns. We - camped twelve miles out. The plan for next day subsequently transpired - to have been that General Hamilton should make a frontal attack and - drive the enemy off the high ground, where they had taken up a - position, near Zilikat’s Nek, while our brigade, making a wide - movement, to the right, was to cut off the retiring foe from the - Schwartz and Roode Kopjes, to which they were expected to retreat. - Apparently something went wrong with the arrangements, for Hamilton, - attacking before we got into position, lost some twenty men and the - Boers escaped. - -The point at which General Hamilton made his attack was from the south -side of the Magaliesberg range near Uitval Nek, which the enemy held -strongly. As General Mahon’s brigade was moving along the north side of -those precipitous ridges through a country thick with scrub, no -communication could be kept up between the two forces, and Hamilton, -whose march was unimpeded by natural difficulties, had not allowed -sufficient time for his colleague to cover the treacherous ground -through which many tributaries of the Crocodile River run their devious -courses. On getting touch with the enemy, whose position he had located, -Ian Hamilton went for them at once, a portion of Cunningham’s brigade -making as if for a frontal attack, while two companies of the Berkshire -Regiment, led by Major Elmhirst Rhodes, gallantly escaladed the steep -cliff overlooking the pass from its eastern side. Hamilton’s losses in -this fight amounted to forty killed and wounded before the Boers could -be dislodged; but as soon as they found that their position was under -fire from above, where the Berkshires had gained a footing, the enemy -fled, abandoning their waggons and horses. Unfortunately, delayed by the -obstacles already mentioned, Mahon’s mounted troops did not come up in -time to take any part, otherwise but few of the enemy could have -escaped. A correspondent of the ‘Times of India,’ taking up the story a -day after this fight, when General Mahon’s force had got through the -denser bush country into a more smiling region only to find that the -enemy had disappeared, writes: - - The valley we were passing through was well watered and cultivated, - and in some places fairly thickly wooded; much pleasanter country for - travelling through than the bare monotonous veldt of which we had seen - so much in the Free State. We passed many snug farmhouses, also - several flourishing orange groves. At one place there were acres of - orange trees simply laden with fruit, and as they were going to waste - we were allowed to help ourselves. The oranges were very fine and - beautifully ripe; one man from each sub-section was allowed to go and - gather them, and in a few minutes came back literally bulging with - them—haversacks, nosebags, pockets, &c., overflowing, the little - tangerines being especially appreciated. Some of the Australians were - so enchanted by this valley that they doubted whether there could be - another such in all the world. That night we were all aroused to - assist in putting out a veldt fire, which had approached uncomfortably - close to the camp; owing to a high wind and the fact that the grass - was particularly long and dry, it was much fiercer than is usually the - case. However, we set to work with blankets and beat it out where it - was too threatening, and then burnt a ring round the camp, effectually - stopping its progress. A Boer spy was caught in camp that night. He - had a pass on him showing that he had taken the oath of neutrality, - and he had expansive bullets in his bandolier. He was shot next - morning. - - Progress was naturally very slow, owing to the difficult nature of the - country and the fact that the hills had to be very carefully scouted. - We were rearguard that day and saw no fighting ourselves, but the - scouts in front evidently soon put up the Boers, as we heard rifle - shots being exchanged constantly, and every now and then our guns - shelled the retreating enemy. - - I may mention here that the Imperial Light Horse formed part of the - Mounted Infantry in General Mahon’s brigade. This was the first time - we had come across this famous corps, which had done such splendid - work during the war, and a very fine body of men we thought them. - Possessing a knowledge of the language and in many cases of the - country, they are most useful as scouts, and General Mahon fully - recognised that fact during the whole march, as he gave them plenty of - work to do. Besides this, they were old friends of his, having been - under his command with the Mafeking Relief Column, and they have been - with him ever since. Ian Hamilton, we heard afterwards, had met with a - pretty stubborn resistance from the Boers in his valley, where, as had - been anticipated, their main body was opposed to him, and he had - several casualties. We only advanced about twelve miles that day. Next - day the driving process recommenced, Lumsden’s Horse during the - greater part of the time occupying a very high kopje, from which we - were ordered to keep a bright look-out and to hold it if attacked. It - was a devil of a climb (the horses were kept below), but the view from - the top almost compensated us for our trouble. This part of the - country was certainly the best we had been through so far; beautifully - wooded in many places, and dotted all over with farms and orange - groves. The oranges were simply delicious, especially the tangerine - variety, and we took full advantage of the opportunity afforded us of - having our fill of them, each man eating as many as he could on the - spot, and carrying away a nosebagful with him. - - Evidently the Generals had orders to adopt strong measures in cases of - farms harbouring Boers, or from which any sniping might be done, or in - which ammunition might be stored, as it was a daily occurrence for two - or three of them to be fired and rased to the ground. Looking into the - next valley from our high perch we saw a huge camp below which we at - first took to be a Boer laager, but we found out afterwards it was Ian - Hamilton’s force, which had advanced quicker than we had, and had - encamped for the day. - - We had got to Commando Nek that night, and heard that the Boers from - the centre valley had already slipped through. This was unfortunate, - but could not be helped, as we could not push on farther than we did - without risking the sacrifice of many valuable lives. I think we were - informed that the enemy numbered about 600, and that their main body - had got away some time before, leaving behind a few snipers to keep us - in check. This is their usual method of proceeding, and a very sound - one it is. - - One has to see the country oneself to realise what an easy thing it is - for a few men well placed to keep a large body back. We send out our - scouts, and immediately they are fired on. We shell the places from - which they have been shot at. After this has gone on for some little - time we advance again, and so on. Progress is very slow, and meantime - the bird has flown. As I say, one has to be out in the country to - understand properly what difficulties the attacking party has to - contend against. With the numberless examples before them of our men - blundering into traps and being slaughtered and having to surrender - through going at things baldheaded, as they say, our Generals have - learned caution. Then, on the other hand, the slow progress enables - the enemy to get away. ‘What can do?’ ‘Horns of dilemma!’ as our Babu - friends would say. - - Then, again, the Boers know the country thoroughly, and when hard - pressed the Commandant simply tells his men to scatter and appoints - some meeting place further on. His convoy scatters likewise, and all, - travelling by three or four different routes, arrive at the rendezvous - in due course. We, on the other hand, have to follow the beaten path, - and are always being hung up for hours by our convoys getting stuck in - drifts, &c. It is not to be wondered at that the Boers, possessing - these advantages, so often elude us. - - General Ian Hamilton’s column came through the Nek next day, and, - joining hands with General Mahon, proceeded towards Rustenburg, in - which direction the Boers had fled, and where Baden-Powell was said to - be surrounded and unable to get away. Horses and men fared very well - just then, the former getting plenty of oat-hay commandeered from the - hostile farms we passed, and green barley and oat-grass in the fields - at the midday halts; and the latter securing fowls, geese, - sucking-pigs, &c., which were very plentiful in Kaffir kraals and - farmhouses. During the two days it took us to reach Rustenburg we - expected to get in touch with the enemy at any moment, but they did - not come up to the scratch, and we entered the town unopposed on - August 5. - - It appears that, hearing of Ian Hamilton’s approach, the Boers - abandoned the kopjes surrounding Rustenburg and relieved the pressure - on Baden-Powell, who, having heard in the meantime that General - Carrington, working with a small force in the country between - Rustenburg and Mafeking, was in danger of losing his convoy, had moved - out to his assistance. - -The actual position was that Colonel Hore, marching with a convoy of -supplies from Zeerust to Rustenburg, and, finding his way barred by a -greater force than he could hope to cope with, and his retreat also cut -off, had entrenched himself at Eland’s River. There he waited for the -relieving force under General Carrington, which never came nearer than -within sound of the Boer guns, and unfortunately the Rustenburg column -also stopped short in its attempt to relieve Colonel Hore, who had to -fight it out for a week or so longer against enormous odds that might -have overwhelmed his force but for the magnificent determination -displayed by Australian Bushmen and Rhodesian Volunteers. The failure of -that attempt at relief is briefly described by Colonel Lumsden, whose -diary also summarises subsequent operations in pursuit of De Wet in the -following passages: - - Next day we expected a well-earned rest, but Mahon’s brigade was lent - to strengthen General Baden-Powell’s force, which was to move at - daybreak next morning to assist Colonel Hore, who was known to be in - difficulties in the direction of or beyond Eland’s River (one of the - many streams bearing that name in the colony). This entailed a sharp - ride of fifteen miles, which brought us to Eland’s River and within - hearing of the cannonading, but no further. On the bank of the river - was a small group of officers, prominent among them being General - Baden-Powell, and by his side were Colonel Plumer and Major - Baden-Powell. We found the great man seated on a rock, surrounded by - his Staff, and sketching hard with both hands! Most of us had not seen - him before, so it can be imagined how glad we were to have the - opportunity of getting a good look at England’s popular hero at the - moment. We were also delighted at the idea of being under his command, - if only for a short time. We had a better view of him on the way back, - and he appeared to be very fit and none the worse for his Mafeking - experiences. - - While waiting here to rest and water the horses we heard big guns - firing in the direction in which Carrington’s force was situated, and - expected momentarily to be ordered to advance; but after some time we - were told that Baden-Powell had tapped the telegraph wire and learned - from Carrington that he had repulsed the Boers and had got his convoy - away safely, and that he did not require our assistance. I am afraid, - however, that the wrong source must have been tapped, and that a false - message, intended to deceive, must then have come, not from - Carrington, but from the wily Boers. After two hours’ rest we returned - to Rustenburg for the night, having apparently accomplished nothing in - particular, except a march of thirty miles all told. Rustenburg was - then evacuated, and the whole of General Hamilton’s division - concentrated near Commando Nek, resting there one day. We then went to - join the De Wet hunt with Mahon’s brigade in front, and in spite of - only a little skirmishing advanced somewhat slowly. On the 15th we - came into touch with the eight Generals who were pursuing De Wet on an - organised plan from the south towards Oliphant’s Nek. We were supposed - to have been in time to cut off De Wet and prevent him going north to - Oliphant’s Nek, but were unfortunately too late, and all we could do - was to join the others and follow him up. The next evening we were in - touch with the rearguard and in sight of the Nek. - - The following morning we escorted the big guns to within range of the - Nek, took our position on the hills on the right, and watched the - Infantry make the attack. It was a very pretty sight from our - position, but the resistance was slight, so, going through the Nek, we - reached Rustenburg for the third time and spent the night there, our - laager being well supplied by way of a change with turkeys and fowls - poached from local preserves. Away again next morning Pretoria-wards, - reaching Sterkstroom at 4 P.M. the next day. Hardly had we - off-saddled, with visions of a raid on a field of sweet potatoes in - view, before we received orders to again saddle up and march at 5 P.M. - after De Wet, who was reported just in front of us. From 5 till 11 our - weary horses struggled on through the darkness. We bivouacked for the - night within three miles of Commando Nek, hoping, as we had often - hoped before, to get De Wet next morning. Long ere day broke we were - up and away again, only to find that De Wet’s force had gone north - along the river towards Roode Kopjes, which we reached at daybreak - with still no signs of the enemy. On the right bank of the river and a - mile off were some low rocky kopjes covered with scrub, on the left a - series of high but broken hills. We, as advance guard, took up our - position on the latter as the Boer convoy was trekking away in full - view across the open from the shelter of the former, and just out of - range of the twelve pom-poms. The temptation was great to push on in - pursuit, but our General was luckily wiser and preferred to - reconnoitre across the river before implicating the guns and main body - in what turned out to be a most difficult drift. We from our position - looked on while the New Zealanders on the right crossed the drift and, - spreading out, advanced to the broken ground. We had just made up our - mind that all was clear, and that the General had been culpably slow, - when a frightful fusillade burst out on the unfortunate reconnoitrers - from a range of fifty yards. There was nothing for it but to race back - as hard as they could, leaving six casualties behind, two of which - resulted fatally. The _coup_ having failed, and horse and man being - incapable of more, we all returned to the previous night’s camp. At 6 - A.M. on the 20th we reoccupied the same kopjes, forced the passage of - the river, and with little further resistance got into the open - country five miles beyond. We then marched through bushveldt to - Zoutpans, Warmbaths, and Waterval, back to Pretoria, with very little - to record in the ten days so occupied, the only interesting feature - being the peculiar country known as bushveldt, best described as a sea - of stunted thorn trees (familiarly known as toothpick trees), with an - undergrowth of coarse grass, no roads, but tracks of heavy sand which - delayed the Transport very much. Scouting was practically impossible, - as it was very difficult to get horses through the formidable thorny - scrub, while vision was limited to thirty yards. - -The operations are described in fuller detail by correspondents of -Indian papers, whose interesting records of events in which they took -part need to be dovetailed together for the sake of a connected -narrative. It is necessary, however, to say here by way of introduction -that after accomplishing its mission in the relief of Rustenburg and the -withdrawal of that garrison General Ian Hamilton’s column became -involved by force of circumstances in a series of intricate operations -with other columns moving from east, west, and south with the object of -catching the wily De Wet between them. One correspondent thus describes -the march out of Rustenburg: - - It having been decided to abandon the town, the night was spent in - destroying a lot of Boer ammunition and rifles of every description - which had been stored in the gaol. There was a constant succession of - reports as the cartridges exploded, and it sounded exactly as if a - smart general engagement was taking place. The next day, the 7th, - Rustenburg was completely evacuated, and the four brigades marched - back on their way towards the Crocodile River. Those of the - inhabitants who had claimed British protection also moved out with our - convoy, in addition to whom were forty Boer prisoners, including Piet - Kruger, Oom Paul’s son, under escort. As our progress was considerably - retarded by the large convoy it was despatched at night on the 8th to - a situation of safety. Each brigade was then operating separately, - though supporting each other, with Mahon’s as a flying column. The - next morning the Australians had a brush with some sixty Boer snipers, - but the main body made a dash for Uitval Nek, only to find that the - enemy had again anticipated our arrival and had bolted. Getting - through Commando Nek on August 9, we rejoined Ian Hamilton, who was - encamped on the other side. This was the largest camp we had been in - so far. There must have been quite 15,000 men there, including troops - from many parts of the world. All General Baden-Powell’s as well as - General Mahon’s column were Irregulars, so that with General Ian - Hamilton’s Regulars we were perhaps as representative a gathering as - has ever camped together. Englishmen, Highlanders, Welshmen, and - Irishmen, Australians (of all sorts), Canadians, New Zealanders, - Tasmanians, Imperial Yeomanry, ‘Lumsden’s’ from India, and Colonials - from all parts of South Africa, the Imperial Light Horse, the - Rhodesian Regiment, some of Montmorency’s Scouts, &c., were present. - - The New Zealanders gave a sing-song that night, the visitors sitting - or standing round a huge log fire and the performers occupying the - centre. It was an excellent show, several very good men taking the - boards, or rather the veldt. The _finale_ was a march round by some of - the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders with pipes and drums playing. - Our entertainers, I must not forget to mention, supplied the crowd - liberally with rum, a much-appreciated drink among Tommies and - Volunteers alike. Mixed with sugar and water and taken hot it is hard - to beat, and has kept off many a fever, I am sure, in wet weather. I - may mention that rum was only rationed out very occasionally, except - in extremely bad weather, when we generally got it daily. Rum nights, - needless to say, were hailed with delight, and shouts of ‘Roll up for - your rum’ would be heard all round the camp. - -[Illustration: - - NIGHT IN CAMP - (_From a sketch by J.S. Cowen_) -] - -Here the sequence of events may be appropriately interrupted for the -sake of some amusing incidents and anecdotes told by another -correspondent, who, in connection with this great gathering of troops in -our camp near Commando Nek, writes: - - After considerable practice the amateur cooks could make a savoury - repast out of very little. If there was a garden about we grubbed up - some vegetables, with which even the trek-ox served out in Government - rations made an excellent stew. It was our fortune this night, - however, to be better provided for by a lucky chance. While engaged in - drawing the meagre rations and arguing with the Quartermaster-Sergeant - over details of ounces and pennyweights, that had come to be regarded - by us as very important matters, we suddenly espied a great scurry - going on about a mile away, crowds of men rushing after what we at - last made out to be a small deer. In and out it went among patrol - tents, horses, saddles, carts, and guns. Frantic efforts were made in - vain to catch it; men left whatever they were doing to join in the - chase, rolling over in their endeavours to be first. Everybody threw - something, and many dangerous missiles came hurtling through the air. - But the deer ran on and suddenly turned our way. We also missed it by - yards, and the shouting crowd swept by, losing sight of their quarry - presently, and not knowing whither it had gone. A man of ours happened - to be lying rolled up in his blanket asleep. The din roused him, and - just as he was beginning to move the buck rose for a leap over his - body. He caught it in the outspread blanket and kept it there. So the - game came to our mess after all by sheer luck. On the strength of it - we invited our very good friends and next-door neighbours, the Bushmen - (Queensland Mounted Infantry) to dine with us that night, and soon - after sunset they came round to our fire. Very good fellows they were, - and a very genial dinner we had. Our guests brought their own stew, - which was excellent, and their coffee too, with which to eke out our - supplies. One of our men produced some good cheroots afterwards, and - we sat on into the night, smoking, sipping coffee, and telling - stories, the hills all around being lighted up with lines of veldt - fires and the sky illuminated by a glorious full moon. Some of the - Bushmen’s stories against themselves were most amusing. They had as - good a name as anybody for horse-stealing and cattle-lifting. One of - them told us gravely that when he was walking one day through another - regiment’s lines a sergeant spotted him and gave the order ‘Stand to - your horses.’ He said he was so overcome by the ‘compliment,’ that he - could hardly acknowledge it. On another occasion, at a midday halt, - when the ‘cow-gun’ teams were brought back from watering, the - distracted officer in charge found one of the fattest and best oxen - was missing. He only just discovered it in time to save its life and - deprive the Bushmen of a feast. They told us many tricks for changing - a horse’s marks, brands, colour, and general appearance, so that no - man might know his own horse thus transformed, and I looked anxiously - towards my own chestnut quite expecting to find that he had either - been taken away to the camp of our neighbours or ‘faked’ practically - before my own eyes. Others joined our circle as the moon rose higher. - The whole camp seemed in excellent spirits. Sounds of revelry, wafted - on the still night air, reached us from many a camp-fire; snatches of - song, broken anon by outbursts of cheering; elsewhere uprose the - strains of the Highland pipes. Rumour is busy that we are to join in - the chase after De Wet, who is breaking away north. We wonder as we - roll into our blankets when will be our next day of rest. - -And the rumours were true for once. Not many hours elapsed before -Mahon’s brigade, with the remainder of Hamilton’s force, was on the move -southward and westward through Commando Nek into Rustenburg again, and -then away north-east, still pursuing into the bushveldt the elusive -force which they took to be De Wet’s. As a matter of fact, De Wet had -already left this force. He, personally, did not quit the Magaliesberg -range, but, doubling back with a small band of trusty followers the day -after his passage of Oliphant’s Nek, he slipped through a neighbouring -poort, and so got at once in rear of his pursuers. They were thenceforth -on the heels of a fresh force, which De la Rey had detached to serve as -a will-o’-the-wisp. All these facts the Editor has learned from the lips -of General De la Rey himself recently. The next rest did not come for -several weary days, owing to circumstances that are described by other -correspondents in the following letters: - - After a day’s rest (General Baden-Powell being left behind with a - small force to guard Commando Nek) the division advanced again in a - south-westerly direction to try to cut off De Wet, who was being - driven north by Kitchener, Methuen, Smith-Dorrien, Hart, and - Broadwood. We encountered a small body of fifty Boers, but a few - shells sent among these soon dislodged them from the kopje on which - they had taken up a position, and we did not see them again. - - We got to a place called Hekpoort the next day, and here it was - decided to convert Mahon’s brigade into a flying column, which meant - that we were to travel without any Transport, each man being served - out with three days’ rations, which he carried with him. This column - was to work independently of the rest of the division and be ready to - start in pursuit of De Wet at a moment’s notice, should we get news of - him. - - Leaving Ian Hamilton to follow on slowly by another route, Mahon’s - brigade marched at daybreak on the 12th, we acting as advance scouts. - The country hereabouts is very hilly, and affords excellent cover for - the wily sniper, so scouting was not all ‘beer and skittles.’ Visions - of grouse moors at home were naturally strong upon some of us that - day, and one’s thoughts ran irresistibly to parallels between the - driving of grouse and our attempts to round up De Wet. One was - constantly on the qui vive, expecting to be shot at any moment, as the - enemy were known to be about. Nothing happened, however, and the next - few days were spent in loafing along, doing about ten miles or so, in - momentary expectation of getting in touch with De Wet. But this - gentleman’s movements were as erratic as usual, and it was evidently - impossible to get any reliable information as to his exact - whereabouts. It was known that he was being driven towards Oliphant’s - Nek by Lord Methuen and the others mentioned above, and it would - appear that the proper course to have pursued was to have held this - pass, which was the only possible avenue of escape left to De Wet, and - wait for him there, instead of wandering about more or less aimlessly, - as we were doing. This could very easily have been done, one imagines, - with a small portion of the large force at General Hamilton’s - disposal, and why it was not tried is an unsolved mystery to a great - many of us up to the present. As far as an outsider can see, a very - serious blunder was committed here, and we apparently lost a chance of - bringing the war to a speedy conclusion. Had De Wet been caught, Botha - would probably have surrendered, and the other commandants would have - followed suit. - - As it was, however, we moved along slowly, the monotony being broken - now and again by an exchange of shots between our scouts and scattered - parties of Boers on the adjacent hills. About midday on August 13 - Lumsden’s Horse were detached from the main body and sent off to the - flank to reconnoitre, and on our way met a party of the Imperial Light - Horse who had been sent out to burn a farm situated in a hollow among - some hills from which the Boers had been sniping. The officer in - charge of the Imperial Light Horse party requested Captain Noblett, - under whose command we were, to keep us on the top of the hill to - prevent surprise while he and his men went and destroyed the farm. - This was done, but for some reason or another the Imperial Light Horse - officer changed his mind and did not burn the farm. While on the hill - we were told by some Kaffirs that the enemy (about eighty in number) - had left a few moments before; seeing our scouts coming over the hill, - they had fled precipitately. We went down to the farm after the - Imperial Light Horse party had gone on, and had hardly left it to - return to the main body again when we saw a small party of Boers on - the hill on our right, and these were doubtless the men referred to by - the Kaffirs we had spoken to. Instead of going by the road we took a - short cut across the veldt, as it was rather late and we wanted to get - back to the main body before nightfall. It turned out afterwards that - it was as well we did so, as on the way we heard firing on our right, - and on approaching to see what it was all about saw that the road led - through a deep hollow among some low hills in which the Boers had - taken up their position. Had we taken the road we should have walked - right into the trap which they had evidently laid for us, and should - have got slaughtered. The firing we heard was an exchange of - compliments between these Boers and some dozen Australians who had - also been sent out on reconnaissance duty, and who had posted - themselves on a hill opposite. Finding that they did not want any - assistance, we pushed on and joined the brigade again at about 5 - o’clock, camping shortly afterwards. It is interesting to note that - the spot we camped at was the one that heard the first shots fired - during the Jameson Raid. The Boer _sangars_ still exist, and were - occupied that night by Lumsden’s ‘outlying picket.’ Having no - Transport, we had to depend on whatever we had in our saddle-bags, and - were consequently on rather short commons; and the horses, too, fared - badly, poor beasts, having to subsist mostly on what grass they could - pick up on the veldt and on such oat-hay and mealies as we could get - out of the farmhouses we passed. The latter were very few and far - between in that part of the country. Next day we continued our march - in the same direction, and both flanking parties engaged the enemy’s - snipers on several occasions. The Imperial Light Horse reported having - killed one Boer and wounded four others. On the 15th we acted as - advance guard, and had not proceeded far when we found ourselves wound - up with five brigades—viz., Lord Kitchener’s, Lord Methuen’s, General - Hart’s, Smith-Dorrien’s, and a column under Colonel Pilcher—that had - all been co-operating with us, bent on surrounding De Wet. But the - Boer leader of a lost cause proved as slippery as ever, and had again - escaped _viâ_ Oliphant’s Nek towards Rustenburg. The valley we had - passed through was mainly occupied by English and German farmers, who - complained bitterly at the constant visits of English and Boer troops, - as sympathy of any kind with either cause got them into hot water with - the other side, and the Boers are past masters as looters. The good - people of Rustenburg were in a like predicament, hence its evacuation. - We heard at a store here that De Wet had passed through the previous - day with our men in close pursuit. Later we were informed that he had - got through Oliphant’s Nek, which he had found unoccupied, and that - now the place was strongly held by the Boers. - - In the evening I understand the various Generals got into - consultation, and it was decided that General Ian Hamilton should - advance with his division to attack the Nek and continue the chase - after De Wet, while Lord Kitchener and the others were, I believe, to - proceed to the west of Rustenburg, where the Boers under De la Rey - were again giving trouble.[13] - - We joined General Ian Hamilton that evening, and next day the whole - force marched in the direction of Oliphant’s Nek and got within a few - miles of it by about 4 that afternoon. As it was so late, and the - place was said to be so strongly held, General Ian Hamilton decided on - deferring his attack till next day. Before we camped for the night the - advance scouts got into touch with the enemy, and we heard several - exchanges of shots going on in front. Shortly afterwards we were moved - up in support, and stayed till dark, after which we went back to camp, - which had been pitched about two miles off, leaving a strong mounted - picket behind. Lumsden’s Horse alone supplied forty men. Writing about - picket duty reminds me that it was particularly trying during this - march. Since leaving Pretoria we had been supplying forty or fifty men - nearly every night—_i.e._, about 50 per cent. of our number. This duty - we hated more than any other. One did not mind hard work all day if - one’s nights in camp were undisturbed; but to come in at dark and - hardly have time to off-saddle before being ordered to fall in for - outlying picket was simply ghastly. On some occasions we went out - without any food or drink, and if, as often happens, the post was a - long way off and difficult to find in the dark, one’s fellow messmen - were unable to take anything out. Whenever possible, however, - bully-beef or Army rations and biscuits were served out to the picket - before it marched off, and when this was done things were not so bad. - - The Boer camp fires were seen quite distinctly on the hills close to - where our pickets were, and from the number of these we judged that - the report that the Nek was strongly held was not an exaggerated one. - It is naturally a grand place to defend, and could be made almost - impregnable, I should think, with its high commanding kopjes on either - side. Besides which, it was said to have been strongly fortified by - Colonel Kekewich some time before. We naturally thought, therefore, - that we should have a hard nut to crack next day. Just before dawn, - however, a spy who had been sent into the Boer camp returned with the - news that they had been on the move all night getting away their - baggage, &c., and that they would not offer any very great resistance - to our passage—probably just enough to allow their convoy ample time - to get away. This man, by the way, while returning from the Boer camp - ran into our outlying picket, and, not being prompt in replying to the - sentry’s challenge ‘Who comes there?’ he very nearly got shot. - - The report that most of the Boers had stolen away turned out to be - correct, as after a few hours’ shelling to clear the way for our - Infantry the latter advanced practically unopposed, the casualties on - either side being very few, and we got through the Nek about 11 A.M. - We saw some very pretty artillery practice, two 5-inch guns coming - into action at a range of three or four miles quite close to where we - stood. - - As De Wet was said to have gone off in the direction of Rustenburg we - pressed forward, got outside that town in the afternoon, and camped - there for the night once more. - - Evidently fresh news of the ‘wily’ one was received, as next day - (August 18) we started back the way we had come and halted in the - afternoon, as if for a long rest, at Sterkstroom, some miles west of - Commando Nek. We had hardly been in camp an hour when the order came - for Mahon’s brigade to saddle up and march at once, the object being - to intercept De Wet, who was reported to have taken up a position near - the Crocodile River. We did a long weary march, the weariness being - accentuated by the fact that we were not allowed to smoke or speak - above a whisper. We halted about 10.30 and camped at a place called - Bokfontein, about five miles west of the Crocodile. I presume it was - not thought advisable to advance any closer for fear of blundering - into the enemy unawares, and thus giving them the chance of getting - away under cover of darkness. With all these precautions and - preparations we naturally thought we were really there or thereabouts - this time. Once again, however, we were baffled of our prey, which we - heard next evening had got away in a north-easterly direction. - - We arrived at Commando Nek at 6 A.M. on the 19th, and it was then - decided that Mahon’s brigade should reconnoitre the kopjes north of - and directly opposite to the Nek, and this we proceeded to do. General - Ian Hamilton had not come up then. On approaching the position we - found that there were two ranges of kopjes lying east and west (each - range being divided again into several little groups of hills), and - through these there was a passage leading to the open country beyond. - - A squadron of the Imperial Light Horse was sent out to scout, and they - presently put up some Boers, but a few shells sent among these soon - drove them back again. Lumsden’s Horse were then ordered to gallop - forward and occupy the first group of kopjes on the western ranges. We - had hardly got into position when we saw a large convoy of Boer - waggons making its way, as fast as the oxen could be goaded to travel, - from the kopje on the east to the plains beyond, and towards another - range of kopjes further north. We immediately sent back word to - General Mahon, and he at once ordered the guns to be brought up, and a - few shells were sent after the convoy. Unfortunately, however, we only - had a battery of 12-pounders with us, and by the time they got into - position the convoy had a long start and our shells fell short. - General Mahon reluctantly decided that it would be unsafe to follow - the convoy with the small force at his disposal, as the Boers had no - doubt left a sufficient number of men behind on the eastern and - western ranges of kopjes to cover its retreat. These kopjes completely - commanded the plains beyond, and had we gone on we should have been - absolutely at their mercy and should have been very roughly handled - indeed. - - Besides which, I fancy General Mahon’s orders were merely to - reconnoitre the position and not to run his neck into any kind of - noose. Abandoning all idea of pursuit, therefore, General Mahon then - proceeded to examine the eastern range of kopjes from which the convoy - had started, and where he suspected there might be a Boer laager. To - effect this purpose he sent out the New Zealanders as scouts. They - were allowed to approach within fifty yards without molestation, when - all of a sudden the klik-klok of Mausers was heard all along the - ridge, and an officer and three men were seen to fall. The former died - next day, poor fellow. After this the scouts returned. From our - position on the kopjes on the left we saw the whole thing distinctly. - A party of New Zealanders, before this happened, were examining a - farmhouse, and while they were inside one of their horses got away. - The farmhouse was quite close to the hill from which the Boers were - firing, and when the retirement took place the unfortunate man who had - lost his horse would have been left had not one of his comrades very - pluckily ridden forward and caught the animal, which was grazing close - by, and thus enabled its owner to get away. The plucky scout, however, - stayed to take up, behind his saddle, another man, whose horse had - been killed, and they also managed to get clear off, notwithstanding - that they were being shot at all the while. Captain Taylor, our - Adjutant, who was looking through his telescope at the time, said it - was the neatest and coolest thing he had ever seen. It was now getting - on in the afternoon, and, the purpose for which, as I presume, we were - sent out being complete, the order to retire was given, Lumsden’s - Horse being instructed to act as rearguard, and occupy the kopjes - where they were posted, till the guns and the rest of the troops had - got away. This we did, and we heard afterwards from the men in charge - of the ambulance which was left behind to bring in the wounded that we - had hardly left the kopjes we had been on all day when the Boers - occupied them. We got back to our camp at Commando Nek late in the - afternoon, and stayed there for the night. This was the most - irritating action we have yet been in, for the Boer convoy was at our - mercy, but we were not numerically strong enough to attack it. It thus - slipped away under our very noses. Baden-Powell was at Commando Nek - and Ian Hamilton a day’s march in rear. - - It was arranged that next day General Mahon’s brigade should make an - attack on the position reconnoitred that morning, supported by Ian - Hamilton, who was to join us again with the rest of his division. - Lumsden’s Horse were to take up the same position as they had done the - day before. The brigade marched out at 6.30 A.M. and were soon on the - scene of the previous action. As instructed, we posted ourselves on - the kopjes occupied by us the day before, and in the meantime scouts - were sent out to discover whether or not the Boers were still about. - The crack of Mausers soon decided this question, and the kopjes in - front and on both flanks were then shelled for several hours. We were - then ordered to leave our rocky perches and advance in skirmishing - order to the attack. We soon arrived on the kopjes previously held by - the Boers, but found no trace of these gentry, who had evidently - played their usual game of leaving a few snipers behind to hinder our - advance while their main body got away in safety. This effected, the - snipers themselves vanished into space. There were no casualties on - our side that morning, and I do not fancy our shells did much damage, - as I did not hear of any dead or wounded Boers being found. It was - about here that De Wet was supposed to have broken up his commando, - leaving some 1,500 dismounted men to take refuge in the bushveldt, - while he went off south with only 200 men. Meantime General Ian - Hamilton came up with his troops, and the whole of us then advanced - north, the direction taken by the fleeing Boers into the bushveldt, - expecting a fight at any time, which did not come off. The going was - extremely difficult, the soil being impalpable sand with thorny bushes - growing so close together that at twenty yards objects could not be - discerned. Water was only encountered at one spot, a farm in a valley. - The occupants of the farm were a Boer woman and two little children; - she weepingly informed us that the Boers had commandeered her husband - the day before, and, as he had objected, they had taken him away in - handcuffs. We made Zoutpans by sundown, completely jaded and worn out. - At Zoutpans are the salt-mines, now at a standstill, as the company - owning them have gone into liquidation, and the only house is that in - which the manager, an Englishman, lives. A pool highly impregnated - with salt was the only water near at hand, and on this men and horses - had to do. The salt itself from these mines is only fit for cattle, as - soda predominates in it. We had marched more or less in a circle. Next - day we heard that De Wet had doubled back with 200 picked men to the - Free State, leaving the rest of his force to join Grobler, who was - then operating north of Pretoria. We were told that General Paget was - coming up with a small force along the line of rail, and Baden-Powell, - who had left Commando Nek, would advance parallel with and ten miles - west of Paget, and that Ian Hamilton’s Division, then about twelve - miles further west, was to co-operate with these two columns and keep - Grobler from breaking back if possible. - - We were now in what is called the bushveldt—_i.e._, country covered - with low scrubby bushes. These bushes form excellent screens for the - enemy, and scouting, therefore, is ticklish work. ‘You dunno where you - are,’ as they say. Water was a scarce article, too—in fact, it was - about the driest country we had been in so far. Passing a place called - Stinkwater, we reached Swartzkop late in the evening, and camped there - for the night near a large settlement of the Barotse tribe. The - Germans have a mission in these parts; their church is only a large - mud hut, but the missionary in charge has a following of no fewer than - 2,000. We were told that night that General Ian Hamilton was going - with his Staff to Haaman’s Kraal, a railway station about fifteen - miles east, coming back the same evening, and that Lumsden’s Horse - were to act as his escort. This promised a nice break in the monotony - of the everlasting march, march, march we had been having lately, so - those of us who had fit horses were much elated, the unfortunate ones, - who had not, being correspondingly downcast. As arranged, we started - for Haaman’s Kraal at daybreak next day, and our advance scouts had - got quite six miles out when we were ordered to turn back and return - to camp. Trooper Philip Stanley writes of an incident that occurred at - a farm near the German mission, and which may help to explain how some - of the wonderful yarns we so often heard about De Wet’s capture - commenced. - -[Illustration: - - _Photo: Bourne & Shepherd_ - PHILIP STANLEY -] - - We were catching the fowls in the houses round the church, and one - particular black-and-white cock evaded all our endeavours. So somebody - called him De Wet, and presently yelled out, as the poor cock was hurt - by a stick or stone, ‘_De Wet’s captured at last_.’ Curiously enough, - just at that moment a mounted man, a Hussar I think, was riding close - past us on the road and heard the shout ‘De Wet’s captured at last,’ - and I think must have spread the report, as when we got into camp, - four miles on, about an hour and a half afterwards, we were at once - told De Wet was captured at last, and I think they might that evening - have added, ‘and eaten.’ Fresh instructions had evidently come from - headquarters, and General Ian Hamilton was not going to Haaman’s Kraal - after all. When we got back to our place we found the division moving - off in a northerly direction, and so, after a few minutes’ halt to - water our horses, we had to follow on as quickly as possible to regain - our place in the column—_i.e._, on the flank of the guns. It was a - very hot and dirty march, and towards the afternoon our position was - changed to rearguard, which meant that we had to wait behind till all - the stragglers and the whole of the Transport got into camp. In - consequence we did not get in till 8.30 that night, and even then our - troubles were not ended, as several of us were immediately ordered out - on outlying picket. The different corps take it in turn to do - rearguard as a rule, and, needless to say, it is not a popular duty at - all. Generally the rearguard gets off supplying outlying pickets, but - when short-handed, or when there are more posts than usual, they too - have to bear their share of the burden. - - The next day’s march (August 24) brought us to Warmbaths. As its name - indicates, there are natural springs here. Some of the enterprising - ones of the earth, taking advantage of this, have erected long rows of - bathing houses supplied with every convenience, hot and cold water - taps, &c., &c., and before the war broke out I understand they were - making a good thing out of it. It was a great resort for invalids, I - was told, and, being on the line of rail from Pretoria, it was quite - the thing to spend a few days out there and take the waters. When we - came in we found the baths entirely deserted, no one being left in - charge of them. - - There were any number of troops in the place when we arrived, Paget’s - and Baden-Powell’s lot having come in the day before. They had had - several brushes with the enemy under Grobler, and had driven them on - to the hills beyond the town. As can easily be imagined, there was a - regular rush on the baths, each room being in most cases engaged six - deep. Many of us, in consequence, had to defer tubbing till next day, - which we spent resting in camp. I was one of these. Oh! I shall never - forget the luxury of that bath. I think I spent a whole hour lying - full length in a tub of hot water, with just my chin above the - surface. When one only gets the opportunity of bathing on rare - occasions it is perhaps not surprising that one should wax - enthusiastic over one such as this was. That we hadn’t been used to - luxuries was fully demonstrated by the number of men who were - suffering with colds the next day. We started again with Ian Hamilton - on the evening of the 26th, leaving Generals Paget and Baden-Powell - behind to settle with Grobler and his merry band, whom, as I have - written above, they had already harried considerably. Our march was in - the direction of Pretoria, and everybody in the column then heard for - the first time that we were merely going there to refit and get - remounts, after which we should be sent out in the direction of - Middelburg. Alas! for our hopes that this was to have been our last - trek. - - Twenty-five miles of bushveldt had to be traversed to reach the next - camp, at Pienaar’s River—an eccentric stream, the meandering of which - caused us considerable inconvenience in crossing and re-crossing it a - dozen times during the march. We reached Pienaar’s River station that - night and camped there. Starting again next day, we got to Haaman’s - Kraal about midday, and halted there for two or three hours. We heard - here that our mails (we hadn’t had any since leaving Pretoria at the - beginning of the month, so expected a good pile) had been sent on from - Pretoria to meet us, and they were a mile or two ahead. About a dozen - of us were accordingly sent to get them. There were eight or ten bags - for us, and we immediately ‘buckled to’ the pleasant task of sorting. - It took us a good two hours’ hard work, and this will give some idea - of the number of letters and parcels received. - - Continuing our march, we reached Waterval station late in the - afternoon and halted for the night. This, it will be remembered, was - where the Boers kept our men whom they had taken prisoners, after they - removed them from the racecourse at Pretoria. They were confined in - long tin sheds placed in the middle of a large barbed wire enclosure, - and this was lighted up by electric light all night, thus reducing the - chances of escape to a minimum. - - We marched at 4.30 next morning and at 10 o’clock arrived in Pretoria, - where we camped on the racecourse. Shortly afterwards we were joined - by Captain Clifford and the men (about twenty) who had been left - behind at Irene owing to their having no horses, and also by several - others who had been in hospital and were now convalescent. Among the - latter was Regimental Sergeant-Major ‘Lump’ Marsham, who was looking - remarkably well after all he had gone through. He had had some - remarkable experiences; shot in two places (through the chest and - right thigh), besides having a bullet through his haversack in our - first fight at Houtnek, then being taken prisoner at Rhenoster River - station, where he was on his way up to rejoin the regiment after - leaving hospital, then having the pleasure of being present at the - surrender of Prinsloo and three or four thousand of his men, and - forming one of the guard which escorted them afterwards. We were all - greatly pleased to have him back among us again. - - We had had a trying time of it, and Veterinary-Captain Stevenson cast - our horses wholesale, nearly two-thirds being cast in all. The men - seem made of sterner stuff, and campaigning has only tended to make - the majority fitter than ever, and only a very few are ill—a matter of - the survival of the fittest. We have been working in co-operation with - Baden-Powell’s brigade a good deal, and our desire to hear about him - and to see him has been surfeited. The only hardship experienced on - the march was want of good tobacco. Though the Magaliesberg tobacco is - considered the best of Transvaal tobacco, and we could have obtained - plenty of it, yet few among us have acquired a taste for it. It is - positively vile, and an Indian cigar when smoked in a pipe is probably - the nearest approach to it. Some more changes have taken place among - us. Trooper Arathoon (Oudh Light Horse) has been granted a commission - in the 3rd Dragoon Guards, Corporal Montagu-Bates one in the East - Surrey Regiment, Trooper Partridge one in the Northumberland - Fusiliers, and Trooper Douglas-Jones one in the Army Service Corps. - Corporal Chartres has for some months been doing duty as - Surgeon-Captain at one of our many hospitals. Trooper Follett died of - enteric at Johannesburg, while quite twenty or twenty-five men have - been invalided home. There is little doubt that a famine in the - Transvaal will result from this war; foodstuffs are at a premium, - while the expected crops have been all destroyed. In the large towns - like Pretoria, Johannesburg, &c., bread is only baked from flour - supplied by Government, and even then the prevailing price is a - shilling for a pound loaf. Every-day necessities, such as tea, coffee, - and sugar, are now hard to procure, while beet has risen to two - shillings a pound; mealies (Indian-corn) for horses cannot be bought - under threepence the pound. The beginning of a famine would thus be - the precursor of the end of the war. Glancing at a map, one would be - inclined to think places indicated in capitals and small capitals to - be important towns; as a matter of fact each is but a cluster of - houses, a store or two, the inevitable church, and an hotel. This is - typical of places like Rustenburg, Heilbron, Middelburg, Carolina, &c. - Kroonstad, Brandfort and Pretoria are but larger clusters, more - hotels, and more churches. The latter certainly possess some really - excellent public buildings; the private villas are charming, and - suggest the _otium cum dignitate_, while the State artillery barracks - are reputed to be the finest in the world. Johannesburg is the one - town of the Transvaal, and can hold its own against the world. But it - must not be forgotten that the Uitlander alone has made it what it is. - As a sink of iniquity it has the unenviable distinction of ranking - second only to San Francisco. Gambling saloons abut on to the streets, - and at some gambling is restricted to gold alone. One can imagine what - Johannesburg must have been under a corrupt Government, such as the - one we have just displaced—the Rand, a succession of gold-mines, being - practically suburban. Johannesburg sports a public-house at every - fifty yards, and it is the refuse of the Rand that forms the nucleus - of the band of outlaws and desperadoes known as the Irish Brigade - _alias_ Blake’s Ruffians. The very antithesis of this contingent are - known as the Imperial Light Horse, who have been so highly - complimented by Sir George White as constituting the finest fighting - men in the world. - -Very characteristic of the dashing and humorous leader under whom -Lumsden’s Horse served in this march is the following story told by -Captain Beresford: - - I remember one very wet cold day when we were attached to Mahon’s - column. While on the march a sergeant and two men were told off to go - and forage for some provisions. Coming across a Boer farm, they helped - themselves to a turkey or two and some poultry. Now, it happened that - General Ian Hamilton the day previous had paid for what his men took, - so the Boer was loud in his protestation, but all the satisfaction he - could get from our men was, ‘The General will pay.’ General Mahon - passing shortly after, the man presented his bill, which amounted to - fifteen shillings. On seeing it the General made inquiries as to which - corps the foraging party belonged to, and being told, sent for an - officer of the corps and requested _him_ to pay the bill; but as the - officer had not fifteen shillings about him, the General very kindly - lent him the money till he could obtain it from his brother-officers - and men, who found out then that the General would not be universal - provider. - ------ - -Footnote 13: - - Lord Kitchener’s force went to relieve Colonel Hore at Eland’s - River.—ED. - ------ - - - - - CHAPTER XVI - _EASTWARD TO BELFAST AND BARBERTON UNDER GENERALS FRENCH AND MAHON_ - - -After such a march, in which horses had become so emaciated by want of -sufficient food to sustain them, and so leg-weary from incessant work -under heavy burdens, that more than two-thirds of them were temporarily -unfit for service, the corps naturally expected to get a long rest at -Pretoria. Nearly every man needed it too, and welcomed the prospect of a -little town life in touch with civilisation, where some luxuries might -be enjoyed and experiences exchanged with comrades from other columns. -Ragged and out at heels from being having marched long distances through -tangled growth of rhenoster bushes and ‘wait-a-bit’ thorns to relieve -their exhausted steeds, these troopers naturally looked forward to the -chance of clothing themselves in comfort if the stores of Pretoria -should be equal to that demand, or at any rate of waiting until articles -of much-needed kit could be got up from the bases where these things had -been left. Such expectations were natural enough in the case of men who -began to think there would be no more need of their services, since Lord -Roberts had expressed an opinion that regular warfare was nearly at an -end. Circumstances seemed then to justify that view. Though De Wet was -still at large, he did not count for much while his followers were -scattered in all directions with little chance of coming together again. -Botha’s forces, offering but a feeble resistance at any point, had been -pushed further and further eastward by Generals French and Pole-Carew, -operating in their front, and the army of Natal on their flank. Buller -had fought his brilliant action at Bergendal, where Lord Roberts -considered the success decisive, saying: ‘It was carried out in view of -the main Boer position, and the effect of it was such that the enemy -gave way at all points, flying in confusion to the north and east. Next -morning Buller was able to occupy Machadodorp without opposition.’ -Dundonald’s brigade of Irregular Cavalry had pushed on in pursuit of the -Boers through mountainous country, where they made no stand against him. -Buller, continuing his march, occupied Waterval Boven, where the -prisoners released from Nooitgedacht joined him. President Kruger and -other members of the late Transvaal Government were at Nelspruit -preparing for flight across the Portuguese frontier; and General French -was at Carolina, waiting only for reinforcements to make his swoop on -Barberton by way of the last stronghold that remained in the enemy’s -hands south of the Delagoa Bay Railway. It looked, indeed, as if Boer -resistance on any organised scale must be near its final stage, and the -thoughts of Lumsden’s Horse naturally turned towards home rather than to -opportunities for gaining fresh distinction. Their hopes of immediate -peace with honour were, however, doomed to disappointment. Before they -had been in Pretoria many hours orders for a fresh move had reached -them, and, instead of having leisure for relaxation or even a taste of -civilisation’s comforts, they had to spend the next day in drawing from -stores the outfit of which they were sorely in need and making other -preparations for their march. Their Brigadier-General (Mahon) was to go -in command of reinforcements for General French, and the troops placed -at his disposal were M Battery Royal Horse Artillery, the 3rd Corps of -Mounted Infantry, Queensland Mounted Infantry, New Zealand Mounted -Rifles, 79th Company Imperial Yeomanry, the Imperial Light Horse, and -Lumsden’s Horse. The order came to them in a form which left no doubt in -any mind that there was still a man’s work to be done, and that they -were about to take part in another important phase of the great Boer -war. Therefore they put aside all vain regrets for the things that were -just then out of reach. Disappointment gave place quickly to -gratification at the thought that they were to see service under such a -dashing leader as General French, who had never up to that time met the -Boers without bringing them to action, and whose reputation rose higher -after every enterprise undertaken by him, though he was not always -allowed to take full advantage of a success by following up his beaten -enemies. The Boers, who attributed every British success in the Free -State and Transvaal to luck or to overwhelming numbers, had given to -French the title of the ‘lucky General.’ They said it was by luck alone -that he beat Commandant Koch at Elandslaagte before their reinforcements -could come up. Luck, according to them, served him again in the hour of -his secret withdrawal from Colesberg just before De la Rey’s plans for -annihilation were complete, and yet again when he made his dash at -interposing forces north of Modder River, and, striking at the very -point where they were weakest, got through just in the nick of time, -took their positions in reverse, and thus cleared a way for the relief -of Kimberley. If all this can be called luck, then it is something to be -a lucky general and goes a long way in justification of the faith that -Napoleon placed in men who had that reputation. At any rate, no Boer -commandos were very eager to get in the way of ‘lucky French,’ and -whenever he was known to be operating on their flank they always thought -it time to summon thither one of their own Generals most trusted for his -ability to conduct a retreat. That luck fell more than once to De la -Rey’s lot. In a recent conversation that redoubtable leader, the best -fighting man of all on the Boer side, told the Editor of this History -that it was he who opposed French at Driefontein after Cronjé’s -surrender. He also had to fight all the rearguard actions up to the time -of our crossing the Vaal, when he went off in hot haste for the purpose -of intercepting Mahon’s column before it could reach Mafeking. Having -been out-manœuvred there, he was called back to aid Botha outside -Johannesburg, and entrusted again with the task of delaying French’s -flanking movement by the defence of Klipriviersberg until the Boer guns -and convoys could make good their retreat. Obviously they did not think -it safe to trust anything to chance when our ‘lucky General’ was -pressing them, but sent their wiliest tactician and most stubborn -fighter to hold him in play while they cleared off. If any of them -really believed in their capacity to beat French on equal terms—the -advantage of ground being with them to counterbalance British -superiority in numbers—an admirable opportunity offered in the -mountainous ranges of the Devil’s Kantoor, where, Boer leaders had -frequently declared, they would crush any force attempting to reach -Barberton that way. If properly held, the positions there would have -been almost impregnable. Few people to this day know the difficulties -that French had before him when he concentrated his force at Carolina. -The Boers knew all about these things. Every zig-zag track like a -winding stair up the precipitous mountain-side was familiar to them. -They knew also the object with which he was waiting to gather strength -at Carolina, and they brought forces against him that were little -inferior numerically to his own. Yet when at last he struck straight for -almost inaccessible mountain passes, instead of making a wide detour to -get round them, they were so paralysed by the ‘lucky General’s’ audacity -that they let him have his way, which led by the nearest track to -Barberton. This slight digression, however, anticipates events which may -now be dealt with more fully in the narratives by Colonel Lumsden, his -officers and troopers, whose experiences and observations are woven -together in the following description of events in something like proper -sequence: - - We were by this time reduced to forty fit horses. - - Our stay in Pretoria, as we had heard it would be, was only a short - one. The day after arriving in camp we were served out with new kit, - of which we were sadly in need, most of the men being in a very ragged - condition indeed. General Mahon was to proceed to Carolina and join - General French’s division there, leaving General Ian Hamilton’s - division, to which we were no longer attached. It rained heavily the - night before we started, and as we marched at daybreak there was no - time to dry our blankets, which were simply sopping wet. - - Our total muster on parade was—A Company 17, B Company 24; in all, 41 - rank-and-file. The balance of nearly 100 men, under Captain Beresford, - were to follow on receipt of remounts, and overtake us if possible. - This hope was soon knocked on the head, for while headquarters started - with General Mahon for Barberton, the remainder were sent to - Machadodorp, which they reached without much adventure a fortnight - later. Notwithstanding their repeated attempts to join us, their - wishes were not acceded to, the country being considered too dangerous - for a small party to move alone. On the 31st we reached Bronkhurst - Spruit, memorable in the Transvaal as the spot where British troops, - under Colonel Anstruther, were badly cut up in the last war, while - marching, all unconscious that war had been declared against the - Transvaal. On September 1 we passed Balmoral and camped at - Elandsfontein. On the 2nd, near the Transvaal and Delagoa Bay - coal-mines, a French gentleman was good enough to communicate the - latest Boer lie. It was that China was sending a million of troops to - invade England. The country about here is very treacherous, with many - swamps which unwary troopers may not see until they are floundering in - mire, where their horses sink to the girths. Our camp that night was - at Reitspruit, six miles from Middelburg. - - The next day we passed Middelburg, which proved a grievous - disappointment, for there was absolutely nothing in the way of - provisions procurable, and camped at Reitpan. The weather was very - hot, the sun striking down with great force during the middle of the - day. General Mahon had adopted the plan of off-saddling and halting - for two or three hours during the heat of the day, instead of marching - steadily from 6 A.M. to 6 P.M. with short halts of ten minutes every - now and then. This gave man and beast a thorough rest, and the - opportunity was always taken of making tea and coffee, and partaking - of this with the inevitable jam and biscuits. The horses, too, had a - good feed of oats, which were served out in the morning and carried in - our nosebags. Captain Noblett got a nasty touch of the sun two or - three days before arriving at Middelburg, and the doctors decided that - he ought to go into hospital there, being quite unfit to continue on - the march. We were very sorry to lose him, as he was one of our most - popular officers. Speaking for No. 2 Section B Company, anyhow, I know - they swore by him to a man. We heard afterwards that he had gone to - Durban for a change, and it is to be hoped he will soon be back again - with us. The fourth day’s march brought us in contact with General - Hutton’s line of communications, and we were apprised of the - annexation of the Transvaal. With this good news we buoyed ourselves - up, and brought a dreary march to a close at Wonderfontein. The Boers - are whimsical at names, but have surpassed themselves with - Wonderfontein, for the wonder of it is where to find the fountain? - Speculation was rife, as the pools of water we saw were so putrid that - the horses, though they had done thirteen miles from the last - halting-place, would not drink till accident disclosed a tiny spring - in a bed of sand, just deep enough to fill a coffee cup at a time. - Here was the wonder, and, _eureka_! we had struck it. The 5th was an - eventful day, for when we had marched eastward three miles a heliogram - from a contingent of 90 Canadians on the line of communications - solicited help, as they were hard pressed by 300 Boers near Pan - station, where they had been fighting since daybreak. Files about and - canter was the order, and we went back some six miles to their aid, - but the enemy had beaten a retreat after capturing a small post, where - they crept up through a dense fog and surprised the helpless picket. - We returned to Wonderfontein, and General Mahon, in consideration of - the call made on us, very generously ordered an issue of a quarter of - a pound of bully-beef and a biscuit. ’Twas lunch _à la South Africa_, - and much appreciated. Thus refreshed we continued on our march for - some five or six miles, and camped for the night. Such a night we have - never had. The wind blew a perfect hurricane, and it was bitterly - cold. On the 6th the brigade reached Carolina, and we were in - expectation of seeing a town where we could renew our diminished stock - of provisions, but, alas! Carolina in Africa is very different from - the Carolina of the song— - - South Carolina is a sultry clime, - Where the niggers work in the summer time, - Massa in the shade would lay, - While we poor niggers work all day. - - With us it was not summer time, but Massa had to lie on the bleak - veldt and pretty hungry too. We found General French in camp near by - us, with two brigades. A foreign commando of Austrians and Italians - was said to be in the neighbourhood, and we hoped to become better - acquainted with it later on. - - Carolina is a small uninteresting sort of place, more a village than - anything else, the houses being small and built of corrugated iron. It - is about the windiest place I have ever been in. We were there nearly - a week, and it blew a hurricane almost all the time. One day it rained - as well, and this made it horribly cold—the chilly blast cutting into - one like a knife. Even the hardy Cape ponies, who had never before in - their lives known what it was to be blanketed, had to be covered up - that day. - - Another of the charms of this delightful place is that it is most - dangerous to send horses out grazing on the surrounding veldt, as - there is a low poisonous bush which grows pretty plentifully on it, to - eat which is almost certain death. We found this out by bitter - experience, losing four or five horses before we left. - - The first march from Carolina took us over a ridge by Nelspruit, where - we witnessed a very pretty engagement. The enemy had taken up a - position on top of a hill crossed by three deep ravines at right - angles to our line of advance. This was stormed by the Suffolk - Infantry while we acted as escort to the guns, which shelled the enemy - severely as they left the shelter of the last ridge. When turned out - of their last stronghold they retired by ones and twos under severe - shrapnel fire at 1,500 yards’ range, which gave us an object-lesson in - Mounted Infantry tactics. At Carolina, with General French and his - Cavalry, we halted two days, and resumed our advance on Sunday the - 9th. We had heard that the Boers were in the vicinity, and it was not - long before we met them. For about six miles we marched across the - absolutely flat veldt, and then with extraordinary suddenness the - scene changed, and we found ourselves among steep and rugged hills. - Here was ideal country for the Boers to fight in, and they speedily - let us know of their presence. They had taken up a strong position - among rocks and piled-up boulders on the further side of a hollow some - 3,000 yards across. ‘Lumsden’s,’ together with a part of a squadron of - the 18th Hussars who, like ourselves, had been unable to get remounts - in Pretoria, so that their numbers were reduced about 60 per cent., - were escorting the guns. M Battery R.H.A. swung ‘action front’ and had - opened fire in next to no time, the whole battery and also two - 15-pounders being placed in line along the ridge and all pounding away - at the rocky kopje, or rather series of kopjes, from which the Boers - were firing at our Infantry (the Suffolk Regiment), who now opened - out, and, advancing to within good rifle range, took what cover they - could find and engaged the enemy. It was a grand sight watching the - play of the guns, and cheer after cheer rang through the lines as each - shot fell in rapid succession right in among the Boers, scattering - them like startled sheep. The guns did splendid work; the range was - accurate, and the shells perfect. But a grander sight still was to - watch Tommy advancing: he does it in a most casual way, with his rifle - slung at ease over his shoulder. You see individuals in khaki - stumbling over rocks and boulders, then a thin line of khaki in the - distance, then nothing, for Tommy is resting; the thin khaki line - again becomes visible as he proceeds in the coolest manner in the - world, till the order to fire is given. Nothing is then visible, but - the sounds of volley after volley and independent firing tell you the - Infantry are in the thick of a fight. As the Mounted Infantry advance - through the gaps in their lines, Tommy cheerily calls out, ‘Let ’em - have it ’ot, mate.’ Having placed our horses in a nullah out of the - way of stray bullets—one or two of which came whistling overhead—we - had nothing to do but watch the progress of the fight, and a capital - view we had, especially of our artillery in action; the enemy had no - guns in position here, so our guns could devote themselves to shelling - the rocks among which the Boers were lying; the boulders afforded them - excellent cover, and they stuck to it exceedingly well. The weak point - in their position lay in the fact that the cover of which they had - taken advantage was half-way down the near side of the slope, so in - the event of their being forced to retire they would have to ride (or - run) up three or four hundred yards of bare hillside before they - topped the ridge. For about five hours the fight continued. By this - time our Infantry had got comparatively close, and the Boers decided - not to wait for them. Suddenly they were seen issuing from the dip - where their horses had been hidden in twos and threes and batches of - various sizes, and scattering up the hillside. With the naked eye one - could see little black dots streaming away in all directions; it - looked for all the world like a disturbed ants’ nest. The guns now - redoubled their exertions, loading and firing all they knew, the - shells dropping in every direction among the retreating Boers. In - retiring they had to go down to the bottom of the dip, where they had - left their horses, and up the slope on the other side—a distance of - about 300 yards, I should say. When once they got to the top of this - slope they were more or less safe, as they could take cover among the - rocks there and get away to the hilly country beyond. But while going - up the slope they were quite exposed to the fire from our batteries. - General Mahon was there in person, giving instructions to the officer - in charge of the guns, which were kept playing on the spot as fast as - the gunners could load and fire. Watching through glasses we could see - three or four bowled over; they must have had an uncomfortable ride - until they topped the ridge, though probably not many were hit, as we - know from our own experience how ineffective even a well-directed - shell fire often is. However, on crossing over we found where one dead - Boer had been hastily buried, also a dead horse and other signs that - our shell fire had not been without results. A long-range 15-pounder - of the Boers now came into action, and for about an hour before - sundown shelled our convoy at extreme range without doing any damage. - Throughout the day the Cavalry had been engaged on our right and had - suffered some casualties. Our brigade had had half-a-dozen or so; one - of the Imperial Yeomanry was killed and two were wounded, and three of - the Imperial Light Horse were wounded. - - In the afternoon we advanced and occupied the position previously held - by the Boers, who had retreated some distance. They had a long-range - 15-pounder with them, and they treated us to a few shells; but these - went high over our heads, and burst a long way behind without doing - any damage. Shortly after this, as it was getting dark, we camped for - the night. As we were preparing to camp the Boers shelled our convoy - with a Long Tom they still possess, but their shells fell wide and - were harmless. We camped for the night at Buffalo Spruit. The - casualties were nine wounded Scots Greys, one wounded Imperial Horse; - Boers about fifteen killed, wounded unknown. The 10th was an - uneventful day, but on the 11th Lumsden’s Horse supplied an outlying - picket consisting of our entire strength. Through some error the - picket manned the wrong kopje, and as they could not be found next - morning were reported as captured. We turned up, however, late in the - day at the camp on the Komati River, and followed rapidly in the track - of the advancing troops. We were now on half-rations, with De Kaap - Mountains looming before us, the roadway being in places as steep as - one in eight, and the enemy strongly posted along the summit. On the - 12th the advance was made at 5.30 A.M., and by 9 A.M. M Battery was - again pounding away. - -[Illustration: T. HARE SCOTT] - -[Illustration: H.G. PHILLIPS] - -[Illustration: R.P. ESTABROOKE] - -[Illustration: J. BRAINE] - -[Illustration: R. PRINGLE] - -[Illustration: W. BURNAND] - - TRANSPORT DRIVERS - - The road to Barberton slopes gradually up from the plains round - Carolina for about 3,000 feet, if I remember right, when it takes a - sudden upward turn for about a couple of miles before reaching the top - of De Kaap Mountains, over which it winds, and then descends again - about 2,000 to 3,000 feet, the town being situated in a hollow - surrounded by hills on all sides. The last bit of a couple of miles or - so is what is called the Devil’s Kantoor. The gradient is about one in - four, as far as I could judge, and this will give some idea of the job - our Generals had to tackle if the Boers elected to hold this place, as - it was reported they were going to do. It was simply an ideal place to - defend, and they were said to have a Long Tom in position—so things - generally looked uncomfortable, to say the least of it. Scouting that - day looked like being an even poorer game than usual. Anything but a - demoralised force would have made a strong stand in such a position. - The main advance was against its front, while the Cavalry executed a - turning movement to the right, with such effect that the position was - gained almost without a shot. The climb was terrific. So bad was it - that 12-pounders only just managed to get up with double teams, and - all the baggage had to be left at the foot of the hill. The troops, - however, pushed on to the top, only to witness a heart-rending sight. - On the range opposite, at about 8,000 yards, was a high laager half a - mile square, a dense mass of cattle and waggons, out of which the - latter were seen streaming away towards Swaziland. Between us and them - lay a deep valley, while the road curving round to the left was - commanded by three guns, rendering serious attack in that direction - inadvisable. The Imperial Light Horse made a gallant attempt to get - round, but were not strong enough. We all looked to see the 6-inch gun - come up and play havoc with the laager, but the naval officer in - command declared his oxen unable to bring the gun up the precipitous - ascent, leaving us the mortification of seeing the enemy escape under - our very eyes. It was some gratification, however, to eventually - capture twenty-five of their ‘buck waggons,’ many thousand sheep, and - some oxen. - - By the time we had dragged up our guns and got them into position the - fugitives were out of range, as a few shells sent in their direction - proved; but the captured waggons contained stores of various kinds, - sugar, flour, &c., and this made a welcome addition to our - commissariat, which was running very short of supplies. It took four - days to get the whole of the Transport up the Devil’s Kantoor. During - this time the bulk of the division halted, as they could not move - without supplies. - - To form some estimate of the difficulties of transport up these - mountains, I would mention that the Boers were confident that we could - never get our convoy and guns up, for among them the steepest part is - described as a place where, if a leading team of oxen come to a stop - they are hurled back on to the waggon. To clear these mountains in - four days reflects the greatest credit on that much-abused department, - the Transport. Sergeant Power, of Lumsden’s Horse, excelled on the - occasion, for, fearing he could not possibly get the troopers’ - blanket-carts up that night, he unloaded the carts and used the mules - with pack saddles, thus enabling Lumsden’s Horse to sleep with - blankets when the rest of the brigade were blanketless, poor fellows! - In such circumstances it needs no telling that we went to sleep - supperless, as our rations were at the foot of the mountain and the - troops on its summit. Directly the road was clear General French with - two Cavalry brigades advanced rapidly, and, leaving the Boers, who - were retreating southwards, alone, he pushed on to Barberton, some - fifteen miles distant. Guided by one of the Imperial Light Horsemen, - he avoided the road down into the plain in which Barberton is situated - (which road—so it is said—the enemy were quite prepared to defend), - and using a bridle-path across the hills, supposed to be impracticable - for horses, he descended suddenly on the town and captured it without - opposition. The enemy were completely surprised and fled, leaving - fifty-seven engines with rolling-stock standing in the station, a - large quantity of stores, and 10,000_l._ in specie. The day following - General French’s occupation of the town a Boer convoy consisting of - fifty waggons walked in under the impression that it was still in - their hands! General Mahon’s brigade, with the Infantry, were left to - guard Homolomo while the convoy came up. The gradient was something - like one in four, so you can imagine what a business it was getting - the heavy waggons up. Twelve and fourteen horses were required to get - the lighter guns up, while the naval gun had eighty oxen harnessed to - it, and many a poor beast fell out and died under the strain. On the - third day we continued our march; all day we were descending, - gradually leaving the hills behind, until we eventually came out into - an enormous plain, the Kaap Valley. Here we halted and waited for the - Transport, who had had another trying day. We had descended 3,000 feet - during the day, and the difference in temperature was most noticeable. - In this part of the country the hot weather is just beginning; the - nights are quite mild and the sun at midday is scorching. On Sunday - the 16th we marched to within a couple of miles of the town and - camped. It is a straggling little place built close under and partly - on the lower slopes of a spur of the Kaapsche Berg. This is a well - watered part of the country, and fruit growing appears to be a paying - industry, Pretoria and Johannesburg being markets where—in normal - times—any quantity of fruit is easily disposed of. On the fruit farms - here we noticed several old Indian friends—viz., plantains, - pineapples, and papiya. When we got into Barberton we found that - General French had gone on towards Komati Poort, on the Portuguese - border, in which direction the Boers had fled, and we heard shortly - afterwards that about 3,000 of them had taken refuge in Lourenço - Marques, having given up their arms and destroyed a number of their - big guns before crossing the border. - -[Illustration: L. DAVIS] - -[Illustration: LEO H. BRADFORD] - -[Illustration: C.W. LOVEGROVE] - -[Illustration: S.W. CULLEN] - -[Illustration: F.C. MANVILLE] - -[Illustration: F.C. THOMPSON] - - TRANSPORT DRIVERS - - Barberton is quite an Indian town in many respects. Not only is the - Madrassi native common, but mango, banana, loquat, fig, and other - Indian fruit trees abound. East Africa seems to my mind to be the - Indian coolie’s Eldorado, for not only does he wax fat and opulent, - but he abandons his Indian garb and struts about in that of Western - civilisation. He does not get on well with the Kaffir, but has pushed - himself forward, and now occupies a higher position among white men - than he would presume to in India. - - In all other respects, however, Barberton is a very English town, and - owes its origin to the De Kaap Goldfields. It was here that the Boers - housed the women and children who were sent to them from Johannesburg - and Pretoria, and in consequence every house in the town is packed - full of these refugees. It was also at Barberton that the Dorset - Yeomanry and the remaining British prisoners were confined after their - removal from Nooitgedacht; at present the improvised place of - confinement is being used as a prison for the Boers themselves. The - latest official bulletin announces the complete demoralisation of the - Boer army, which is termed a rabble, and speculation is rife as to the - probable date of our disbandment. Last night (22nd) it was announced - in orders that anyone desirous of joining the Pretoria Police at - 10_s._ a day could do so at once; the chances of a commission at the - end of three months were held out, but only four names were given in. - The majority intend going to England. A very few have decided to - remain in Africa, while some twenty or thirty, chiefly coffee planters - from Southern India, are returning to India. The summer is on us, and - the days are very hot—102° in the shade. We have no tents, but the - ingenious ones erect a bivouac of blankets supported on posts and - rifles as a shelter from the sun. Yesterday a cricket match was played - between French’s and Mahon’s brigades, resulting in an easy win for - the latter. Sergeant Pratt represented Lumsden’s Horse in Mahon’s - team. - -Another correspondent writes: - - Besides the usual camp duties, we had to supply outlying pickets and - patrols turn about with the other Volunteers and Regular regiments. - Twenty or thirty of us used to be sent out to a post five or six miles - out in the morning. From these posts we sent out patrols, forage - parties, &c., during the day, and outlying pickets at night. One of - these posts was situated right on the top of one of the hills beyond - the town. It was a tremendous climb, and took most of us at least an - hour to get to it. Lugging blankets, coats, and rations up there was - no joke, and I am glad to say we only had to do it once during our - stay. - - There was a beautiful wood, with a nice mountain stream running - through it, about a mile and a half from camp, where we used to send - our horses down to graze and water, and we always took the opportunity - of having a delightful bathe or of washing clothes, at which we were - by this time becoming experts. A daily bath was a luxury we had not - been accustomed to before for months, so we appreciated it - accordingly. After our bath we lounged under the shade of the trees - till it was time to take the horses back to camp again. Grazing guard - in these circumstances was rather a favourite duty, as up in camp it - was fearfully hot, our only protection from the sun being small - blanket shelter tents, which were not really much good. These tents - were made out of two blankets, or a blanket and a waterproof sheet. - The blankets and waterproof sheets served out to the Army have - eyelet-holes on both sides and at the ends, so one can put up a tent - very easily and quickly, all the materials required being a few pegs - (easily cut from an old biscuit-box or from any other wood which may - be obtainable), a little string, and a couple of rifles, these last - forming the supports at either end. - - Owing to the great heat, we move the position of our camps once a - week. What with dead horses and cattle the air is absolutely putrid, - and ’tis a precaution most imperative. On the march the foul smells - encountered are terrible, owing to the number of dead horses and - cattle lying on the highway. From Pretoria to Balmoral we passed as - many as two or three hundred carcases in different stages of - decomposition. The very water is often polluted, and considerable - inconvenience is the consequence. In a previous letter I incidentally - mentioned veldt fires, but at the Crocodile River camp it was our luck - to be in the thick of one, and that at midnight. We had made the camp - at sundown, and as darkness set in we were enraptured with the - pyrotechnic display of the surrounding kopjes on fire. It was a - magnificent sight, though awful. By 10 P.M. the camp was hushed in - slumber except for stable pickets, when the wind shifted and blew the - flames towards the camp. Gradually the veldt near us took fire, till - at midnight we were completely surrounded. The roar was appalling, - while myriads of insects filled the air. The situation was one needing - immediate action, as every moment was precious. ‘Stand to your horses - and saddle up,’ were the orders anxiously given. All was confusion—men - hurriedly folding up blankets, &c., Kaffir boys running about - conducting oxen to inspan, bodies of men running towards the fast - approaching flames carrying blankets to beat them down. In the midst - of all a patrol of the 18th Hussars were seen completely cut off from - the camp and surrounded with flaming veldt. A rush was made, and - hundreds of blankets soon cleared a space, and the patrol emerged, the - horses showing every sign of terror. It was an anxious time, but in - half an hour all was safe, and the flames had been successfully - diverted from their course of destruction. Such a fire in the back - veldt it would have been impossible to cope with. On the western veldt - these fires destroy complete herds of cattle annually, and are much - dreaded. - -[Illustration: - - THE LAUNDRY - (_From a sketch by J.S. Cowen_) -] - - One day at Barberton four of us were on observation post when four - Boers came along the road; they were immediately challenged and told - to show their passes, which they did; they then sat down to rest - alongside us. One of them, named Meyers, could talk English perfectly, - and when he found we were of Lumsden’s Horse he said he had escorted - one of our fellows from Ospruit to Pretoria a prisoner, and shared two - bottles of whisky. He then told us the Boers knew exactly, when we - were at Spytfontein, how many men went on picket every night, and how - many we were all told. He also said on April 30 the brigade adjutant - rode up within twenty yards of him. He shouted to Williams to - surrender, and he shouted back, ‘I am damned if I do,’ and galloped - off; Meyers fired all his magazine at the English officer, but missed - him. Lieutenant Williams has since been killed at Bothaville. - - Barberton was simply crammed with stores of all sorts, the Boers - having used it as a supply depôt for some time past. It was a great - treat being able to get luxuries in the shape of extra sugar, tea, - coffee, sweets, &c., again after such an age, and at reasonable rates - too. Pretoria was entirely denuded of these things, and I remember - hunting without success round the whole town for sugar the day before - we left on our last march. Matches were not to be had there at any - price, whereas here we could buy them at sixpence a dozen boxes. I - think we appreciated these more than anything else. We had felt the - want of them tremendously during the past two or three months. English - tobacco, unfortunately, was unobtainable, so we had to content - ourselves with the Boer variety—a very poor substitute, I think most - of us agreed, though I dare say when one got accustomed to it one - would prefer it. Personally I never want to see or smell the beastly - stuff again. - - Barberton itself is a small gold-mining town situated at the bottom of - De Kaap Mountains, and more or less surrounded by hills. On the hills - forming its background are the various mines which were opened out - when gold was first discovered here. Then came the rush of the Rand - mines, and Barberton was left standing. The roads leading to these - mines wind up and round the hillsides, and must have taken months and - months of hard work to complete, I should think. The houses are built - of wood and roofed with corrugated iron for the most part, and are - very small. One wonders how people manage to exist in them in the - summer months, when the temperature is almost if not quite as high as - it is in India, and damp to boot. - - It was getting very hot before we left early in October, and the old - familiar limp feeling which began to pervade all ranks brought back - memories of hot weather in India. Barberton is essentially a British - town, and until lately, when the Boers used it as a city of refuge for - their wives and families, the inhabitants were practically all British - by blood if not by birth. The community must have been a fairly rough - one in the old days, and one can imagine many wild orgies taking place - among the miners, more or less cut off, as they were, from - civilisation. Fruits of all sorts grow here, Indian as well as - English—plantains, gooseberries, oranges, lemons, strawberries—and - vegetables too. Beautiful oat-hay for our horses was obtainable in the - fields for the first week or so that we were in Barberton. - - You will be sorry to hear of the death from enteric fever at - Johannesburg Hospital of Private M. Follett, the elder of the two - brothers—planters—who joined with the Mysore contingent. Since then, I - regret to say, we have had another death from disease—that of Private - J.H. Maclaine (Surma Valley Light Horse), who died of acute pneumonia - in Pretoria Hospital. Transport Driver Martyn some months ago was run - over and badly injured. We are sorry to hear that he has since died of - the injuries he then received. One way and another a good many have - left the regiment. A certain number of those left behind, sick and - wounded, have been unable to rejoin the regiment and have been - invalided home, among them Privates Cooper and Butler, from Madras, - both of whom were taken ill at Kroonstad, the former suffering from - pneumonia and the latter from pleurisy; also Private Bewsher, from - Mysore, who was wounded in the knee at Elandsfontein station two days - before the surrender of Johannesburg. - - Our ten days at Barberton gave a welcome rest after many weary - marches. The time was enlivened with dances and hunting with - buckhounds for the officers and cricket for whoever could be spared. - It was here that Colonel Lumsden had his unfortunate accident. He was - riding back in the dark from afternoon tea at a neighbouring camp, - and, being deceived by the light of a picket fire, rode straight into - a nullah. The picket, luckily for him, heard the noise of the fall, - and by the light of a candle went in search, finding horse and man - prostrate. The horse was dead and Colonel Lumsden insensible. The good - fellows, however, did their best, and, taking him up to the fire, - discovered by his badges that he belonged to Lumsden’s Horse. One of - them came into our camp to report, bringing us the information about - 11 P.M. The doctor and ambulance immediately proceeded to the scene of - the accident, and, patching him up temporarily, took him away to the - Boer hospital in Barberton. By the light of day it appeared wonderful - that anyone could have escaped death from such an accident. The nullah - may almost be described as a fissure in the ground some 15 feet wide - and 29½(measured) deep. The only thing that saved our Colonel’s life - was that the horse evidently alighted on his feet, taking the brunt of - the fall himself and paying the penalty with his life; this was shown - by the fact that the saddle was not injured in any way. - -Colonel Lumsden writes of this incident in a letter from Barberton -Hospital dated October 1, 1900: - - Well, eight days ago I visited town, and was riding back to my camp at - dusk when my charger, a splendid paced and mannered Cape horse, simply - cantered right into a donga 30 feet deep, breaking his neck in the - fall, while I lay by his side bruised and insensible. - - Luckily for me, some pickets were close by and heard the smash. - Recognising me by my badge, they went to my camp and brought our - doctor and adjutant to the spot. They took me to our camp for - treatment, and in a few hours’ time our doctor, with the assistance of - troopers who volunteered to carry the stretcher, conveyed me into the - Barberton Club, the temporary Boer hospital, ours being both full up. - The Boer doctor and nurses have been kindness itself to me, and have - done everything in their power to make me comfortable. How I escaped - with my life my usual good luck only knows. I was bashed, cut, and - bruised, but not a limb or a bone broken. Four days ago I nearly - snuffed out from a flow of blood from my nose and mouth, but - fortunately it was stopped in time, and I really believe did me good, - as I had too much blood in my system. Now, more than enough about - myself. I am on the right track, and hope to be with my men in a few - days more. I follow on with the hospital train the day after - to-morrow, and pick them up at Machadodorp, for which place they leave - to-day. There we pick up Captain Beresford with 100 of my men. They - stayed at Pretoria a day beyond us to get remounts, came on with my - friend General Cunningham’s Infantry Division, and were never able to - rejoin us, we being in advance with General Mahon’s Mounted Brigade. - -Months afterwards, Colonel Lumsden, by the following tribute, showed -that he had not forgotten those who had tended him with so much care: - - To incidents which I have already related of kindly treatment at the - hands of Boer doctors and nurses I may add another of which I was on - this occasion the recipient. I awoke the morning after my serious - accident feeling very stiff and sore, and found myself lying in the - general ward amid wounded Tommies and Boers. I must have been - insensible for nearly twelve hours. Next day Dr. Powell, our - regimental doctor, wished to remove me to one of our own hospitals, - but Dr. Bidenhamp, the Boer doctor, offered to give me a small room to - myself if I remained, which I gratefully accepted, and could not have - wished for better care or attention than I received at his hands and - those of his assistant, Mr. E.E. Haumann. I have also to thank very - gratefully Sister Alma Meyer, of Grosvenor House, Stellenbosch, for - the kindly treatment she accorded me, as well as two Dutch sisters - from Holland who were assisting her in the hospital and acting nobly - to Briton and Boer alike; and I take this opportunity of acknowledging - with sincere thanks their careful treatment and kindness to me during - the ten days I was their patient. - - Ruling passions are strong even when one is at death’s door, and I - cannot help recalling a sporting bet I had with my kind friend Sister - Alma. It took the usual shape of a bet with a woman—gloves—and I laid - her a dozen pairs to nothing that the war would be over by Christmas, - which not only I but many high in authority fully believed it would. - We were passing Durban on our way back to India during the second week - in December, and, taking the then situation, I looked upon my bet as - lost and bailed up. One of my subalterns, who was landing there to - return to the seat of war, kindly carried out my commission, and - forwarded the gloves to the winner, from whom I received a prompt - acknowledgment, with the usual remark that women are always right, and - I believe they are! At least, I never attempt to contradict them, and - yet I am a bachelor. - -Colonel Lumsden being in hospital, and debarred, therefore, to his -regret, from leading the corps in a march for which it had already been -detailed, Major Chamney took temporary command, and a few days later -received orders to hand over horses and proceed by train to rejoin the -other detachment under Captain Beresford at Machadodorp. This uneventful -stage of the campaign is thus described by the correspondent of an -Indian paper serving with Lumsden’s Horse: - - Prior to this the Imperial Light Horse had left Mahon’s brigade, and - we heard that they too expected to be disbanded shortly. General Mahon - made them a speech before they left, praising them highly for the good - work they had done while with him, and saying how sorry he was to part - with them. - - On October 1 we handed over nearly all our horses to the New - Zealanders, keeping only such of them—four or five, if I remember - right—as had been brought from India and come right through the whole - show. Four others also were kept for the doctor’s cart, the horses he - had before being played out. But the experiment did not turn out a - success, as the first time they were put into harness they bolted and - there was a general smash-up. The leaders broke away and vanished into - space, and were never seen by us again; and the wheelers got mixed up - in the traces and upset the cart, damaging it hopelessly in their - struggles to get free. The doctor was thenceforth cartless, I think, - and the implements of his trade had to be carried in one of the - Transport carts. - - After giving over our horses we were marched into town, and camped - close to the station for the night. The Transport, with the heavy - luggage and led horses, were to leave next day by road for - Machadodorp, for which place we too were bound. The rest of the - regiment, under Captain Beresford, had been stationed there for some - time. Next morning we proceeded to the station and loaded our saddle, - baggage, and a few of our small Transport carts into open trucks, into - which we ourselves afterwards scrambled, the train moving off - immediately. There was not overmuch room, but we were not particular, - and this did not very greatly bother us. After proceeding about - sixteen miles we had to get out and walk to Avoca, a railway station - about three miles further on, as, owing to the Boers having smashed up - a bridge here, the train was unable to get across. Waggons were - awaiting us, into which we loaded the baggage, &c., also making use of - the Transport carts we had brought with us. - - On arriving at Avoca we heard that an accident had occurred further up - the line, and we should not therefore be able to go on till next day. - We camped in the open, and spent a wretched night, as it rained - incessantly, and by daybreak everything was sopping wet. Hearing next - morning that we would not be leaving for some hours, several of us - foraged round and found an empty hut, in which we took shelter, as the - rain still continued, and made ourselves very fairly comfortable. - There was any amount of firewood about, so we were able to semi-dry - our blankets, &c. When the train came in at midday it was found that - there was not room for more than about fifteen of us, besides the - saddles, baggage, and Transport carts. - - At Kaapmuiden we got on to the main line from Komati Poort to - Pretoria. This junction presented a really woeful sight. The Boers had - evacuated the place in great haste, throwing away stores, &c., galore, - principally large quantities of flour, which had been rendered useless - by sprinkling it with kerosine, making it smell horribly and totally - unfitting it for consumption. Whole trains had been burned as they - stood on the lines, and an idea of the terrible conflagration may be - gathered from the fact that the rails under the wheels were buckled - down by the terrific heat. - -Captain Taylor, in one of his amusing reminiscences, pays a tribute to -the work done by Infantry soldiers: - - Tommy certainly is the most wonderful all-round man, and quite - prepared to do anything he’s asked. A whole company of Infantry being - converted into mounted troops by such an order as ‘A company of —— - Regiment will be Mounted Infantry’ was at one time quite usual, but - they were fair troops in a month. One saw him making bridges and - diversions for the same with the old jokes and quaint oaths; or doing - butcher, baker, slaughterer, tailor, bootmaker, farrier, and all the - thousand-and-one things he is taught. But he fairly surprised me at - Barberton. - - There we had suddenly arrived with a division of Cavalry ‘in the air.’ - Within a week we had sent our Cavalry as far as Kaapmuiden—the point - where the Barberton branch line meets the main one from Pretoria to - Komati Poort. Our Infantry had repaired the numerous bridges and - culverts, and we were entrained and taken back to Machadodorp by - train. Every station-master was a junior British officer, the - pointsman Tommy, engine-driver Tommy, who also worked the telegraphs, - was stoker, bridgemaker, platelayer, wheelgreaser, &c. There were a - few accidents, but not many, and a smash was only a joke. No wonder we - are hard to beat. - -The trooper correspondent did not look at things quite in that light, -but perhaps he was travelling less luxuriously, and the humorous side of -the situation did not strike him so forcibly: - - It was raining all the time, so things generally were not at all - cheerful, and the prospect of travelling for several hours in open - trucks under these conditions did not help to raise our spirits. - However, it was not so bad after all, as we stretched a huge tarpaulin - propped up with sticks, rifles, and boxes, over the truck we were in, - which was piled up to the top with the baggage, and managed to keep - the rain out in this way. The rest of us were to follow on by the next - train. We even managed to get up a game of whist, and this, with the - perusal of such literature as we had with us and occasional snoozes - helped to pass the time. We stayed that night at Crocodile Poort - station, it not being considered safe to travel after dark. It stopped - raining at 10 P.M., so, getting out of the truck, we built a huge fire - and dried our blankets and boiled the inevitable coffee. We slept in - the open, as it was quite fine then; but the dew was so heavy during - the night that everything got sopping wet again by the morning. We - started again at 9, but made very slow progress, as we had long waits - at various stations on the way. - - From there to Machadodorp is a most interesting and beautiful country. - The line runs between two precipitous ranges quite Swiss in their - magnificence, with a river running between the hills. Then to Waterval - Onder, where the ordinary rails gave place to a cogwheel line up a - steep climb. - - We left again at 8 A.M. the following day, and passed through very - fair scenery between that place and the next station, Waterval Boven. - High overhanging kopjes on one side, along the bases of which the line - ran, with a deep sort of cañon between, the Crocodile River flowing - along its bottom, and a large square turret-like rock looking - commandingly from the other. In one place the train ran quite close to - the ‘cliff,’ as in the Darjiling Himalayan Railway in India, and - almost under a huge mass of overhanging rocks. There are deep fissures - in these rocks in many places, and they look as if they might get - loosened and overwhelm us at any moment. We were told that in the - rains sentries are posted at this place night and day to give timely - warning should there be any signs of the rocks shifting. The incline, - too, is very steep here, and only a few trucks at a time can be taken - up. In our case eleven trucks were sent up at first, two engines being - put on, one in front and the other behind. To prevent slipping, the - hindermost engine had the usual cog-wheel arrangement working on a - centre rail. Shortly after leaving Waterval Onder you get into a - tunnel about a hundred yards long, I think. It is absolutely - unventilated, so it can be imagined that the smoke from the engines, - which, seated as we were in open trucks, simply poured down our - throats and up our noses, very nearly suffocated us. - - We stayed at Waterval Boven till 5 P.M., and then went on to - Machadodorp, where we found the rest of the regiment, which was - encamped there, under Captain Beresford. They had marched to this - place from Belfast, where Lord Roberts inspected them. Here we were - greatly undeceived. Instead of going on down country for home, as we - expected, we received orders to equip, and furthermore to leave the - old brigade we were so fond of under General Mahon, and join General - French’s column in General Dickson’s brigade. - - The men of Lumsden’s Horse arrived in the midst of a very heavy - hailstorm. Like all true soldiers, they were ready to make a jest of - discomfort, and seeing the company commander, whose name happened to - be Jim, as he crawled under the shelter of his _tente d’abri_, they - struck up the then popular music-hall chorus: - - O lucky Jim, - How I envy him! - -Colonel Lumsden was at this time speculating on the chances that his -corps might soon be ordered home, and in a letter to Sir Patrick -Playfair, written while still in hospital, he says: - - Ever since we entered Pretoria on June 5 and marched through it to - Irene it has been even betting that the war might end any day or keep - on with this kind of guerilla fighting till Christmas. It looks very - like the latter now. I have discussed the matter frequently, while - lying in my bed here, with Colonel Wools-Sampson, commanding the - Imperial Light Horse, and Colonel Craddock, commanding the Australian - contingent, both in Mahon’s brigade with myself. They fully hold my - opinion that, although this unexpected delay comes harder on the - Volunteer personally than was anticipated when he joined, yet it was - all in the bargain. I also assure the men that Government looks upon - the Colonial Volunteer movement as much too big a factor in this - crisis to be ignored or undervalued, and that not one day beyond what - is actually necessary shall we be kept in harness in this country. - There is no doubt that the complete pacification or subjugation of - this huge Colony is a much bigger question than we soundly tackled at - the start, or were prepared to face. De Wet and Botha are harder nuts - to crack than we imagined. I am extremely proud of and pleased with - the doings of the corps, and I feel sure it has been worthy of its - Honorary Colonel and its many friends and supporters in the land we - hail from. How kind Lord Roberts has been to us and to me personally I - can hardly state here. - - Our good fortune in the way of obtaining commissions in the Regular - forces speaks volumes on this point, besides other civil appointments - already granted, to say nothing, I hope, of others in store when we - disband. As regards the Transvaal Police, which a number of my men - were keen to join when it started in June, I distinctly said, ‘_No_, - until we are disbanded. If Government would say “Disband,” then I’ll - do my best for you with commissions, &c.; but until then, _No_.’ The - terms were 10_s._ per diem, horse allowance, and rations. Of course - these were tempting to men playing a hard game on 1_s._ 2_d._ per day, - but Government soon stopped enrolment, the New Zealand Government - having declined to let their Volunteers join. I hear it is being - opened again to a small extent, mostly for mechanics, but these are - not the class I’ve got. What they mean really to do is to make the - Transvaal and Orange River Police the soldiers of the immediate - future, and take all the suitable Volunteers they can to back it up. A - right good plan too, and I fancy they are only waiting for the - opportune moment to do so. - - As regards funds, I feel sure we shall end up well. I never lose a - chance of buying little extras for the men in the way of Boer tobacco - and tinned milk. - - Any quantity of the stores for officers went astray, and heaps were - given away to the men, &c. I can truly assure you the officers will - not make much out of the hunt! - - I don’t know what my movements will be—Calcutta or London, depending - on that of the corps. At one period our orders were the latter, to be - in the Colonial Volunteer Inspection by the Queen, but I fear it is - too late in the day for that to come off, and that it will now be - Calcutta direct for all that remain of us. Well, as you know, it is - hard to beat in the cold season, and always enjoyable to me, so I - don’t mind. - -So ended the experiences of Lumsden’s Horse under Brigadier-General -Mahon’s command. They had been with him two months in circumstances that -try the mettle of men, whether officers or privates, and their devotion -to him had increased day by day. In camp or in action he was always the -same, never worrying himself or harassing his men. On the contrary, he -more than once gave up his own rough shelter in a deserted house or hut -so that his troops might have firewood for cooking their scant rations -of tough mutton or horseflesh. Their confidence in him was unbounded -because they said he never got them into a tight place without knowing -how to get them out again; and they would have followed him anywhere. -That was the feeling of all ranks in the brigade for their General. His -confidence in them was equally firm. In a letter which the Editor has -permission to quote, that distinguished leader writes: ‘Lumsden’s Horse -served with me for some months, and a better lot of men and officers -could not be found.’ - -[Illustration: - - A HALT ON THE MARCH TO BARBERTON: - GENERAL MAHON AND COLONEL WOOLS-SAMPSON - (_A Snapshot by the Editor_) -] - - - - - CHAPTER XVII - _MARCHING AND FIGHTING—FROM MACHADODORP TO HEIDELBERG - AND PRETORIA UNDER GENERALS FRENCH AND - DICKSON_ - - -Before presenting as a connected whole the separate descriptions dealing -with a movement which had for its object the disintegration of Boer -forces that still held the high veldt and thus threatened both railway -lines east of Johannesburg, it will be well to summarise briefly the -experience of troopers under Captain Beresford’s command while separated -from the headquarters of their corps. It will be remembered that when -General Mahon set out from Pretoria to join General French in his dash -on Barberton more than two-thirds of Lumsden’s Horse were left behind -waiting for remounts, with instructions to follow as fast as possible, -or as soon as General Cunningham, under whose orders they were placed -for a time, might permit. What happened then is especially interesting -as evidence of the class of horse that was being issued to mounted -troops at that stage for operations against an exceedingly mobile enemy. -The Boers were then practically nomads, having no fixed bases from which -supplies were drawn, and therefore no lines of communication to be cut. -Pursuit of them was therefore very much like hunting a fox that has been -driven out of his own familiar country. If he runs the pack ‘out of -scent,’ there is nothing to serve as a guide for the casts that may be -made in hope of hitting off the line again, for nobody can say what the -probable ‘point’ is; and unless he can be brought to hand by a pursuit -that never tires and never goes wrong, we may be sure that there is no -chance of running him to ground. Most of the Boer leaders at that time -had their wives and families with them. Mrs. De la Rey had been living -in an ox-waggon, without fixed abode, since the beginning of war, and -accompanying her husband on every trek from Magersfontein to Colesberg, -and thence in succession to Driefontein, Brandfort, Kroonstad, the Vaal -River, then on to meet Mahon’s column south of Mafeking, back in haste -for the defence of Johannesburg and Pretoria, from there to Diamond Hill -(or Rietfontein as the Boers call it), then back northward through the -bushveldt, and so to the Magaliesberg Range again. Against an enemy thus -independent of railways or beaten tracks none but well-mounted troops -with horses in the best of condition could hope to achieve much. For -corps in the same plight as Lumsden’s Horse, however, nothing better -could be found than under-bred Argentines or weedy Hungarians, gross -from the combined effects of idleness and injudicious feeding, and soft -from want of exercise, badly broken, and therefore ill-mannered. One -trooper, whose comments are based on actual experience, as he was among -the men to whom horses were issued for trial, only on the morning of the -day when they marched from Pretoria, writes of the ‘strange exhibitions’ -with this lot of remounts which, to put it mildly, had not been ridden -much before. ‘They were just off the ship, fat and very soft, and full -of beans. One fellow was bucked off, another dragged, and several very -uncomfortable. The horses had no mouths; they wouldn’t answer to bit, -rein, or spur, and it was impossible to get one away from the rest.’ -When the corps returned from its long trek nearly everybody was in rags, -and very unlike the ‘typical trooper’ of ten months earlier, whose smart -turn-out had been a source of pride to the corps. Clothing, however, ran -short, and many men had difficulty in replacing their tattered garments -by new of any kind. - -[Illustration: - - _Photo: Johnston & Hoffmann_ - H.P. BROWN, A TYPICAL TROOPER -] - -However, this detachment, under Captain Beresford, having cleared up its -camp, marched out a day after the corps headquarters had gone and -bivouacked that night ten or twelve miles east of Pretoria, near the -pass known as Donker Hoek. Colonel Lumsden, having remained behind to -see them off, went on a stage or two by train, hoping that they would -overtake the leading company before it joined General French. The two -detachments were, in fact, though they did not know it, within cannon -sound of each other on September 5, when Mahon had turned back from -Belfast to help the Canadians at Pan station; but, after that, every -march took them further apart, the Colonel pushing on with what remained -to him of A Company as part of Mahon’s brigade, while Captain -Beresford’s hundred could make but slow progress on their leg-weary, -spiritless horses. The latter troops, on arrival at Belfast, were -inspected by Lord Roberts, who rode through their lines but made no -speech to them. General Hutton, who was with the Headquarters Staff, -cast longing eyes on Lumsden’s Horse, looked them over, and told Captain -Clifford that he meant to take them on with him. Against such wholesale -appropriation, however, Captain Beresford protested, saying that the men -wanted to join their own corps and the horses were not fit yet. After -appeal to Lord Roberts, Captain Beresford got his way. While at Belfast -the detachment had unpleasant experience of winter temperature at an -altitude of more than 6,500 feet above sea level. They tried to supply -artificial fuel to the system by additional rations, but were not very -successful, as the resources of Belfast at that time were low indeed, -and certain restrictions had to be placed on traffic with the Dutch -inhabitants, one of whom sold bread from the eating of which twelve or -fourteen men of an Infantry regiment had been poisoned. So sentries were -posted to warn all soldiers against buying provisions. To keep out the -icy wind some men built themselves little huts of corrugated iron, in -the construction of which we learn that Kingchurch and Cobb and the -brothers Allardice distinguished themselves among one section of B -Company. Captain Beresford came to have a look at them, and in notes of -that time is the appreciative entry: ‘He is a very pleasant man and -always polite to every one of us. He said our tin house was much better -than the officers’ tents. He told us also that Lord Roberts had -expressed himself very much pleased with the appearance of the men and -horses.’ At Belfast also Lumsden’s Horse were visited by their former -comrade Chartres—once a corporal in the corps, ‘who looked very smart as -an Army doctor.’ Their last day at Belfast was devoted to the mild -excitement of watching races, in one of which Captain Clifford came in -about sixth on ‘The Mate,’ and a note is made of the fact that the Duke -of Westminster, who won the long-distance steeplechase, ‘rode like a -workman.’ On the whole, this brief stay at Belfast was more pleasant -than first impressions of it promised, except for nightly excursions -after loose Argentines, one of which drew his picket peg so persistently -and got away on the open veldt so often that Robertson dubbed him -Ulysses because he was such a wanderer! The next day (November 11) -Captain Beresford’s detachment struck its camp on that breezy high veldt -and marched across the battlefield of Bergendal on its way to Dalmanutha -and Machadodorp as advance guard of General Cunningham’s brigade. No -sooner had it got into camp once more than B Company was selected to -furnish an escort the next morning for Lord Kitchener. The -non-commissioned officer who was to be in command had no other uniform -than the weather-stained and saddle-worn suit that had done service -throughout most of the campaign. Luckily, however, one of the Hussars -offered to sell sundry things. He was a Reservist, and knew his way -about a military camp. From him a complete outfit was obtained, and the -purchaser then discovered, much to his amusement, that he had been -dealing with one who was a pushing commercial traveller in private life. -So the non-commissioned officer was able to turn out a credit to the -escort. But some mistake had been made about the rendezvous, which, -however, the escort found at last by the lucky accident of meeting Major -J.K. Watson, Lord Kitchener’s A.D.C. By that time the General had gone -on. ‘So had to follow at a tremendous pace, galloped up every steep hill -and down the other side over terrible ground, a mass of stones and such -clouds of dust that you could not see the ground or whither you were -going. Then caught up Lord Kitchener, who was riding with General -Hamilton towards a big camp on the top of a hill, where they told us -General Smith-Dorrien was in command. Very soon started back again. This -time Lord Kitchener by himself, and a nice pace he led us, up hill and -down, in clouds of dust. Got back before 1, having started at 10 and -covered twelve miles altogether.’ During a month at Machadodorp, outpost -duty and patrols towards Lydenburg or Helvetia, where Boers were often -seen but never showed fight except by sniping at long range, formed the -ordinary routine. This, however, was varied by football matches, for -which Lumsden’s Horse furnished a strong team with Hickley in goal, -Kirwan and Winder as backs, Courtenay, Brown, and G. Lawrie halves, -Robertson, Luard, Holme, Tancred, and Lloyd-Jones forwards. -Unfortunately, Robertson injured his knee in one of these matches and -had to go into hospital. It was at Machadodorp that Sergeant Stephens, -of the Indian Commissariat, who was attached to the Transport Staff of -Lumsden’s Horse, distinguished himself by several solitary expeditions -into the unexplored country round about. From one of these he came back -with a pom-pom carriage which he had found at a farm and several ‘poor -orphans,’ as he described pigs whose owners had deserted them. Once, -however, he got caught himself, as narrated in Captain Taylor’s private -collection of reminiscences: - -[Illustration: SERGEANT STEPHENS] - - We had an Indian Transport sergeant lent to us, and a very good useful - man he was; but he always had a desire to kill a Boer with his own - hand and to be able to swear to it. One day when he was out getting - supplies he saw an armed Boer riding over an adjacent ridge, so he - left his carts and cantered away to cut him off. On nearing the ridge - he slipped off his horse and proceeded on foot. Topping the ridge, he - saw the Boer coming towards him and had him dead practically. Suddenly - something touched him. Looking up, he saw three rifle muzzles, and he - was a prisoner with a party of Boers. They took his rifle and horse - and told him to come along with them. He walked between them for a - bit, and, being a very amusing Irishman, proceeded to explain that in - his opinion it wasn’t entertaining him like a guest to make him tramp - while they rode. They treated the subject at first as a joke, but he - was so persistent that they at last grew angry, and threatened to - shoot him if he didn’t be quiet. On this point also he was found to be - so argumentative that at last in despair they told him to make himself - scarce, which he did with alacrity, arriving in camp by evening none - the worse for his adventure, and quite pleased, as he had only - suffered to the extent of a walk, a Government rifle, and a - comparatively useless pony. - -[Illustration: CORPORAL G. LAWRIE] - -[Illustration: F.G. BATEMAN] - -[Illustration: L. KINGCHURCH] - -[Illustration: IAN SINCLAIR] - -[Illustration: SERGT. A.H. LUARD] - -[Illustration: PERCY COBB] - -[Illustration: HARVEY DAVIES] - -[Illustration: A.E. CONSTERDINE] - -[Illustration: D. ROBERTSON] - - N.C.O.S AND TROOPERS - -While Lord Roberts remained at Machadodorp, B Company was often called -upon to furnish an escort of the smartest men, and for this duty Cobb, -Kingchurch, David and Hugh Allardice, Ian Sinclair, Robertson, and -Biscoe, or at least two or three of them, were generally selected. But -the time for more active service had come again, and with the return of -A Company from Barberton to Machadodorp Captain Beresford’s command -ceased to have an independent existence. - -It was on October 6 that Major Chamney’s force marched into camp without -horses, and on the following day Colonel Lumsden passed through -Machadodorp in the Princess Christian’s hospital train bound for -Pretoria. Having received a sufficient number of remounts from among -horses that had been left behind by the Imperial Light Horse and 18th -Hussars, the corps was ready to take its place in General Dickson’s -brigade for the sweeping movement by which it was hoped that General -French would clear the country between De Kaap Mountains and Pretoria. -Nobody at the time thought that it would be rather more like a rearguard -action, continued from day to day, than a triumphal progress. We know -that from morning to night the Boers followed every movement of French’s -columns, potting at them almost incessantly. No matter at what hour the -British troops began their march or halted in bivouac, or how often they -changed direction, the enemy was always with them, and always close -enough to see, though not often seen. A more harassing march has -probably never been endured by any force of similar strength in that -country. All these things we know, but men kept for the privacy of their -own diaries a record of the physical sufferings that came to them -through hunger and thirst where food, if not scarce, could seldom be -cooked because of the thunderstorms night after night and the absence of -firewood. Notwithstanding all these discomforts, we find a cheery strain -running through the unprinted records of Lumsden’s Horse, and quite a -joyful note when by chance the means of making a fire falls in their -way. Then somebody is sure to be provided with meat to cook, and we are -told how Kingchurch unexpectedly produced ‘chops done to a turn,’ or -Cobb’s stew ‘was a triumph,’ or how ‘the indefatigable Hugh cooked chops -while it still rained, and after dark he cooked mutton for to-morrow.’ -The chronicler, in his gratitude, says: ‘Such men deserve to be -remembered, and to have their honoured names handed down to posterity,’ -and so they find a place in this History. One night, when rain was being -driven in sheets by a howling wind across the bare hillside, some of -Lumsden’s Horse could find no better shelter than an ant-heap, round the -lee side of which they grouped themselves, huddling together for warmth. -Kingchurch, finding them there, said in his whimsical way that they had -selected the ‘most epithetally uncomfortable ant-heap in all South -Africa.’ - -It is almost impossible to follow consecutively the movements of General -French’s columns, which consisted of a nominal brigade under General -Mahon (the 8th and 14th Hussars and M Battery R.H.A.), a second under -General Gordon (7th Dragoon Guards, Scots Greys, and guns), and a third, -which included Lumsden’s Horse, a half-battalion Suffolk Regiment, O -Battery R.H.A., and pom-pom section, under General Dickson. Two Cavalry -regiments, the Scots Greys and Carabiniers, with a battery of Artillery, -were kept under General French’s personal direction on at least one -occasion, and used by him with great effect when by marching out of -Bethel he induced the Boers to come in, and then pounced on them. This, -however, is general history. The operations in which Lumsden’s Horse -took part are described by several correspondents in the following -narrative: - - At the beginning the original idea was to move on a wide front through - Carolina, Ermelo, Bethel to Heidelberg, and in consequence we started - in the afternoon of October 11 with Dickson’s brigade in the centre, - its main duty being to escort and protect the reserve convoys of all - three columns, Mahon being eight to nine miles off on our right and - Gordon a similar distance on our left, these two columns taking with - them only necessary supplies for a few days. - - The very first day Mahon got a severe check, losing some five officers - and fifty men, while the next day Gordon on the left was in turn hotly - engaged. After this General French deemed it politic to bring in the - flank columns closer, and thenceforth we proceeded with only half our - former front, thus rendering mutual assistance more easy. Although the - division consisted of three brigades, so called, Mahon’s was only - about 500 strong, Gordon’s 600, and Dickson’s 700, amounting in all to - only three regiments on full strength. - - Our task was an extremely arduous and difficult one, for the first few - marches were through hilly country, and the convoy advancing in a - single string covered seven miles. To protect it from surprise we had - but 400 mounted troops, the Infantry being kept more or less - concentrated near the waggons. You can imagine, therefore, that our - sphere of operations was a very extended one, much being evidently - left to the initiative of individuals, as personal control by officers - was well-nigh impossible. This was the kind of fighting that brought - into prominence the good points of Irregular troops, of which every - man is used to act on his own responsibility as occasion demands, - wherein he differs from the trained soldier, who is educated to act on - orders only. The nature of the convoy added greatly to the fatigue men - had to endure. Oxen formed part of the convoy and, as they are unable - apparently at this season of the year to march except in the cool of - the morning and evening, the working day comprised twenty-four hours. - The usual marching hour for ‘ox’ was 4 A.M., necessitating _réveille_ - at 2.15 often in the rain, the ‘mule’ following an hour later. The - convoy commenced packing at 8 o’clock, and a halt was observed till 2 - or 3 in the afternoon. In the afternoon ‘mule’ led off, the ‘ox’ - following. By this arrangement the ‘ox’ avoided all heat, but never - got into camp till 9 P.M. or thereabouts. Mounted troops had far the - worst of this, for while the Infantry could put in a long sleep and - have a good meal, the mounted troops, broken up into small parties, - were posted on hills all round, and the need to keep a sharp look-out - left them few opportunities for sleeping or getting meals. This bit of - country was particularly hard on the men, as it was with the greatest - difficulty that one could obtain firewood and water by day; and as we - often arrived in camp long after dark, it was still more difficult to - get an evening camp fire. To add to the trials, half of the available - men were on picket over night, and during the day we were surprised - incessantly. Our picket duties brought us into constant little - engagements in which the corps had the opportunity of acting on its - own, and, being ably handled by Major Chamney, quite distinguished - itself in a small way. - -[Illustration: - - _Photo: Vandyk_ - CAPTAIN C. LYON SIDEY -] - - When General Dickson’s brigade, or rather huge convoy, to which we - were attached as the only mounted troops, began its march _en route_ - for Carolina, the Brigadier’s method was to make an early start, halt - at 10 or 11 o’clock for three or four hours, and then make easy - progress on to camp for the day. The veldt was changing into its - spring coat of green, so that the cattle could graze during halts; in - consequence, their condition was not so bad. On the morning of the - 12th the camp was aroused by the sound of big guns booming to our - right front, and though the brigade was booked to start at 6 A.M. it - was not till 7.30 that the convoy got on the way. Later in the day the - news was heliographed that the Boers had made a determined attack on - General Mahon’s camp, had driven in the outposts, and had only been - beaten back after severe fighting, Mahon’s casualties being as high as - fifty. On the 13th the music of big guns was again heard at dawn, but - to our left front, and the news came through that the Boers had - attacked Gordon, but this time received a reception they were totally - unprepared for, while Dickson with the convoy had camped by 1.30 P.M. - outside Carolina. As Carolina had been in Boer occupation since the - time General Mahon touched there on his way to Barberton, every - precaution was taken against any surprise. Rumour said the Boers had - sworn to trap French or take the convoy, and therefore our escort was - augmented by the 7th Dragoon Guards, Scots Greys, and O Battery R.H.A. - Our experience for the second time of Carolina was a bitter one; not - only was the weather intensely cold, but the whole regiment was sent - out on outlying picket for twenty-four hours. On the 15th a five-mile - march was made, but on the 16th at 2.30 A.M. _réveille_ was whistled, - and at 3.45 Lumsden’s had started at a gallop as advance guard, a - dense fog prevailing. A midday halt of three hours was made at - Krantzpan, but camp was pitched at Klipsteple after dark. Klipsteple - is the highest point in the Transvaal, and a huge smooth-faced boulder - stands on the highway. On this boulder visitors have engraved their - names, so that it is almost covered with letters and dates, though the - names, so familiar to all, of the leaders of the Boer cause are - conspicuously absent. On the 17th we formed the rearguard, and were - engaged in destroying a farm when a party of about 200 Boers - reconnoitred our vicinity. We looked at one another, and they - evidently decided against a fight, for Mahon had that morning beaten - this same lot rather badly. They retired on Carolina, and we proceeded - onward to camp. From this point our further progress was slow, as the - Boers hugged the flanks and persistently attacked the rearguard. It - was a new light to view the enemy in, and it came somewhat as a - surprise. Hitherto the Boer had adopted the running game. It was very - gratifying to hear that the enemy possessed neither guns nor big-gun - ammunition. On the 18th A Company were doing advance guard, supported - by B Company, when they suddenly encountered the fire of thirty Boers - strongly entrenched at point-blank range. They fell back, and No. 4 - Section, B Company, advanced and, opening volley fire under Captain - Sidey’s orders, soon cleared the front, while O Battery sent shell - after shell into the fleeing horsemen. Captain Kenna—well known in - India—Dickson’s Brigade Major, was good enough to speak favourably of - us. It was the first ‘scrap’ we had had under his leadership. During - the cannonade a funny incident occurred. A rifle and bandolier were - found in a farm where only women were to be seen. As this meant - burning the farm and seizing all stock, the Boer’s wife, riding on a - man’s saddle, sought out the General, who chivalrously acceded to her - request, and the burning was countermanded. The next day passed - quietly as far as we were concerned, though Mahon’s guns could be - heard in rear from time to time. Hitherto the enemy had employed guns, - but to-day the welcome intelligence was passed along that they were - completely out of gun ammunition. The camp was pitched at Bethel, a - town containing only some six families, three of them English. On the - 20th (morning) the regiment paraded for inspection by General French, - who took advantage of the day’s halt at Bethel to say a few words of - encouragement to each regiment. Addressing Lumsden’s Horse, he said - ‘that the reputation of the corps stood very high; their behaviour and - gallantry were spoken of by everyone, and, though he had no personal - knowledge of the corps, he had heard of their splendid work and the - good service they had done. There was no doubt that everyone of all - ranks was anxious for a rest, which was well deserved. There was no - saying, however, what might happen, but he hoped the onward march to - Heidelberg would be an easy one, and he trusted to Lumsden’s Horse - maintaining to the end that reputation for gallantry they had worthily - earned.’ At the conclusion of the address, Major Chamney called for - three cheers for General French. As the Boers were hovering all round - us, the entire regiment spent the night on outlying picket; and it was - a night!—wet, cold, and miserable. At 3 A.M. on the 22nd the brigade - stood to arms, and by 4.30 Bethel had been left behind. The Boers were - most persistent, and tenaciously hung round us, losing no opportunity - of sniping. About 2 P.M. we were caught in a terrific hailstorm, the - hail lying an inch thick upon the veldt, when it ceased, leaving us - shivering and drenched, though cheerful enough as we resumed our - onward course at the gallop to restore circulation in men and horses. - Before camping we did some distant shooting at the enemy, but gave it - up as too long a range. The water at this camp was inky black, but in - the absence of better had to be used for tea and coffee, though many - decided to defer a wash till next day. The whole regiment were again - put on duty as pickets, and in their exposed positions had a bitter - experience of a typical South African hailstorm during that afternoon. - The next day the _réveille_ whistle sounded at 2.30 A.M., and the - different brigades were on the move by 4.15. The enemy kept up sniping - systematically on the flanks, while the guns in rear were in action - some half-a-dozen times during the day. During the afternoon a - terrific hailstorm burst over us, saturating our garments and making - everybody very miserable. The hail lay inches deep on the veldt. - Prisoners were taken daily, and a few refugee women were under our - protection. A singular incident occurred on this day. One of the - prisoners who had surrendered handed in a Lee-Metford rifle belonging - to Lumsden’s Horse, which has since been identified as belonging to - Corporal Macgillivray, of A Company, who had been taken prisoner at - Ospruit, our first fight. The 25th, however, was a great day. No. 4 - Section B Company was rearguard left flank, the 7th Dragoon Guards in - the centre-rear, and A Company right flank. Immediately we had taken - up positions the Boers pressed home an attack on the left, and No. 3 - Section B Company, acting as support, was engaged. The Carabiniers had - retired some ten minutes when the left flankers rose from cover and - moved towards their led horses. As they mounted, the Boers reached a - ridge commanding our position and within range; they peppered us very - smartly as we galloped out of range without a single casualty. In the - meantime O Battery had come into action, doing excellent practice. - -[Illustration: - - _Photo: Hana, Ltd._ - D. MORISON -] - - Startled by the firing, Captain Clifford’s horse took fright, and, - galloping away, was lost in the distance, Clifford being then on foot - controlling the firing. ‘General’ Parks gallantly offered to ride out - and catch the beast, and was allowed to do so. He quickly vanished - from sight, and nobody knew whither he had gone. As the convoy had - moved on, orders came for the rearguard to do likewise, and our corps, - together with the 7th Dragoon Guards, retired in extended line to the - next ridge, an observation post, to endeavour to show Parks the way - in. As there was no sign of him for a considerable time, Captain - Taylor, the Adjutant, who had been indefatigable all the morning, - exposing himself to encourage us while we were in a really tight - corner, took out a subsection and scoured the country round searching - for Parks, but without success. The sections (Nos. 4 and 2 of B - Company) had to move on, but Corporal Graves and Troopers Morison, - Maxwell, and Betts, on their own responsibility and in a Quixotic - spirit of chivalry, resolving not to abandon Parks, stayed behind to - assist him. There was danger in that decision, as it exposed those men - to the risk of getting mixed up with, or, at any rate, mistaken, for - the enemy. Captain Sidey noticed their absence, and, being certain - they were in danger from our own guns, sent Trooper Behan to order the - adventurous troopers back. In a sporting spirit, however, the men who - had made up their minds to see Parks through refused to come in and - remained on the observation post. Shortly after, another messenger was - sent, with threats of instant arrest if orders were not obeyed. Just - as this man arrived, Parks was seen through a glass leading the - Captain’s horse about two miles away to the left rear and close to the - flanks of the former position from which the Boers had been firing. He - was making a very bad line to rejoin us, so Morison offered to gallop - down and endeavour to show him the way, despite the half-company - officer’s orders. This he did and succeeded in bringing in Parks, but - directly our small party, retiring, crowned the rise, O Battery, from - a distance of 4,600 yards, being informed that we were most certainly - Boers, plumped a shell into the middle of us, the wind of the shell - knocking off Graves’s hat and bursting a horse’s length behind the - party, and, needless to say, we galloped in for all we were worth. - Luckily for us, the gunner was informed who we were before sending a - second shot along. He remarked, however, that he thought it was a - jolly good shot. - -Captain Taylor gives a slightly different version of the incident: - - We were acting as rearguard to Dickson’s column, when Captain - Clifford’s horse took fright and ran away while his master was - dismounted. One of our sailors, Parks, went after it, and followed it - for two miles at right angles to our line of advance. We saw him catch - the horse and begin leading it back, and then saw him no more, though - we waited half an hour. As messages were coming from the rearguard - commander to us to follow more quickly, we had to leave, all fully - convinced that our poor Parks had been ambushed. - -[Illustration: CORPORAL J. GRAVES] - - After a mile or so, our widely extended line came down a long, fairly - steep incline, on the top of the opposite slope of which we saw our - Battery O in position. As we neared the bottom of the intervening - valley the battery opened fire with one round, which burst on the top - of the slope we had just left, and looking round we saw a party of six - men riding down at a gallop, waving a handkerchief. They turned out to - be some of our own men, who, having at the last moment seen Parks - coming in, waited for him. The battery had seen the heads of mounted - men in slouch hats advance quickly, and, mistaking them for Boers - following us, had ‘laid’ for them. The shot was such a good one that - it knocked off the hat of Sergeant Graves, and the Adjutant’s office - went near to losing its clerk, and the Bank of Bengal one of its - rising staff. - -Another correspondent continues the narrative: - - On the 26th the united brigades reached Heidelberg by sundown, but - sustained two casualties in the rearguard. The safe escort of the - convoy is locally reported as a creditable performance, and there were - no fewer than 150 casualties in the united brigades since leaving - Machadodorp. It was a very trying march, as rain fell nearly every day - in torrents. Sleep was out of the question in deep pools of water, and - _réveille_ daily at 2.30 A.M. gave us little rest. We had taken 109 - prisoners and brought on some twenty refugee families. Heidelberg is - the prettiest town we have yet seen in the Transvaal, nestling as it - does at the base of a rugged kopje in a perfect tope of eucalyptus, - willow, peach, and oak trees. The majority of the houses are above the - ordinary type—flowers abound in the gardens, and the surrounding veldt - has donned its spring coat of green; the fruit trees are loaded with - fruit, which in another month should sweeten our rations of dry - biscuits. But—there is a ‘but’—the stores are absolutely barren. - Foodstuffs and provisions of every kind are badly needed by the - residents themselves. A Wesleyan clergyman informed the writer that he - hadn’t tasted meat for a week. - - Roses abounded in the gardens attached to the picturesque villas, and - altogether a feeling of peace and security seemed to prevail. Our stay - was a limited one, and on the 30th (morning) the trek was resumed - through Nigel to Springs. The country we had to traverse is rich in - mineral wealth, gold and coal mines being already in existence, while - hundreds of claims are pegged out against the setting-in of peace and - the advance of the capitalist. At Springs, on the return journey to - Pretoria, we were saluted by Colt guns, which were repeatedly fired at - us as we approached the trenches, manned by British troops. Our men - were naturally very irate, and wanted very much to fire back. They - considered it particularly hard lines, since we had been marching in - the open and heliographing from a distance of ten miles. The 31st was - a great day, as a parade before His Excellency Lord Roberts was fixed - for 10.30 A.M. The Commander-in-Chief was punctual to time, and during - the inspection addressed himself to the several companies as he met - them. The various regiments then went past in order of brigades and - returned to camp. Major Chamney, before dismissing Lumsden’s Horse, - paraphrased what Lord Roberts had said to him for the benefit of the - regiment. Briefly, it was to the effect that the disbandment of the - corps was at the present time impossible, but Lord Roberts had - telegraphed to His Excellency the Viceroy asking him to use his - influence in keeping appointments open as far as possible. - - Lumsden’s Horse had requested disbandment on the reasonable grounds of - pressing business in India, and the fact of local Colonial and other - Volunteer corps—notably the C.I.V., Loch’s Horse, and others—having - been disintegrated. At first an abrupt refusal was given, but - yesterday General French telegraphed to Lord Kitchener and strongly - recommended our case. A reply has been received that only those having - business of an urgent nature in India may return, but they must pay - their own expenses back, only a railway ticket to port of embarkation - being provided. Needless to say, many are going even on these - conditions, but those who desire to go to England have to hang on for - an indefinite period of time still. Only from Machadodorp three Surma - Valley men were allowed to leave, as their appointments were in - jeopardy. These men had free passages back given them. Again, a - fortunate few have been given employment in South Africa, and they - were permitted to leave as their appointments were secured. These - number altogether about twenty. Colonel Lumsden is unfortunately still - away from the regiment, sick at Pretoria. Major Chamney, officiating - in command, finds his hands tied to some extent, and cannot do much - for us in matters of such moment. But the feeling in the regiment is - very strong, and the term ‘Volunteer’ is sneered at as a misnomer. If - the war was not over it would be quite another matter; but it has been - announced that the war is practically ended, and the duties now to be - performed are in the nature of police work. - - All round Springs was a hotbed of Boers, and patrols proceeding two or - three miles from camp were invariably sniped at. Just outside Springs - we had great luck in finding a brewery which, despite the war, had not - ceased to brew, and we regaled ourselves with limited quantities of - Colonial stout in a vain endeavour to keep out the eternal rain. The - Boers, who were used to dealing with a garrison armed with carbines, - were rather surprised one day when going to round up some cattle they - ran into a small patrol of our corps, and Trooper Consterdine fetched - one of them out of the saddle with a good shot at 1,800 yards, and - thus gave them a lesson which will probably make them more careful. - - The weather now became absolutely vile. There were hailstorms every - afternoon, just late enough to spoil any chance of getting dry for the - night. The roads were very heavy, and horses could not get on. We - hoped and concluded the Boers were in the same fix. From Springs the - Boers ceased to give trouble, but this was more than atoned for by the - abominable weather and going. For forty-eight hours it poured torrents - without ceasing, and there was not a dry skin or blanket in the - division. To remove misapprehension, it is necessary to say men had - seen no tents for practically eight months. Bad it was for us and the - horses, but worse for the Transport, the animals dying daily to such - an extent that it was all they could do to drag empty waggons into - Pretoria. Pistol-shots every morning latterly had announced the death - of animals that had dragged our carts for many miles, and to save the - waggons from falling into the hands of the Boers there was nothing to - do but burn them. It was no uncommon sight to see cattle lying in the - last stages of exhaustion on the road, and ere death ensued being cut - up and looked upon as a great treat by the local Kaffirs. - - Everybody was struck by the formation of our Transport when out of - hilly country; the waggons moved along in a dense mass with a frontage - of about a quarter of a mile and depth of half a mile, the whole mass - forcing its way over nullahs and obstacles irresistibly. It will be - obvious to all that this formation of the convoy lent itself much more - easily to protection than a stream of waggons seven miles long. - - At 5 A.M. of November 1 the trek was resumed, the direction being - Pretoria. A heavy drizzle of rain was falling, and without - intermission it continued for three days, only ceasing when Pretoria - was seen in the distance on the morning of the 3rd. Every garment, - whether on the person or in the kit bags, was wet, and never was - sunshine more welcome than on that morning. By 11 A.M. the regiment - had camped on the far side of the racecourse, and for the first time - since April experienced the shelter of tents. - - - - - CHAPTER XVIII - _HOMEWARD BOUND—APPROBATION FROM LORD ROBERTS—CAPE - TOWN’S ACKNOWLEDGMENTS—FAREWELL TO SOUTH - AFRICA_ - - -Though they did not know it at the time, Lumsden’s Horse as a corps had -done their last march in the Transvaal, and fired their last shot -against the Boers. They had begun to think that others, with less chance -of serving the Empire elsewhere and fewer interests calling them home, -could very well do all the work that remained to be done in South -Africa. Yet up to that time their expressions of a wish to be relieved, -as other Volunteer contingents had been, from the fruitless pursuit of -guerilla raiders, was productive of no result. It is hardly surprising, -therefore, after the miserable experiences of a sweeping movement, by -which nothing of any importance had been achieved, and from which nobody -suffered much except the troops engaged in it, that a spirit of -discontent should have begun to manifest itself among men who knew that -every day they remained in South Africa might jeopardise all their -future careers. They were running the risk of losing all and gaining no -commensurate advantage either for themselves or for the Empire. It is -little to be wondered at, therefore, that they should have envied the -City Imperial Volunteers, the Canadians, and some other Colonial -contingents which had been allowed to leave for home when Lord Roberts -declared that regular warfare was at an end. Even the departure of some -of their own comrades, whose plea of urgent private affairs had -prevailed over military considerations, seemed to some extent a -grievance, so that when Thesiger, Townsend-Smith, and Moir-Byres were -allowed to go many others regretted that they also had not applied for -passages to India instead of England. So far back as October 9, Army -Orders had contained the following: - - COLONIAL CONTINGENTS - - It has been brought to the notice of the Field-Marshal - Commanding-in-Chief that many men of the Colonial contingents made - arrangements before leaving their homes for only one year, which has - now nearly expired. Though precise date cannot yet be fixed on which - all will be free, commanding officers may submit names of any urgent - cases at once, and the Field-Marshal hopes that within the next few - weeks he may be able to dispense with their services, which have - proved invaluable to the Empire. - -But Lord Roberts, with every wish to meet the convenience of those who -had sacrificed much for the sake of serving under him, found himself -hampered by unforeseen circumstances, which were fully explained in one -of his despatches about this date. ‘There still remained much for the -Army in South Africa to do before the country could be said to be -completely conquered. Certain Boer leaders, notably De Wet and De la -Rey, had still to be dealt with, and the guerilla warfare carried on by -them put a stop to.’ This state of affairs made it imperative that the -Army should be broken up into several comparatively small columns of -increased mobility. Mounted troops were therefore in more demand than -ever. - - Great difficulty was experienced in carrying out these necessary - changes owing to the time having arrived for the withdrawal of the - Royal Canadian Dragoons, the Royal Canadian Regiment, the three - batteries of Canadian Artillery, and the greater part of the first - contingents furnished by Australia, New Zealand, and Tasmania, and - allowing the members of the second South African corps to return to - their homes and employments after having been embodied for twelve - months. It was impossible to disregard the urgent reasons given by our - Colonial comrades for not being able to remain longer at the seat of - war. They had done admirable service and shown themselves well fitted - to take their places by the side of Her Majesty’s Regular troops, and - I witnessed their departure with deep regret, not only on account of - their many soldierly qualities, but because it materially impaired the - mobility and efficiency of the Army in South Africa for the time - being, a very critical time, too, until indeed a fresh body of Mounted - Infantry could be formed from the nearest available Line battalions, - and the several South African local corps could be again recruited up - to their original strength. - -[Illustration: SERGT. G.E. THESIGER] - -[Illustration: E.B. MOIR-BYRES] - -[Illustration: J.A. BROWN] - -[Illustration: H. EVETTS] - -[Illustration: SERGT. J.L. STEWART] - -[Illustration: CORPL. W.T. SMITH] - -[Illustration: H.N. SHAW] - -[Illustration: E.S. CLARKE] - -[Illustration: B.E. JONES] - - N.C.O.S. AND TROOPERS - -Thus, the Commander-in-Chief, having declared that regular warfare was -at an end, found himself unable to deal effectually with raiding -guerilla bands for want of enough mobile troops. In this difficulty he -kept faith with those who had completed the year of service for which -they had enlisted by letting them go. Lumsden’s Horse did not come -within that category, and, though Lord Roberts recognised the justice of -their Colonel’s plea on behalf of men who were sacrificing much, he -would promise nothing until fresh companies of Mounted Infantry could be -formed to fill the places left vacant by Canadians, New Zealanders, and -Australians who had gone. Colonel Lumsden’s ceaseless efforts, however, -had so impressed the Commander-in-Chief that he sent a cable message to -the Viceroy urging him, as Honorary Colonel of Lumsden’s Horse, to use -all his influence with employers on behalf of members of the corps, so -that their appointments in India might be kept open for them a little -longer. Lord Roberts added: ‘I trust the war is nearly over, but it is -essential that all shall hold together till the end, and it would be a -hardship to members of a corps that has done such gallant service if -they were to suffer for their devotion to the cause of the Empire.’ -Several men whose cases were exceptionally urgent got permission to -leave for India, and others who had accepted commissions in Regular -regiments or civil appointments were necessarily taken off the strength -of the corps, which consequently became reduced to little more than a -full company. One of the Colonel’s Staff, therefore, thought it an -opportune time to trace the whereabouts of men who had ceased to serve -in the ranks of Lumsden’s Horse. He therefore prepared a record in -tabulated form, which was at that time the most complete return -available, though he prefaced it with an apology for incompleteness: - - The corps has shifted about such a lot recently that it is difficult - to know accurately what has happened to many men who were left sick at - various points in the march. But the following is pretty correct so - far as it goes. - - Follett, M. } Died in hospital - Maclaine } - Adlam } - Burnett } - Bankes, E.N. } - Bewsher } - Birch } - Burn-Murdoch } - Campbell, H. A., - Sergeant } - Campbell, L. C. } - Cheshire } - Cooper } - Dawson, Ernest } - Elliott, Sergeant } - Glascock } - Hunter-Muskett } Invalided, - Jameson, J.V. } England - Keating } - Logan } - McMinn } - Martin, A. } - Martin, C.K. } - Mitchell } - Neville, Lieutenant - (since rejoined) } - Oldham } - Saunders } - Skelton } - Thelwall, H.W. } - Walton } - A.N. Woods } - Baldwin } Invalided - Thompson, F.C. } India - Turnbull } - Howes—Invalided, Burma - Follett, F.B. - (convalescent) } Invalided, - Gough, H. (convalescent) } Cape - Noblett, Captain (since - rejoined) } Town - Bearne—Military Governor’s Office, Pretoria - Booth—Corps Depôt, Pretoria - Chartres, Corporal—Medical Office, Middelburg. - Conduit—Pretoria Police - Firth, Corporal—Military Governor’s Office, Pretoria - Francis—Rest Camp, Cape Town - Huddleston—Assistant-Commissioner of Police, Kroonstad - Macgillivray—Corps Depôt, Pretoria - Morris, Corporal—Remount Department, Johannesburg - Pugh, Lieutenant—Assistant-Commissioner of Police, Bloemfontein - Richey—Corps Depôt, Pretoria - Stuart, C.E.—Military Governor’s Office, Pretoria - Shaw, H.N.—Corps Depôt - Watson, Remount Department, Johannesburg - Warburton—Secretary, Irish Hospital,Pretoria - Woollright—Medical Officer, Elandsfontein - Anderson } - P.W. Banks } - H.K. Dawson } - Evetts } - Fuller } Transferred temporarily - FitzGerald } to A.S. - F.B. Johnstone } Corps, Pretoria - Meares } - Nightingale } - Pringle } - Rice } - Waller } - - Hayward } Regular signallers - Longman } transferred to - Lowe } Hamilton’s Division - Lee } - - Braine } - Chapman, E.S. } - Charles, J. } Hospital, Pretoria - Clifford, F.M. - (convalescent) } - Wilkinson } - - Clerk } Hospital, - Forbes } Germiston - Haines, R.P. } - - Harvey, C.C. (convalescent) } Hospital, - Kenny (convalescent) } Bloemfontein - Puckeridge (convalescent) } - Pryce (convalescent) } Hospital, - Walker, Arthur - (convalescent) } Bloemfontein - Willis } - - Jones, B.E.—Convalescent, Elandsfontein - Sladden—Hospital, East London - Walton, C.F.—Hospital, Johannesburg - - Cayley } Granted discharge, England - Cubitt } - - Graham, J.A.—Granted leave, India - - Of the above-named, Elliott, Burn-Murdoch, and C.A. Walton were - invalided on account of wounds. J.S. Saunders cracked a bone in his - arm when he took the fall at Spytfontein which cost him his liberty, - and he has been sent home by the medical authorities as being - incapacitated for further service. C.E. Stuart is also unfit for - active service, as the wound in his foot sustained at the taking of - Pretoria has left permanent effects. He moves about gingerly, and is - buoyed up with the hope of a pension for life. Stuart wears - spectacles, and he’ll need ’em badly when it comes to drawing his - quarterly allowance. - - Poor Maclaine, who died here of pneumonia on August 29, makes the - eighth death in the regiment. Though most of us are enjoying splendid - health and spirits, it is sad to reflect that to so many our campaign - in South Africa has brought but sickness and broken constitutions. - - Some record of those old comrades whose services have won well-merited - recognition, and whose subsequent movements I have endeavoured to - trace for the delectation of cousins, aunts, creditors, and insurance - company secretaries, would not come amiss. The home authorities and - Lord Roberts himself have treated the regiment most generously in the - matter of commissions in the Regular Army, as the following list will - show. Men named have been gazetted, as far as I can remember, to the - regiments stated below: - - - W. Douglas Jones, A.S. Corps │J.A. Fraser, West India - │ Regiment - - Montagu Bates, East Surrey │Percy Smith, Oxfordshire L.I. - Regiment │ - - J.S. Biscoe, West India │G.P.O. Springfield, 3rd - Regiment │ Dragoon Guards - - P.J. Partridge, │P. Strahan, South - Northamptonshire Regiment │ Staffordshire Regiment - - B.C.A. Steuart, Black Watch │F.W. Wright, A.S. Corps - - Arathoon, 3rd Dragoon Guards │H.S.N. Wright, A.S. Corps - - R.G. Collins, West India │T.B. Nicholson, West India - Regiment │ Regiment - - Fletcher, A.S. Corps │Norton, West India Regiment - - C.R. Macdonald, Argyll and │Hugh Blair, Somersetshire L.I. - Sutherland Highlanders │ - - - Of the above, Macdonald’s, I think, has not yet been confirmed, but - all the others have gone, some to their regiments in the country, and - others to report at the War Office. Arathoon, who has been one of the - best and cheeriest of the regiment, is, I am sorry to say, in the - Irish Hospital here recovering from a bad go of rheumatic fever, which - will prevent him from joining his new regiment for a long time. - -Meanwhile it appears that Colonel Lumsden had been trying to secure for -Calcutta one of the guns so gallantly captured by his men. He received -the following letter: - - Army Headquarters, Johannesburg: November 8, 1900. - - DEAR COLONEL LUMSDEN,—With reference to your request to be permitted - to take back to Calcutta one of the guns captured from the enemy, the - Field-Marshal Commanding-in-Chief desires me to inform you that he - fears you must wait until he knows definitely what guns he has to - dispose of. - - Believe me, yours sincerely, - - H.V. COWAN, Lieutenant-Colonel, Military Secretary. - -That the corps were not so homesick as to have lost their zest for sport -or for the simple pleasures that came in their way may be gathered from -the following note furnished by their late Adjutant: - - On the conclusion of the march from Machadodorp we were left to - re-equip for ten days at Pretoria, and were one day asked to produce - an officers’ polo team. We had some seven officers to choose from, and - a few chargers which were small enough for the game; no sticks, and - only parade saddles, and we had never played together. However, we - produced a team and went to the fray. We found it was quite a big - affair. There was a crowd of spectators, with a fair ground, umpires, - whistles, &c., and we agreed to play ‘Hurlingham Rules,’ which none of - us knew. They kindly lent us polo-sticks of sorts, and the game began. - It was a really good game, and the chargers, rendered docile by work - and starvation, played wonderfully. However, we were beaten by two - goals to one, and in the return match we each got one goal. We were - quite proud of the show, as our opponents represented the whole - garrison, including one Cavalry division, and were in some practice. - -[Illustration: H.S.N. WRIGHT] - -[Illustration: J.D.L. ARATHOON] - -[Illustration: S.L. LONG-INNES] - -[Illustration: F.W. WRIGHT] - -[Illustration: R.G. COLLINS] - -[Illustration: A.E. NORTON] - -[Illustration: CORPL. F.S.M. BATES] - -[Illustration: W. DOUGLAS-JONES] - -[Illustration: T.B. NICHOLSON] - - GAZETTED TO THE REGULAR ARMY - -One day about this time the Editor was present at a little scene which -may be interesting as an example of the many strange meetings that -characterised a campaign in which men from all parts of the world came -together. His son, a lieutenant in the Army Service Corps, had just been -transferred from an Irregular Cavalry regiment, and they were -celebrating the first occasion of being together since the relief of -Ladysmith. At another table Colonel Lumsden and some of his officers -were dining. Introductions followed, when suddenly Captain Holmes and -the young lieutenant greeted each other by familiar nicknames which -neither had heard for some years. As students they had served together -in the Artists’ Volunteers, of which Lord Leighton was then Honorary -Colonel. They had been fighting through the campaign, one from Natal, -the other from Bloemfontein. Their paths had crossed several times -without either knowing it, and here at the end they met in Pretoria for -the first time since boyhood. Such incidents occurred frequently until -they ceased to be strange, and they illustrate the all-prevailing power -of a sentiment that drew men from every quarter of the globe to South -Africa, where the Empire’s interests centred. All were then beginning to -think that there might be still a long spell of campaigning before them, -and, in spite of a little natural grumbling, they took the prospect -philosophically enough, as we may see by the following extract from a -trooper’s letter: - - At Pretoria we were joined by Captain Noblett and Captain Stevenson, - who had been away on two months’ sick leave visiting Natal - battlefields, and Lieutenant Neville, who had left us sick in June, - been to England, and come back, and little expected to find any of us - still there. We were overjoyed to hear we were to have ten days’ rest - in tents, the first we had seen for many months. We were now living on - the fat of the land, with—luxury of luxuries—a dry canteen where you - could buy at half price those necessaries of life which had lately - been considered luxuries, the balance being paid out of the funds - provided by our kind friends in India. Here we waxed fat. Colonel - Lumsden, in his absence from the corps, had not been idle, and had - been putting before the highest authorities the real urgency in many - cases to men for whom prolonged absence from India would mean absolute - ruin. To such purpose did he work that a week after arrival we - received the welcome news that seventy of the most urgent cases were - permitted to go. We saw them off on November 15 under Major Chamney, - and then returned to camp in full anticipation of another year of it. - A week after this came the joyful news that the whole corps was also - to return at once, and on the 22nd we entrained for Cape Town. Despite - various alarms, railway accidents, and breaking up of the line in - front of us, we arrived in Cape Town without mishap. - -Alas! for the horses. Only four remained to come back with the corps. -Some troopers hoped to have brought the regimental dog, who was quite a -veteran and by distinguished service fully entitled to ease, with a -pension for life. Trooper D. Morison gives the following sketch of him: - - He first attached himself to the regiment at Irene in July 1900. He - very soon became a popular character among us, and went by the name of - Kruger, and from that time on he was always to be found with the - regiment. His intelligence was almost human, and it is a mystery how - he could always find the regiment when marching with other troops. On - more than one occasion he has been the means of finding men in distant - parts of the field owing to his white colour. That dog and Trooper - Burgess seemed to understand each other perfectly. He started from - Pretoria with the regiment _en route_ for India, but unfortunately got - left behind one morning at a wayside station. - -On November 21 Lord Roberts telegraphed to Colonel Adye, A.A.G. for -Colonial Forces: - - Please convey the following message to Colonel Lumsden. Am extremely - sorry to be unable to see Colonel Lumsden’s regiment and say good-bye - before they leave South Africa. I am telegraphing to the Viceroy, who - is Honorary Colonel of the regiment, to express my appreciation of the - admirable work done by all ranks during the present war. Colonel - Lumsden and all serving under him have my best wishes for their future - success. - -Lieutenant-Colonel Lumsden replied: - - Kindly convey to Field-Marshal Lord Roberts the deep appreciation felt - by my regiment and myself of the great kindness expressed in his - telegram and shown to us throughout the period we have had the honour - of serving under him. - -That telegram was not known in Cape Town when, on November 22, Major -Chamney, with the convalescents and those who had been allowed to leave -the corps a week earlier, marched to the Docks, headed by the band of -the Cheshire Regiment, and embarked for India on board the ‘Catalonia.’ -They went off amid loud cheers from ship and shore, little thinking that -the corps would so soon follow or that its departure would be marked by -a great demonstration complimentary to every man in its ranks. - -Sixteen of the corps embarked, under Major Chamney’s command, in the -‘Catalonia,’ and sailed from Table Bay in the company of 600 Boer -prisoners. At Durban, finding measles on board the ‘Catalonia,’ they -disembarked, and took the Clan steamer ‘Sinclair’ to Calcutta, calling -at Galle by the way. They were Sergeants Stewart, Pratt, and Oakley; -Corporal Horne, Lance-Corporal Phillips, Troopers Dalton, Clarke, Elsie, -Biscoe, H. Allardice, Elwes, Hight, Lucas, Moore, Brown, and H.C. Wood. -The last named was seized with measles and had to be left at Galle. - -On November 23 Field-Marshal Lord Roberts telegraphed to His Excellency -the Viceroy of India (Lord Curzon of Kedleston) as follows: - - Lumsden’s Horse left Pretoria to-day for India, about 120 strong. I - cannot allow the corps to leave South Africa without expressing to - your Excellency, as their Honorary Colonel, my appreciation of the - excellent services rendered throughout the war by officers, - non-commissioned officers, and men. Many of them have received - commissions in the Regular forces, and many are remaining in South - Africa in various employments, to take their part in the settlement of - that country which they have assisted to add to Her Majesty’s - dominions. It has been a pride and a pleasure to me to have under my - command a Volunteer contingent which has so well upheld the honour of - the Indian Empire. - -The Viceroy, on November 26, replied: - - It is a great satisfaction to me, as Honorary Colonel of Lumsden’s - Horse, to receive the message in which you have testified to their - gallantry and services in the war. India will welcome those who are - coming back with enthusiasm, and wish God-speed to those who stay and - have served in such a campaign, and have earned the praises of such a - commander. - -Colonel Lumsden, with the remainder of the corps, embarked in the -‘Atlantian’ on December 5, at Cape Town, after a farewell speech from -the Mayor of Cape Town, Mr. T.J. O’Reilly. - -The following appeared in the ‘Cape Times’ of December 6: - - About 2 o’clock yesterday afternoon His Worship the Mayor (Mr. T.J. - O’Reilly), accompanied by the Town Clerk (Mr. C.J. Byworth) and the - Mace Bearer, attended at the South Arm to say farewell to the Indian - Volunteer contingent known as Lumsden’s Horse, under the command of - Colonel Lumsden. The men were drawn up on the South Arm, alongside of - which lay the huge transport ‘Atlantian,’ which was to convey them to - India. - - Colonel Lumsden, having called the men to attention, stated that it - was very gratifying to him to know that His Worship the Mayor had so - kindly come down to the Docks to say a few words to them before they - sailed. - -[Illustration: RECEIVING THE MAYOR OF CAPE TOWN’S FAREWELL ADDRESS ON -THE SOUTH ARM] - -[Illustration: CHEERING IN RESPONSE] - - His Worship said: Colonel Lumsden, Officers, and Men of Lumsden’s - Horse,—I am very pleased indeed to have the honour of saying a few - words to you to-day before you leave South Africa. We are all very - grateful to you for the noble services you have rendered in the field - for us for upwards of twelve months. You are now going home covered - with honour and glory, and I earnestly trust you will find all those - you left behind you well and anxious to give you a hearty welcome, - which I feel sure awaits you on your return. On the outbreak of - hostilities in this country Colonel Lumsden at once offered his - services, and also to organise a corps to proceed to South Africa to - fight for Queen and country. Out of 1,000 men who eagerly offered - themselves in response to the call for volunteers, 250 were accepted. - This gratifying response is an eloquent testimony to the patriotic - spirit by which the British race all over the world are animated. To - the public of India and to Colonel Lumsden belong the credit for the - equipment of your corps with everything needful excepting rifle and - bandolier, and I can only characterise the action of your Colonel as - patriotic in the highest degree, and deserving the hearty thanks of - all, apart from the splendid services rendered in the field. I feel - assured that if Lord Roberts were now to ask Colonel Lumsden to again - return to the field, his request would be most willingly and promptly - complied with by one and all of the contingent here to-day, who would - be only too eager to follow their trusted and tried leader to further - honour and glory. Some of your members have fallen in the field - fighting bravely for the dear old flag and the honour and prestige of - the Empire. Others, more fortunate, have secured civil and other - appointments in the country in which they have acquitted themselves - with so much credit to the corps and the country from which they hail. - Out of the 250 men comprised in the corps as originally organised, - twenty-five have received commissions, a most gratifying percentage, - while fifteen men have received civil appointments and thirty have - joined the constabulary force commanded by General Baden-Powell, so - that on the whole your corps have done exceedingly well as regards - employment in South Africa. It is also very pleasing to learn that the - contingent holds a splendid record from Field-Marshal Lord Roberts - downwards. I wish to impress upon you the fact that, after your Queen - and the Empire, you were fighting for the vital principles of right - and justice claimed by Mr. Chamberlain and Sir Alfred Milner, and if - Mr. Kruger and Mr. Steyn had been willing to recognise the equity of - such claim there would have been no necessity to have recourse to the - sword. It is recognised that the only man who is capable of - establishing permanent peace and settlement in South Africa is His - Excellency Sir Alfred Milner, and by urging this fact, in season and - out of season, whenever the opportunity occurs upon your return to - India you will be rendering a further service to the country which you - have already placed under a lasting debt of gratitude for services - already performed. We are going to send you a little souvenir of your - sojourn in South Africa, and as a slight token of our gratitude and - appreciation for the great work you have done for us; and as the years - roll on and your children and grandchildren gather around you, - probably you may be asked by a son or a grandson as to the history of - the souvenir from South Africa. In telling the story remember the - refrain of the soldier’s song: - - Roll drums merrily, march away, - Soldiers glory famed in story. - His laurels were green when his locks were grey, - Hurrah for the life of a soldier. - - When you look at the souvenir in after-years, when, perhaps, your - locks are grey, you can always bear in mind that the laurels you have - won in this country will remain ever green with us, and we hope ever - green with you. Colonel Lumsden, officers, and men, I now bid you _bon - voyage_, a safe return home, a happy Christmas on board the good ship - ‘Atlantian,’ and a bright and prosperous New Year in your distant - homes in India. - - Colonel Lumsden said: Your Worship,—On behalf of Lumsden’s Horse and - myself, I thank you most cordially for the eloquent speech you have - made to-day, and I also thank you for coming down here, I feel sure at - no little inconvenience, to bid us farewell on our departure from - these shores. We shall ever think of the time we spent in South - Africa, but I should like you to understand, Mr. Mayor, that in coming - here we were only actuated by our duty to our Queen and to our - country. I have again to thank you for the trouble you have been good - enough to take in coming down to the Docks this afternoon, and to - assure you that we greatly appreciate your courtesy and kindness. - - Colonel Lumsden then called upon the officers and men to join with him - in giving three hearty cheers for the Mayor, and the call was - enthusiastically responded to. His Worship then shook hands with the - Colonel and officers, and expressed the hope that the men would enjoy - their voyage and have a happy Christmas. - -So, amid cheers and many good wishes, Lumsden’s Horse took their -farewell of South Africa, leaving behind them a reputation of which any -regiment might have been proud. They had fought side by side with -Regular soldiers of the British Army, and earned a character for courage -among men whose self-sacrificing devotion they, in turn, regarded with -admiration and strove to emulate. They had made many friends among all -branches of the Service, Imperial and Colonial, and had won the respect -even of their enemies. It had been their good fortune to serve under -three at least of the ablest leaders who came to the front in the course -of that long campaign, and from every one of these they won commendation -as a body of troopers on whom reliance might be placed in any emergency. -No better name need any soldiers want to take home with them and hand -down to their children’s children. - -[Illustration: - - _Photo: R. Brow_ - LANCE-CORPORAL JOHN CHARLES -] - - - - - CHAPTER XIX - _THE RETURN TO INDIA—WELCOME HOME—HONOURS - AND ORATIONS—DISBANDMENT_ - - -On arrival at Cape Town, Colonel Lumsden was told that the accounts of -his corps were the only pay-sheets of any Irregular contingent that had -been kept up to date; and the men of Lumsden’s Horse left South Africa -not only in possession of every shilling of pay then due to them, but -just as they had left India ten months earlier, owing not a debt in the -country, though the country owed them much in the form of obligations -that can never be forgotten except by the men, who, conscious of duty -nobly done, need no other reward. They were leaving South Africa assured -by every testimony that high approval could give that they had done -their duty and done it well. They had with other soldiers taken their -full share of great hardships. The weariness of long marches, the trying -ordeals of exposure to fierce heat by day and bitter cold at night, -sometimes drenched to the skin when they lay down to rest on the bare -veldt with no tent to shelter them and not always a blanket to cover -them, at other times benumbed by the icy coldness of a wind that -stiffened their wet khaki tunics with frost which the sluggish blood had -not warmth enough to thaw—all these things they had borne with a manly -fortitude that won the respect of war-hardened veterans; and they were -going back with the knowledge that the Commander-in-Chief of such an -army as Great Britain had never sent to war before in all the long -course of her Empire-making history, had signified his approval of their -conduct in that telegram to the Viceroy of India expressing recognition -of the excellent service rendered by officers, non-commissioned -officers, and men, of whom he said: ‘It has been a pride and a pleasure -to me to have under my command a Volunteer contingent which has so well -upheld the honour of the Indian Empire.’ - -With these words assuring them of a great soldier’s appreciation, they -were going back to the certainty of an enthusiastic welcome from the -people of India, to whose honour all the good deeds of Lumsden’s Horse -redound. Of the warmth of that welcome His Excellency the Viceroy had -given them a foretaste when, in his reply to the message received from -Lord Roberts, he sent back by cable the inspiriting words: ‘India will -welcome those who are coming back with enthusiasm and wish God-speed to -those who stay.’ - -It was with knowledge of the deep interest taken by Lord Curzon in all -things concerning Lumsden’s Horse that the Commander-in-Chief -telegraphed to him something more than a formal recognition of their -services. It was with characteristic intuition and tact that the Viceroy -replied, giving voice to the wishes of a whole people and expressing -those wishes in the choicest of phrases. In this telegram Lord Curzon -epitomised the meaning of all that he had said or done for the welfare -of Lumsden’s Horse since the corps was formed nearly a year earlier, and -his desire that its services should be recognised both officially and -publicly as a bond between India and the Mother Country—an epoch-making -event in which all classes of the Empire might equally take pride. All -this and more His Excellency continued to demonstrate by the share he -took in welcoming the warriors home, when his eloquent words appealed -alike to the quick sympathies and to the intelligence of those who heard -him speak, or read what he had to say. And long after the flood of -popular enthusiasm had reached its height he continued to manifest his -interest in the corps by practical efforts to benefit its surviving -members, and by a most graceful tribute to the memory of those whose -lives had been sacrificed for the honour of the Empire. At his own cost, -Lord Curzon erected a tablet in St. Paul’s Cathedral, Calcutta, on which -was inscribed the name of every man of the corps who had died in South -Africa, and himself wrote the touching lines that will through -after-ages commemorate the services they rendered. Throughout, Lord -Curzon’s great aim was to foster and encourage the spirit of -volunteering, the importance of which to a world-wide Empire nobody -realises more fully than he. As a proof of his conviction in this -regard, he has succeeded in getting an Inspector-General of Volunteers -appointed on the Staff in India, and the first holder of this office is -Major-General Hill, of the Bombay Staff Corps. - -[Illustration: SERGT. STOWELL] - -[Illustration: SERGT. DONALD] - -[Illustration: SERGT. RUTHERFOORD] - -[Illustration: L.-CORPL. GODDEN] - -[Illustration: SERGT. H.J. FOX] - -[Illustration: S.C. GORDON] - -[Illustration: E.A. THELWALL] - -[Illustration: F.-SERGT. EDWARDS] - -[Illustration: A.P. COURTENAY] - - HOME FROM SOUTH AFRICA—N.C.O.S AND TROOPERS - -Directly it was known through the telegram sent by Lord Roberts from -Irene that Lumsden’s Horse were actually on their way home, a committee -met at the Chamber of Commerce and elected Sir Patrick Playfair as its -chairman. This body was thoroughly representative of the mercantile -community and all the complex elements that constitute the most -influential sections of society in Calcutta. It included judges, -barristers, doctors, solicitors, besides the most prominent native -merchants and princes, and formed altogether one of the most typical -assemblages ever known in the city. It was called to decide what sort of -reception should be given to Lumsden’s Horse, and its deliberations -closed with the unanimous resolve to make the occasion worthy alike of a -great country and of those who had fought for its honour with a courage -and devotion characteristic of British soldiers. The decision was -telegraphed to His Excellency the Viceroy, who was at that time absent -from Calcutta on tour. The Committee were very anxious that Lumsden’s -Horse should arrive in time to take part in the New Year Proclamation -Parade commemorating the Empress of India’s accession, when, according -to custom, there is a great military concentration in Calcutta of -Regular troops, Volunteers, and all branches of the Imperial Service to -be reviewed by the Viceroy. - -In reply to Sir Patrick Playfair’s message the following telegram was -received: - - _Copy of a Telegram from U.S.V. to Sir Patrick Playfair, dated - Bangalore, December 8, 1900._ - - The Viceroy will be very glad to take part in any reception that it - may be possible to organise for Lumsden’s Horse on their return to - Calcutta, and would gladly entertain them to lunch or in some other - way; he consulted military department upon the subject a fortnight - ago, but has received no reply; difficulty seems to be, first, that - force is coming back in separate batches; second, that all of these do - not come to Calcutta, one batch being due at Bombay December 24; it is - for consideration whether it would be possible to invite the whole - force to Calcutta and give them public reception, but there may be - difficulties in this course. - -About this time the Executive Committee received a most gratifying -tribute to the reputation that the contingent had made for itself in -South Africa. This was an intimation that Lloyd’s Patriotic Fund had -voted 500_l._, under the rules of the institution, towards the expenses -of Lumsden’s Horse in acknowledgment of their services to the Empire. A -cheque for this generous amount had been forwarded to the Government of -India. - -[Illustration: - - _Photo: A. Saché & Co._ - J.S. COWEN -] - -Taking up again the thread of events, Major Neville Taylor tells the -story of the voyage from Cape Town to Bombay in his own cheery way: - - We had no horses to look after and no drill; no saddles or rifles, but - plenty of accommodation for the men. I think everyone enjoyed the rest - immensely. - - Proceeding to Durban, we picked up most of the men who had left on - urgent private affairs in the ‘Catalonia,’ which had been unexpectedly - stopped at Durban. After the rough living of the veldt, the good - feeding on board ship was very welcome, and rapidly told its tale in - the condition of the men. Before leaving Cape Town, the Colonel had - authorised the purchase of extra stores for the men out of the corps - funds. Two or three evenings every week were wiled away with - sing-songs, and many hours of each day devoted to sport of some sort. - These gave Trooper J.S. Cowen, the regimental artist, many - opportunities of adding character sketches to the portfolio that was - already well filled with subjects from the war. On Christmas Day the - men had a really good dinner, and the officers were the guests of - Captain Wallace, the kind veteran commander of our ship, the - ‘Atlantian.’ After a very lively voyage, during which but one ship was - sighted since the South African coast sank below the horizon, we drew - near the land of Hindustan once more. A day or so before our arrival - everyone was very busy putting things clean and straight. On the - morning of December 31 we came in sight of the mark-boat, which was - gaily dressed with flags in our honour and gave us a salute with her - gun. This was the first hint we had of the enthusiastic reception - awaiting us in India. As soon as anchor was dropped, we officers - received an invitation from the General to lunch with him at the Yacht - Club, and an intimation that the men were all to land at 5 P.M. - -On December 26, Brigadier-General Ventris, Commanding at Bombay, had -issued the following Garrison Order: - - In connection with the expected arrival of Lumsden’s Horse from South - Africa per transport ‘Atlantian’ on or about the 28th inst., the - Officers commanding 2nd Bombay Grenadiers and 21st Bombay Infantry - will be good enough to detail their bands to be in attendance at the - Ballard Pier at 8 A.M. (on date to be hereafter notified). - - All Officers of the Garrison, Regular and Volunteers, are invited to - be present. - - Dress.—Review order, summer clothing. - -The following appeared in the District Orders for the next day: - - On the arrival of Lumsden’s Horse they will be marched from the - Ballard Pier to Victoria Terminus, _viâ_ Elphinstone Circle, Church - Gate Street, and Hornby Road. - - The troops and Volunteers in garrison will line each side of Hornby - Road from the Floral Fountain to Victoria Terminus in the following - order, on Friday, the 28th inst., commencing at the Floral Fountain: - Royal Garrison Artillery; Norfolk Regiment (Detachment at Colaba); 2nd - Bombay Grenadiers; 21st Bombay Infantry; Bombay Volunteer Artillery; - Bombay Volunteer Rifles; and 1st B.B. & C.I. Railway Volunteer Rifle - Corps. - - The Bombay Light Horse will, if possible, furnish a mounted escort. - - The Regular troops will rendezvous at the Floral Fountain and the - Volunteers at the Victoria Terminus at 7.30 A.M. As Lumsden’s Horse - pass, troops should shoulder arms. When they have reached Victoria - Terminus troops may march to quarters. - - Dress.—Review order, summer clothing. - - The signal for the arrival of the transport ‘Atlantian’ with Lumsden’s - Horse on board will be four guns to be fired from the Saluting - Battery. - - Officers commanding corps are requested to have someone at the - Saluting Battery up to 6 A.M. on the 28th inst., to ascertain if the - transport is signalled. Should the steamer be signalled after 6 A.M. - the parade will not take place till the 29th inst. at the same hour. - -The ‘Atlantian,’ however, did not reach Bombay Harbour until 7 A.M. on -December 31, with the following officers, non-commissioned officers, and -men of Lumsden’s Horse on board: - - Colonel Lumsden, Captain and Adjutant Taylor, Captain - Beresford, Captain Noblett, Captain Holmes, Surgeon-Captain - Powell. Staff—Regimental Sergeant-Major Hewitt, Regimental - Quartermaster-Sergeant Dale, Staff-Sergeant Stephens, Farrier-Sergeant - Marshall, Farrier-Sergeant Edwards, Pay-Sergeant Fraser, Orderly-Room - Sergeant Graves, Sergeant Longman, Lance-Sergeant S.S. Cuthbert, - Saddler Briggs, Privates Lowe, Lee, and Hayward. A Company—Company - Sergeant-Major Mansfield, Company Quartermaster-Sergeant Booth, - Sergeants Fox, Llewhellin, Stowell, Donald, and Rutherfoord, Corporal - Macgillivray, Lance-Corporals Lemon and Godden, Privates E.S. - Clifford, F.M. Clifford, C.H.M. Johnstone, Corbett, Dickens, Bradford, - Cowen, Webbe, Kennedy, Courtenay, Zorab, Renny, Ritchie, Gordon, - Atkinson, Watson, Brown, Henry, Allan, Aldis, John, Newton, Reid, - Campbell, Bell, Macdonald, Haines, Smith, Hughes, Tancred, Bolst, - Burnand, Dowd, and Palmer; Transport-Sergeant Power, Privates - Lovegrove, Doyle, Manville, Paxton, Daly, and Scott; and - Lance-Corporal Wheeler. B Company—Sergeant Conduit, Lance-Sergeant - Warburton, Corporal Jackman, Privates Nicolay, Bagge, Innes, Williams, - Nolan, Betts, Turner, Powis, Thelwall, Lytle, Spicer, Lungley, Winder, - Dexter, Martin, Moorhouse, Maxwell, and Allardice; Transport-Sergeant - Smith, Privates Rice, Crux, Meares, Rust, and Quartermaster-Sergeant - Morris. - -Before going on shore at Bombay, Colonel Lumsden received the following -telegram from Sir Patrick Playfair, C.I.E., Chairman of the Calcutta -Reception Committee: - - The people of Calcutta bid you and your gallant corps welcome. They - are proud of the way in which Lumsden’s Horse has represented India - against Britain’s enemies. They wish to do you honour on arrival in - Calcutta. You will be given a public reception, and the military bands - will play you into your camp. It is proposed that your corps should - take part in the Proclamation Parade on the morning of January 1, and - then attend a special Divine Service at the Cathedral. His Excellency - the Viceroy will entertain the corps at luncheon on Wednesday, January - 2, and the reception committee are organising an evening party in the - Town Hall for the night of the same day. - -[Illustration: W.H. NICOLAY] - -[Illustration: A. ATKINSON] - -[Illustration: C.H. JOHNSTONE] - -[Illustration: G. SMITH] - -[Illustration: SERGT. J. BRENNAN] - -[Illustration: N.V. REID] - -[Illustration: W.R. WINDER] - -[Illustration: R.M. CRUX] - -[Illustration: L.K. ZORAB] - - HOME FROM SOUTH AFRICA—N.C.O. AND TROOPERS - -Sir Patrick Playfair supplemented his telegram by a characteristically -cordial letter which Colonel Lumsden found also awaiting him when the -‘Atlantian’ reached Bombay two days later: - - Calcutta: December 24, 1900. - - MY DEAR LUMSDEN,—Welcome back to India! You and your gallant men have - done splendid service, of which your countrymen in India, and your - native friends here, are justly proud, and you will have a great - reception. Owing to the numbers that wish to give you and the members - of your corps a hearty welcome, it may not be possible to inaugurate a - public banquet, and the alternative may be a reception in the Town - Hall on the evening of the 1st if His Excellency the Viceroy can be - present after the State dinner at Government House. - - The Viceroy is taking the keenest interest in the return of the corps, - and is considering what had best be done. He has expressed his wish to - give the corps a luncheon at Government House. - - It is suggested that you should arrive here on the evening of the 31st - or at dawn of the 1st, and be accommodated in camp on the Maidan and - take part in the Proclamation Parade on the morning of the 1st, attend - a short service in the Cathedral, and have a reception in the Town - Hall in the evening. - - A meeting has been called, to be held in the rooms of the Bengal - Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday, the 26th, to form a Reception - Committee. - - You will be brought across at Government expense, and when in camp the - corps will draw ration pay, and the Executive Committee of Lumsden’s - Horse will arrange as formerly for your food while in camp. - - It is to be hoped that all the members of your corps will come across; - and the Viceroy is further desirous that members of the corps who have - already returned to India and taken their discharge should be invited - to come to Calcutta and take part in the parade and public - demonstration. I am, therefore, communicating with those members who - have already returned to India, so far as I am aware of their names - and addresses. - - The corps will be disbanded here, and the members will receive - warrants for railway fare to their homes. - - Expenses connected with the public reception of the corps will be met - independently of the Lumsden’s Horse Fund. There is a balance here of - about Rs. 14,000 at credit of the fund. From your telegram received - from Durban—for which I thank you—we infer that you are returning with - about Rs. 40,000. The settlement of account for horses originally - contributed by troopers to the corps has yet to be made. This is - rather a large item. If the above balances be left, there should be a - fair sum at the disposal of the corps after liabilities are met. - - Messrs. King, King, & Co. have kindly undertaken to have _sola topees_ - waiting your arrival, as requested by telegram, and also to deliver - letters on board. - - I am asking King, King, & Co. to wire to me whenever the steamer is - sighted, and again so soon as they ascertain how many of the corps are - with you—officers and men—on board. This is necessary and desired, as - there is some inconsistency between the military telegraphic - information and that received by me from you with regard to your - numbers. - - Let me know the date and hour when you will leave Bombay, and the date - and hour when you will reach Howrah; also where, and on what dates, - telegrams will reach you when crossing India. - - I shall not ascertain the programme and details of your reception - until after the 27th, and I shall have to wire all this. - - Bombay may wish to entertain you, and in accepting their hospitality - be sure that their arrangements will bring you to Calcutta in time to - take part in the Proclamation Parade on the Maidan on the morning of - January 1. - - It is doubtful if we can mount you. That remains to be seen. If we - cannot do so, the corps must march past, and will probably be formed - into a guard of honour to His Excellency thereafter. - - Have you got your arms with you? - - Is there anything in the matter of furnishing that the members of the - corps require on arrival? - - I shall be very glad to see you, old fellow, and join in the hurrahs - that are waiting for you. - - Please remember me to all your officers and to the members of the - corps. - - I may write to you again to-morrow, but I cannot delay a letter any - longer in case my communication should miss you. - - With the warmest greetings to you and your gallant officers and men, - and wishing you all a Merry Christmas, - - Believe me, - - Yours sincerely, - - P. PLAYFAIR. - - Lieutenant-Colonel Lumsden (Lumsden’s Horse), - Bombay. - -Colonel Lumsden replied, December 31, 1900: - - On behalf my corps please offer my best thanks to people of Calcutta - for promised reception. Much regret we have arrived too late to join - in Proclamation Parade. Our numbers are seven officers and eighty-nine - men. No arms. Our train leaves Bombay 7 to-night, timed arrive - Calcutta 6 P.M. Wednesday. - -The luncheon was a delightful success, as it always is at the Yacht -Club. Then all officers went on board and the official disembarkation -was got through. - -The ‘Times of India’ of January 1, 1901, had the following: - - Among those present at the Bunder when the troops arrived from the - ‘Atlantian’ were: His Excellency Lord Northcote, Governor of Bombay; - Brigadier-General F. Ventris, Commanding the Bombay District; - Lieutenant-Colonel R. Owen, Military Secretary to Lord Northcote; - Captain Greig, A.D.C.; Colonel Riddell, Assistant Adjutant-General; - Major Butcher, Commanding R.A., Colaba; Captain Oldfield, R.A., - Captain Edwardes, Deputy Assistant Adjutant-General; the Honourable - Mr. Justice Crowe; the Honourable Mr. S.M. Moses; the Honourable Mr. - John R. Greaves; Major A. Leslie, Bombay Volunteer Artillery; Major - Soundy, V.D., Bombay Volunteer Rifles; Major Fowle, R.A.; Captain - Browne; Lieutenant G.W. Moir, Bombay Light Horse; Captain Stoddart, - B.V.A.; Lieutenant Robertson, R.A.; Captain J. Leash, Captain Savage, - Captain Rogers, Lieutenant Deane, Lieutenant Sharp, Lieutenant - Wilkinson, Lieutenant Moens, and Lieutenant Greaves, all of the Bombay - Volunteer Rifles; Prince Samatsingji of Palitana, the Nawab of - Radhanpore, and others. - - Outside the Bunder shed were drawn up twenty men of the Governor’s - Bodyguard, and a detachment of the Bombay Light Horse under the - command of Lieutenant G.W. Moir. - - The men belonging to Lumsden’s Horse left the ‘Atlantian’ in two - Government troop-boats, and landed at the Ballard Pier at 5 P.M., - where they were given a cordial welcome by the Bombay Volunteers and - the general public, who had assembled at the pierhead in large - numbers. They were loudly cheered, and, forming fours, were marched - through the shed to the pavilion, in front of which stood the - Governor, Lord Northcote. Brigadier-General Ventris presented Colonel - Lumsden to His Excellency who cordially greeted him. The men took up - their position outside the shed, where they were inspected by Lord - Northcote. - - The Governor then addressed the men in front of a large gathering of - spectators. He said: The present opportunity is one that it gives me - great pleasure to avail myself of to extend, on behalf of the Bombay - Presidency, a most cordial welcome to you, members of the gallant - band, some 281 strong, I believe, who left India some ten months ago - to serve our Queen-Empress in South Africa. We have followed with the - deepest interest the fortunes of your gallant corps, and we have read - with pride and pleasure the testimony that has been borne to your - valour and your service by Dr. Conan Doyle in his history of the war - and from many other sources. We read with pride and pleasure how you - gentlemen, sacrificing your ease and comforts and the luxuries of your - Eastern life, went forth to do your duty to your country in South - Africa—an object-lesson of patriotism to the Empire, and worthily - maintaining the traditions of Outram’s Volunteers. Well indeed have - the members of Lumsden’s Horse merited the warm eulogium which the - Commander-in-Chief in South Africa paid to you. Most truly did the - Viceroy say that the whole of India would greet your return with - enthusiasm. You gave us in your first fight a taste of the stuff of - which you were made when you cut your way through superior forces, one - detachment of you having been surrounded; and you won our admiration - by your return when, after losing a large percentage of your number, - every member came back with marks of bullets on him. That was but one - incident of your career of honour throughout the campaign. This is not - the occasion for anything in the nature of a long speech. You are - about to proceed to Calcutta, where you will receive a more formal, - but not a more hearty, welcome than we in Bombay extend to you to-day. - We in Bombay have seen too many valiant soldiers, both Native and - European, go forth from time to time to serve the Queen-Empress, not - to seize with pride and pleasure every opportunity of welcoming them - back again. It is with interest that we learn that many of you remain - to colonise and develop those countries which you have aided to - enfranchise. Some of your comrades, alas! sleep their last, an - honoured sleep, beneath the South African veldt. They were men who - held their lives as naught when it came to sealing their loyalty with - their life’s blood. To their memory be all honour and all gratitude - paid by their fellows in India. You, gentlemen, I will repeat once - more, have our heartiest congratulation and our warmest welcome. - - Colonel Lumsden, in reply, said: On behalf of the corps which I have - the honour to command, let me offer you our warmest thanks and - gratitude for the very kind and cordial reception you have given us - to-day. I believe the present war was the first which had the honour - of calling out the Volunteers from across the seas, and we as the few - who represented India feel with deep respect and gratitude the warm - welcome you have given us on our return. Gentlemen (turning to his - men), I cannot make a long speech, but I ask you all to give three - cheers for the Governor and the residents of Bombay for having given - us such a hearty welcome. - - The members of the corps responded to the call lustily, and the crowd - answered again with three cheers for Lumsden’s Horse. - - A few brief orders, and the procession formed to march to the station. - It was headed by the Bodyguard and the Governor’s carriage as far as - the Floral Fountain. The band of the B.V.A. then led the way, followed - by the Bombay Light Horse and Lumsden’s Horse. Behind these came - numbers of carriages, and on either side pressed a crowd that seemed - unable to show its enthusiasm sufficiently. From the offices of the - Port Trust, by Elphinstone Circle and along Hornby Road, every window - was occupied. Handkerchiefs were to be seen waving on all sides, until - even the walls of the houses seemed to awake to the wonder of the - scene. After all, it was one such as India has rarely witnessed. The - Imperial instinct was aroused. The handful of men following the - Colonel they had bravely followed through all the chances and changes - of war, by whom they had stood for the sake of their country while the - bullets whistled and carried death around, were the embodiment of a - great idea, a noble sentiment. And the people saw and appreciated. The - crowd that had assembled to await the arrival of the troops as they - passed along joined in the march. Some pressed eagerly to speak to the - warriors—most were content to realise what it meant, this wave of - patriotism. The band in front changed the march tune. The music seemed - to become more jubilant as the great mass of soldiers and people swung - along in step. Bombay was rejoicing in very truth. The banners hung - out from the buildings told of it. The spirit of gladness pervaded - everything. Here was a grand ending of the old year. What would the - new year bring? A detachment of the Bodyguard had formed a line - outside the Victoria Terminus. The Bombay Light Horse took up a - position alongside. The band of one of the Native regiments played a - welcome, and under the portico Lumsden’s Horse tramped in, followed by - an enormous crowd. The officers of the garrison had arranged to give - the corps dinner in the refreshment-room. When the meal was over the - guests were fairly besieged. In the station itself it seemed as if - thousands of spectators had assembled. They shook hands with Lumsden’s - men. ‘Welcome,’ ‘Good Luck,’ and ‘A Happy New Year’ were heard - everywhere. It was a great day—one worth waiting for. As the train - steamed out of the station the building resounded again and again with - the cheering. On the line detonators sounded a parting salute, and the - crowd, now hoarse with shouting, dispersed. - -Major Taylor also deals with these incidents briefly, and then carries -on a lively narrative up to the hour when Lumsden’s Horse, having made a -record journey across India, arrived at Calcutta: - - When the troops landed there was a great crowd with bands playing. The - Governor (Lord Northcote) made us a speech full of kindly references - and good wishes as he bade us welcome home. The corps then marched - with the band and an enthusiastic throng—among which numbers of - Parsees were particularly prominent—to the railway station. There all - Lumsden’s Horse found themselves the honoured guests of the Bombay - Garrison, officers of the Regulars and Volunteers having combined, - with the most gratifying unanimity, to give us festive welcome. All - the regimental and private baggage had been taken over by our kind - hosts and put on the train, so that all the men had to do was just to - march into the train. Great enthusiasm prevailed. The fine band of a - Native regiment (the 21st Bombay Infantry) played us off, and so, amid - much cheering, the train steamed out, firing a salute in our honour as - it passed over lines on which detonating signals had been placed at - regular intervals. About 10 o’clock at night we passed a Volunteer - camp and stopped at the station, where bands were playing. The whole - force from camp was paraded on the platform, a great honour at that - time of night. Then we went on again at full speed, stopping only for - meals at stations, which were dressed gaily with flags, and at each of - these bands of sorts assembled, and we were entertained free of cost. - One halt was called at a very small station, but even there we were - escorted from the train to the dining-tent by the best band they had. - It was native and local, its instruments being one big drum, two - kettledrums, three flutes, two penny whistles. That was all they could - do, but they did it. Their desire to honour us was evident, though - their means were small—except the big drum—and this demonstration - touched us perhaps even more than the most elaborate ceremonials - prepared for our reception. Eventually, at about 7 o’clock, we reached - Calcutta, having performed the journey in record time, which was due - entirely to the skill, kindness, and courtesy of Mr. T.R. Wynne, - manager of the Bengal-Nagpur Railway, who caused all other traffic to - be shunted wherever necessary in order that Lumsden’s Horse might keep - faith with the multitude of friends who were waiting to welcome them - in the city from which they had set out. - -The following orders were issued by the military authorities at Army -Headquarters: - - Lumsden’s Horse will be accorded a public reception on their arrival - in Calcutta at about 4 P.M. on January 2. - - The General Officer Commanding and Staff will meet Lumsden’s Horse at - Howrah station; regimental and departmental officers not on duty are - invited to attend. Dress: drill order, serge. - - Lieutenant-Colonel Swaine, R.I.R., will command the troops; Staff - Officers, Major Carpendale and Captain Hill. - - The following arrangements will be made at Howrah: - - On the arrival of Lumsden’s Horse a procession will be formed. The - Calcutta Light Horse will form the advanced guard, followed by the - 14th Bengal Lancers. Regimental bands will follow in the following - order: 2nd Madras Infantry, 7th Bengal Infantry, Royal Irish Rifles - Volunteers. Then will follow General Officer Commanding and Staff and - Lumsden’s Horse. The several Volunteer corps will be formed up in line - in the order hereinafter detailed, with ranks opened and facing - inwards to form a lane, and as the procession passes they will in - succession ‘shoulder arms.’ On Lumsden’s Horse passing the Calcutta - Port Defence Volunteers, the several Volunteer corps will join in the - procession in the order in which they are standing. - - The units will be formed in the following order, commencing from - Howrah station: E.I.R. Volunteers, E.B.S.R. Volunteers, 3rd Battalion - C.V.R., 2nd Battalion C.V.R., 1st Battalion C.V.R., Cossipur Artillery - Volunteers, C.P.D. Volunteers. - - The procession will proceed along the following route: Hugli Bridge, - Strand Road, Clive Ghat Street, Clive Street, Dalhousie Square North, - Dalhousie Square East, Old Court House Street, the Lawrence Monument, - to Lumsden’s Horse Camp pitched on the Maidan between Calcutta and - Plassey Gates. - - The Fort William Garrison will line the route from Government Place to - the camp in the following order: 20th Bombay Infantry, 2nd Madras - Infantry, Royal Irish Rifles, No. 9 Company E.O.R.G.A., 45th Battery - R.F.A. - - On Lumsden’s Horse reaching their camp, officers commanding corps will - form up independently and march to quarters. Should the arrival of - Lumsden’s Horse be delayed till after dark, torches will be provided, - with reference to which subsidiary orders will be issued. - - Definite information as to the time of arrival will be circulated at - noon on January 2. - - Corps should be in position twenty minutes before the train is due. - - The Chief Commissariat Officer will provide transport for the baggage - of Lumsden’s Horse, and the 7th Bengal Infantry will furnish an escort - of a N.C.O. and twelve men to escort the baggage from Howrah to Camp. - - By order, - - J.M. CARPENDALE, Major, - - Officiating Garrison Quartermaster. - -In substitution of the memo, bearing the same date: - - Officers attending the reception at the Town Hall in honour of - Lumsden’s Horse on the evening of January 2 will wear mess dress. - - Officers who have been invited as guests by His Excellency the Viceroy - to luncheon on January 3, to meet Lieutenant-Colonel Lumsden and - officers and men of Lumsden’s Horse, will appear in drill order. - (Mounted officers, undress overalls and Wellington boots.) - - By order, - - E.R. ELLES, Major-General, - - Adjutant-General in India. - - Army Headquarters, Fort William: December 31, 1900. - -Major Carpendale, of the Bombay Cavalry, acting as Garrison -Quartermaster, with great kindness took upon himself all arrangements -for the camp. This was pitched on the glacis of Fort William, -overlooking the broad Maidan, and provided with every necessary article -of equipment, the mess tents and others being in all respects complete -and comfortable. The following appeared in the ‘Englishman’ of January -3, 1901: - - Punctually at 5.30 yesterday evening, the time previously announced - for its arrival, the eagerly awaited train bringing Lumsden’s Horse - from Bombay, drew up alongside the new arrival platform of the - Bengal-Nagpur Railway Company at Howrah. The scene which the station - presented to the returning Volunteers must have struck those who were - not wrapt up in more important personal concerns as exceptionally - bright and picturesque. The Lieutenant-Governor of Bengal (His Honour - Sir John Woodburn) paid to the corps and its commanding officer the - great compliment of coming with his Staff and a brilliant escort to - receive them at the station. Outside, where the Bengal Lancers in - their striking uniforms, with pennons flying, together with the - Calcutta Light Horse, were drawn up, were long rows of tall Venetian - masts, from which strings of gaily coloured flags fluttered. ‘Welcome’ - in bold white letters on a groundwork of red appeared as the chief - feature of an ornamental arch facing the entrance. The roof of the - platform itself and the pillars were most tastefully decorated with - festoons of evergreens and arrangements of bunting. When mention is - also made of the ladies occupying specially erected stands on either - side of the gateway, and of the large and representative assembly of - officials, military and civilian, gathered, sufficient has been said - to warrant the men of Lumsden’s Horse, as they looked out from the - carriage windows, feeling that Calcutta was not unmindful of them and - had prepared a fitting reception. As the coaches came to a standstill - the friends of the ‘boys in khaki’ flocked round to bid them welcome - by a hearty grip of the hand, to exchange greetings and news. There - were no scenes. Britons do not, as a rule, make public parade of their - deepest feelings. The occasion, moreover, was a gladsome one, and it - did all present good to note the magnificently robust health of the - men displayed in their sturdy figures and ruddy and bronzed faces; all - looked remarkably fit, and none more so than the gallant Colonel - himself, who was first to step from his carriage. He at once walked - towards the group where the Lieutenant-Governor, Bishop Welldon, - General Leach, and other distinguished personages were standing. After - a course of hand-shaking, the Colonel directed his attention to the - detraining of his men. Soon they were busily engaged in getting out - their kits. When this task was accomplished, they were formed into - line and His Honour the Lieutenant-Governor said: - - Colonel Lumsden,—The citizens of Calcutta give you and your gallant - men of the Indian contingent a very hearty and enthusiastic welcome. - You have had a hard time abroad, and suffered great privations. But I - should like you to know that your career has been followed by those - left behind in Calcutta with the greatest admiration and pride. - Gentlemen all, let us give Colonel Lumsden and his gallant men three - hearty cheers. - - Needless to say there was a quick and cheerful response to this - request, and before it had quite subsided Sir John called for ‘one - cheer more,’ which was given with equal heartiness. Colonel Lumsden, - in a voice the huskiness of which betokened the depth of his feelings, - called on the men of the Indian contingent to respond with ‘three - cheers for the Lieutenant-Governor.’ Their effort emphasised the fact - that in lung power and appreciation for Sir John Woodburn their trip - to South Africa had effected no deteriorating influences, nor was - there anything wanting in the worth of the response to the gallant - Colonel’s call for ‘one more for the citizens of Calcutta.’ The men - then formed fours and marched out to receive the welcome of the - thousands collected round the approaches to the station and along the - route. - - Among those present on the platform were: The Hon. Mr. Cotton, Chief - Commissioner of Assam (now Sir Henry Cotton, K.C.S.I.); General Leach, - commanding Presidency District; the Most Rev. Dr. Welldon, - Metropolitan of India and Lord Bishop of Calcutta; Major the Hon. E. - Baring, Military Secretary to the Viceroy; Sir Patrick Playfair; Mr. - R.T. Greer, Chairman of the Calcutta Corporation; Rev. Mr. Jackson; - Mr. Harry Stuart; Mr. Apjohn, Vice-Chairman Port Commissioners; Major - Harington, Commandant Artillery Company C.P.D.V.; Captain Bradshaw, - Artillery Company C.P.D.V.; Major Churchill, commanding 9th - E.D.G.R.A.; Captain Deverill; Lieutenant-Colonel Meade, Officiating - Commandant Calcutta Volunteer Rifles; Dr. J. Neild Cook, Health - Officer; Mr. Dring, Agent E.I. Railway; Major Cooper, C.V. Rifles; - Colonel Master, Assistant Adjutant-General; Captain Iggulden, - Deputy-Assistant Adjutant-General; Mr. H.M. Rustomjee, and a host of - others. - - It was about a quarter to 6, the dusk just merging into dark, when the - picturesque procession swung over the bridge. The Calcutta Light - Horse, neat and trim, sitting firmly in their saddles, composed the - van. The Native Cavalry from Alipur followed—great black-bearded men - mounted on fretting horses; then the bands of four regiments, the 2nd - Madrasis, the 20th Bombay Infantry, the Royal Irish Rifles, and the - Calcutta Volunteers. Immediately behind were Lumsden’s Horse—on foot. - The bridge and its approaches were packed with seething masses of - people, who were with difficulty restrained from breaking through the - ranks of the Calcutta Port Defence and the Rifle Volunteers who lined - each side of the roadway and brought up the rear of the procession - after Lumsden’s Horse had passed through. - - On the Calcutta side of the bridge a novel element was introduced, the - flanks of the column being illuminated by numbers of men carrying - acetylene lamps on poles—a very efficient substitute for torches. The - route taken was almost an historic one, for by it all our great - Viceroys have entered Calcutta; but it may safely be said that never - have the Strand Road, Clive Road, and that stretch flanked by - magnificent buildings which leads direct to the Maidan, witnessed - scenes of more moving enthusiasm than when Lumsden’s Horse, after - perils oft and tribulations, came marching home again. From Howrah to - the camp on the Maidan the roadway and buildings beside were lined - with the densest masses of humanity the eye can conceive. The - spectacle was a striking illustration of the variety and numbers of - the population of Calcutta. Naturally the crowds were thickest in the - northern part of the route, where the close-packed Native city - contributed its thousands, but even in the more European part of the - town one wondered whence the sightseers had come. It is probably no - exaggeration to say that so large a multitude of civilian Europeans - has never before been drawn together for a similar demonstration in - the East. - - The decorations were most tasteful, especially down Dalhousie Square - South and Old Court House Street, where the larger shops were - brilliantly lighted behind the groups of well-dressed people who - thronged the verandahs and balconies. Partly because the Oriental is - by nature averse to violent demonstration, and partly because there - does not exist in India that class which ‘mafficks’ in London streets, - there was never any real roar of sustained cheering, but there could - be no mistaking the reality and fervour of the emotion that shook the - crowd as the returning warriors marched along. Besides, no man of - Lumsden’s Horse could have regretted the absence of that which made - more touching felicitations possible. The repression of the masculine - desire to express feelings by making a noise afforded the feminine - element an opportunity of extending a pretty and graceful welcome by - waving handkerchiefs and little flags, and uttering with each flutter - some tiny cry of admiration and delight, which reached distinctly the - ears of those for whom it was meant. The second part of the route was - lined by the troops in garrison, including the battery from - Barrackpur. Along the Maidan roads down to the camp the crowds were - the least dense, but represented the most wealthy sections of the - community. In dealing with them there was not the same necessity for - police supervision, and if people broke through the line of soldiers, - rushing forward to welcome their friends in the ranks, and escorted - them to the camp, why, no harm was done. Indeed, unrehearsed incidents - of this kind added the final touch to the heartiness and friendliness - of India’s greeting to those who had fought for our Empire in a far - country. When the long procession drew near Government House in the - gathering darkness, H.E. the Viceroy and Lady Curzon, with their - children and a large number of the Viceregal Staff, walked to the - south-east gate, and, standing on the roadway, waved a welcome to the - corps as it marched past. The roads on each side, and hence through - the Maidan skirting Eden Gardens, were lined by companies of the Royal - Irish Rifles. Of course, the appearance and bearing of the Volunteers - whom all had assembled to honour were keenly watched. The men had - grown leaner and browner than when they sailed away, and their - marching was in strong contrast to the stiff upright gait of the Port - Defence Volunteers behind them. It happens that in the stern, actual - business of war men learn to grasp only essentials. These returning - soldiers had plumbed the realities of life. Hunger they had known, and - thirst, and heat, and cold, and wounds, and the ever-present risk of - death. In such conditions the formalities that surround the British - Army in peace time drop away. Soldiers learn—and their officers - too—that, for instance, it matters not how one marches so long as one - does march. Thus it is that Lumsden’s Horse came through the streets - of Calcutta with bodies swinging carelessly forward, with eyes eager - and roving instead of being fixed at ‘attention,’ with ranks loosened - instead of being set in compact stiffness. It has sometimes been said - that war spoils men for drill. But it is something that the Volunteer - ranks in India have been leavened by men who know what campaigning is - really like. The feeling of those Calcutta Volunteers who assisted in - the procession was thus partly one of pride, for were not Lumsden’s - Horse also of themselves, and partly of prospective gratitude, for had - not the successes of their comrades in the great war opened the way - for their own employment also? No longer can it be said that unless - Volunteers attain an irreproachable precision in drill and smartness - in bearing they are useless as fighting men. - - Large crowds of well-dressed persons, natives, and equipages of all - descriptions followed the corps up to the camp, where gunners of the - 45th Field Battery lined the way. On arrival there three hearty cheers - were given for the men of Lumsden’s Horse, the cheers being repeated - over and over till the men were dismissed. In camp the scene was an - animated one. Men of the corps, singly and in groups, were centres of - attraction to friends and strangers alike. Conversation was free, - eager questions being good-humouredly answered, and questions repeated - and answered over and over again. The scene was well illuminated. A - well-ordered little camp of twenty tents has been pitched on the old - cricket ground of the Calcutta Cricket Club, exactly south of the Eden - Gardens. The camp has been furnished in ordinary military style and is - pitched in rows of three, with one tent for the officers of the corps, - a large mess tent, a canteen, and the usual necessaries. Camp - furniture only is allowed, consisting of a wooden folding-bed with a - straw mattress and pillow, and a few zinc tubs and basins for lavatory - purposes. The mess tent consists of four fly tents, open at the sides, - with a long table, big enough to accommodate a hundred hungry men, - running along its entire length. - - After dinner, the men were formed up at 8.45 P.M. and marched into the - Town Hall, where they arrived at 9 P.M. After a short stay downstairs - they were ordered upstairs, where a most brilliant reception awaited - them. - - This evening reception at the Town Hall was an entire success. The - decorations of the hall were most elaborate and characterised by great - taste. - - On the landing upstairs, in addition to greenery in profusion, a - number of naval 9-pounders and a Hotchkiss machine gun, Nordenfeldts - and Maxims were arranged to form a central group, all these being - flanked by a number of small ancient ship’s brass cannons and - howitzers. - - A daïs was erected in the centre of the hall, facing the main - entrance, which was occupied by His Excellency the Viceroy, Lady - Curzon, His Honour the Lieutenant-Governor, the Commander-in-Chief, - General Leach, Sir E. Buck, Bishop Welldon, Sir F. Maclean, Lady - Jenkins, and others, while the space in front was roped off, and here - stood in lines the members of Lumsden’s Horse, whose Colonel, as the - Viceroy’s party passed through, presented to His Excellency every - officer of the corps in turn. No time was lost, after the arrival of - Lord and Lady Curzon, in proceeding with the object of the gathering. - - His Excellency the Viceroy said: - - Colonel Lumsden, Officers and Men of Lumsden’s Horse,—It is not yet a - year since I was bidding you farewell at Kidderpur Docks. You had - appointed me the Honorary Colonel of a corps of Volunteers that had - never seen warfare, but that was starting out at the call of duty, and - in many cases at great personal sacrifice, to fight for the Queen and - the Empire. Now you have come back, the war-stained and laurel-crowned - veterans of a long and arduous campaign; and we are all here this - evening to welcome you home and to do you honour. I, your Honorary - Colonel, am as proud of you as if I had been through the campaign at - your side, which being a man of peace I am very glad to think that I - was not called upon to do; and all of us here, the citizens of - Calcutta who subscribed to your outgoing, and have kept a watch upon - you ever since, feel a sort of parental glow at receiving back again - our one corps of Indian Volunteers to South Africa, who have shown - that the Englishman in India is not one whit behind his countrymen at - home or his cousin in the Colonies in daring and risking and suffering - for the flag that waves above us all. - - For we know well through what hardships and experiences you have - passed since you steamed away down the Hugli in February last. The one - characteristic that has struck me most in this South African campaign - has been the physical strain and suffering which it has imposed. We - have robbed travel and sport and adventure nowadays of most of their - roughness, but war, even when your enemy is out of sight, and you - scarcely ever set eyes upon him, though it has lost in romance, has - not lost, nay—I think it has gained—in peril and privation. We have - followed you in your breathless marches across the dismal veldt, in - your assaults upon those deadly kopjes, in your days of endurance and - fighting, in your grim nights under the cold stars. We have - commiserated you when some of your number were taken prisoners, but we - were consoled when we heard that you were more frequently the pursuers - than the pursued, that you captured far more of the enemy than the - enemy did of you. We felt a thrill of pleasure when you were praised - by the Generals and, above all, by the brave old Field-Marshal who - knew what our men from India could do; and when you were publicly - thanked in despatches we all of us felt as if our own names had - appeared in the ‘Birthday Gazette.’ One thousand five hundred miles of - marching, twenty-nine actions of one kind or another—and all this in - the space of ten months. This is not a bad record for our pioneer body - of Indian Volunteers. - - I was delighted, Colonel Lumsden, that in one respect you most - strictly obeyed the final instructions which as your Commanding - Officer, in mufti, I ventured to address to you in February of last - year. I urged you and your men to be there or thereabouts when the - British forces entered Pretoria. Knowing your keen sense of - discipline, it was with no surprise that I learned that on June 5 - Lumsden’s Horse marched into that place in the van of Lord Roberts’s - occupying force. I only regret that I did not issue a few more timely - injunctions to you, such, for instance, as the capture of General De - Wet, since I have little doubt that you would have carried them out to - the letter. - - There was one other remark that I made a year ago to which I must - allude. I said that there were some among those whom I was addressing - who might have to face the supreme peril without which war cannot be - waged. You all of you carried your lives in your hands, and a few of - your number have handed in your cheques at the great audit. But we - rejoice that it was only a few—a brave and heroic fraction, but still - only a fraction. You lost your second in command, the gallant Major - Showers, whom Nature had intended for a soldier and whom destiny in - his first encounter claimed as a hero. But besides him only five - others were killed, while two only died of disease in the entire - campaign. Indeed, the total casualties were fewer than twenty-four, - which in a force of over 250 men is, I think, a very remarkable - result. I doubt not that all the rest of you have often faced death, - and that many have triumphed over disease. So much the more cause is - there for satisfaction at coming back on your part and for rejoicing - on ours. - - Colonel Lumsden, I am only addressing less than one half of the force - that mustered before me a year ago. Some have stayed behind in Africa - to continue, in the Regular Army, in the police, or in civil - appointments, the good service which they have rendered during the - past ten months. Though they are far away, and have cut the painter - from India, we include them in our gratitude and well-wishes to-night. - Others have already gone back to their Indian homes, and have been - unable to attend here to-day. We honour them in honouring you. In - their distant plantations or in their employments, wherever they may - be, possibly they will read of this gathering, and will know that they - equally have their places in our reception. As for the rest of those - here present, you, Colonel Lumsden, will always have the pride of - recollecting that it was to your initiative and liberality that this - corps owed its being, and that in the history of the war it bore your - name with credit and without a stain; while you, officers and men, as - you revert to your several avocations in civil life, and as the past - year fades into a hazy dream, will never forget that at a critical - moment in the fortunes of your country you came forward, and staked - much, endured much, and wrought much for the honour of the greatest - thing on earth—namely, the British name. - - Officers and men, it was a pride to me to bid you God-speed nearly a - year ago. It is an inexpressible pleasure to me to welcome you back - this evening, and to thank you, in the name of India, for what you - have done in the service of the Empire. - - Colonel Lumsden said: Your Excellency, your Honour, Ladies and - Gentlemen,—I feel it, though a pleasure, a hard task to endeavour to - express the feelings of my men and myself for the very hearty welcome - we have received and the very kind speech which our Honorary Colonel - the Viceroy has given us this evening. Our Honorary Colonel mentions, - and with truth, his words of advice in speaking to us on leaving. We - no doubt did our best to act up to it in every way, and I am sure, - speaking for myself as leader, there was no difficulty to do so when - followed by such men as I had. It was not altogether a party of - pleasure. There were rough things and hard times, and I often feared - that the Indian man, accustomed as he always is to the well-known - _kai-hae_, would not take to the labour of the veldt as well as he - did. I can assure your Excellency that never at any moment when things - were at their worst did I hear a word that was not cheerful and - pleasant from my men. We have been a fortunate corps in more ways than - one. We have been specially fortunate in our health. As our Honorary - Colonel remarked, only two men in the whole corps died of sickness. - This I think shows in a great measure how well the soldiers were - treated. There have been many complaints, I believe, in several - quarters as to the treatment of the soldiers there. But taking the - class of men I had to deal with, the small percentage of deaths from - disease shows we had not much to complain about in that respect. We - were fortunate also in our list of casualties. We were all very much - touched by the Viceroy’s allusions to those who have gone. No better - man existed than Major Showers, no greater loss could be felt by the - corps than in his death. He died, I believe, as he often thought he - would. He was a soldier to the backbone, and nothing pleased him - better than being in the field. Five died besides Major Showers, - giving a total of six altogether. That out of 250 men may be looked - upon as a small percentage. On the whole, in spite of the hardships - the men have gone through, I think there is not one, if the call to - arms were sounded to-morrow, who would not love to go back again. We - were greatly honoured at having the Viceroy as our Honorary Colonel, - and that pleasure was deeply felt by the men and remained in their - memory throughout the campaign. When any meed of praise was bestowed - upon us one and all felt sure our Honorary Colonel would be pleased to - hear of it. I cannot make a long speech to-night. I think the Viceroy - himself touched upon most of the points of interest connected with the - corps. I can only say how pleased we are with the reception we have - got. When we landed in Bombay the Governor said a few kindly words. - The streets were lined by thousands of people, and we had a welcome - such as we can never forget. Another thing I would wish to touch upon. - I think all the corps are proud of the number of commissions our men - have got. For this we have entirely to thank the Field-Marshal the - Commander-in-Chief. From start to finish there is no doubt his love of - India led Lord Roberts to take a keen interest in our Indian corps. - Our welcome to Calcutta to-day will, I am sure, sink deeply into all - our hearts and be long remembered. I can only say on behalf of my - officers and comrades that I thank you all deeply and sincerely. In - doing so I feel certain I am expressing the gratitude of us all, not - only for what we have received, but what I am told we have yet to - receive. I thank you, Sir, very heartily indeed on behalf of the whole - corps for the extremely kind way in which you have spoken of us and - our work. - -The temporary barriers having been removed, the men were soon busily -engaged in conversation with their many friends and acquaintances. The -band discoursed a bright selection of music for the remainder of the -evening. - -The ‘Englishman’ of Friday, January 4, 1901, contained the following: - - Yesterday afternoon His Excellency the Viceroy and Lady Curzon - entertained Colonel Lumsden and the officers and men of the Indian - contingent to luncheon at Government House. The function took place in - the Marble Hall. The officers and men of Lumsden’s Horse, who were in - khaki, occupied two long tables running down the centre of the room at - right angles to that at which the Viceroy sat. The floral decorations - of the tables were of an exceptionally chaste and artistic character. - On the verandah the members of the Viceroy’s band were located, and - the most appropriate selection of national and patriotic music which - they rendered contributed largely to the success of the luncheon. - Ninety-two officers, non-commissioned officers, and men of Lumsden’s - Horse were present, and with the guests and Viceroy’s Staff the total - number sitting down to luncheon was 169. A pleasing feature of the - luncheon was the presence of Lady Curzon and the following ladies: - Lady Woodburn, Lady Palmer, Mrs. Harrington, Mrs. Tyler, Mrs. - Laurence, Miss Trevor, and Miss Law. The list of guests also included: - His Honour Sir John Woodburn, Sir Power Palmer, Sir Francis Maclean, - the Metropolitan, Sir Edwin Collen, Sir Arthur Trevor, Sir Edward Law, - Hon. Mr. Raleigh, Hon. Mr. Rivaz, Hon. Sir Henry Cotton, Sir Edward - Elles, General Luck, General Maitland, Surgeon-General Harvey, General - Wace, General Henry, General Dyce, Colonel Buckingham, Sir Patrick - Playfair, Mr. Justice Harington, Sir Henry Prinsep, Sir Allan Arthur, - Captains Taylor, Beresford, Noblett, Holmes, and Powell of Lumsden’s - Horse, Hon. Mr. Bourdillon, Colonel Masters, Colonel Meade, Colonel - MacLaughlin, Major Churchill, Colonel O’Donoghue, Captain Wilson, - Commander Petley, Colonel Swaine, Major Hoore, Captain Bradshaw, - Colonel Wynne, Major Ferror, Captain Ayerst, Rev. J. Hatton, Messrs. - Stuart, Sutherland, Elworthy, Kerr, Tremearne, Woodroffe, Turner, - Greer, and Apcar. - - At the conclusion of the luncheon the toasts of ‘The Queen,’ ‘Colonel - Lumsden, Officers and Men of Lumsden’s Horse,’ and ‘The Viceroy’ were - enthusiastically honoured. - - The same evening the members of Lumsden’s Horse marched to the - Cathedral to attend a special thanksgiving service for their safe - return. The congregation was a large and most representative one, and - included their Excellencies Lord and Lady Curzon, Sir John and Lady - Woodburn. The service was brief and bright, the musical portion - predominating. The hymns, being well known, were taken up heartily by - the congregation, and a magnificent rendering was given by the choir - of the ‘Hallelujah Chorus,’ to which result the inclusion of a number - of ladies in the choir and an orchestral accompaniment largely - contributed. The clergy present were the Metropolitan, Canons Luckman - and Cogan, Revs. Brown, Gee, Nansen, Kitchen, Clarke, Wickens, Otley, - and Campbell, The men of Lumsden’s Horse occupied the front pews, and - at the conclusion of the service filed out immediately behind the - choir and the clergy. - - The following was the address which the Metropolitan delivered: - - It is my privilege, brethren, to offer you in the house of God the - words of welcome which have been in all hearts, and upon all lips, - since your landing in India—the last words perhaps that shall be - addressed to you as a military force. It was here on the fourteenth - day of February last that you sought God’s blessing at a special - service before setting sail for the war, and it is here by a natural - consequence that you come again to render Him thanks on your return. - - Brethren, we have followed you with earnest prayers in your long - absence. There has not been a Sunday when we have not entreated God to - bless you, and keep you safe, and to give victory to your arms, and to - bring you home in peace. You will not say or think those prayers have - been unheard. The memory of the friends who were far away, of their - care for you, and their sympathy in your perils must often have been - present to your minds. It may even have happened that you felt - strengthened and inspired, as others have felt by the consciousness, - of their intercession in your behalf. - - Brethren, you have fought, not in a light cause, but for the Empire, - whose members and citizens you are. You have been the witnesses, and - in part the authors, of a new solidarity between the widely severed - forces of the Empire. That solidarity is the great fact, the permanent - result, of the war in South Africa. Its influence upon the destiny of - mankind will be more and more declared in the new-born century. A new - spirit of confederation has dawned upon the Empire, and it is your - spirit, and the spirit of men such as you. - - May I remind you of a sentence spoken by a high authority on a - critical occasion in modern European history? Goethe relates that - after the battle of Valmy, at which he was present, he was asked by - his comrades in camp to pronounce an opinion upon its significance. He - said—and his language may have seemed extravagant when he used - it—‘From this place, and from this day forth, commences a new era in - the world’s history, and you can all say that you were present at its - birth.’ Brethren, the birthday of Imperial solidarity is likewise an - event fraught with issues of untold power and moment for mankind; but - that solidarity has been born in South Africa, and you can all say - that you were present at its birth. - - Once more you have realised, and we too, how great and solemn is the - cost of an Imperial destiny. It is not by mere child’s play, but by - sorrow, pain, and death, that a wide-world Empire, like a Universal - Church, is achieved and maintained. You have hazarded your lives, some - of your comrades have laid theirs down, for that high cause; and the - issue of your sacrifice and theirs has been a solemnisation of the - Empire in the last year. It has been good for us that we have known - the reverses and anxieties which ennoble the ultimate victory. We have - felt the hand of God laid upon us. You who have come home, and we who - bid you so glad a welcome, shall spend the residue of our lives with - an enhanced moral seriousness, with a more profound apprehension of - the Providence which regulates and determines human ends. - - Brethren, I shall not detain you longer in this holy place. Only let - your home-coming be worthy of your warfare. There are dangers in peace - as well as in war. Let the spirit, then, of your future lives be - grave, responsible, temperate, sublime, as befits your religion and - your race. - - May the God of our fathers bless you all, and bring you all to Heaven! - -The ‘Englishman’ of Monday, January 7, 1901, gave the following report -of another interesting scene: - - Immediately after the Thanksgiving Service held at the Cathedral on - Thursday, the officers and men of our pioneer corps celebrated the - closing function of their active military career. It took its form in - a dinner given expressly by Colonel Lumsden, and the guests included - Sir Patrick Playfair, the Hon. Mr. Buckingham, Colonel MacLaughlin, - Mr. Harry Stuart, and several friends of the non-commissioned officers - and men. After an excellent dinner supplied by Mr. Wallace, of the - Italian Restaurant, who also catered for the corps prior to their - departure in February last, the toast of the Queen was proposed and - received with enthusiasm. - - Private Turner, in a very apt little speech, then asked the Colonel if - he would very kindly consent to present, on behalf of the men, to - Sergeant-Major Hewitt, Quartermaster-Sergeant Dale, and Sergeant-Major - Brennan, souvenirs to mark their appreciation of the admirable work - done by these three non-commissioned officers. They always had the - knack of taking the men the proper way. To Quartermaster-Sergeant - Dale, _alias_ ‘Daddy,’ or ‘Bobby’ Dale, was due the excellent form in - which the men found themselves. They looked none the worse for their - trying marches and watchful nights simply because the man in charge of - the food arrangements was Dale. Colonel Lumsden said he had much - pleasure in presenting, on behalf of the men, a silver flask to - Sergeant-Major Hewitt, a silver flask to Quartermaster-Sergeant Dale, - and a silver cigar-case to Sergeant-Major Brennan. - - The Colonel then proposed the health of the Executive Committee, who, - he said, had worked so indefatigably when the corps was being - organised. Their labours did not end there, however, for always while - the corps was in South Africa, and still on its return, they were all - concerned in its well-being and interests. It was a pleasure to him - and to his men to have been the recipients of so hearty a welcome as - that which met them on their arrival at Howrah on the evening of the - 2nd inst. The work which the raising of a force such as Lumsden’s - Horse entails is extensive, complicated, and laborious, but thanks to - the able committee formed on the inception of the corps, they were - able to be equipped and despatched to the country they had just - returned from with comparatively no delay. To Sir Patrick Playfair - particularly he was deeply indebted for his energy in seeing things - put through in such an efficient manner and without a hitch, and he - was proud of now having an opportunity of asking his men to drink the - health of the gentlemen of the Executive Committee, with three times - three cheers for Sir Patrick Playfair. - - Sir Patrick Playfair, in reply, said that he was sorry another very - important public function required the presence of many of the - Executive Committee who otherwise would have been present at this - dinner, Colonel Lumsden, he thought, was too lavish in his praises of - the work done by the Executive Committee. The work was a labour of - love, in the execution of which every member of that Committee took a - pleasure and a pride. He had met and known Colonel Lumsden very many - years before a certain day in November 1899, when he received from - Australia a cable from Colonel Lumsden intimating his willingness to - raise and have equipped a suitable corps capable of giving a good - account of themselves in South Africa. He had the fullest confidence - in Colonel Lumsden, and knew that the class of men to whom Colonel - Lumsden had particular recourse were the right sort. He, therefore, - did his utmost to encourage Colonel Lumsden in accomplishing his noble - object. Great obstacles for a time blocked the way, but in time, by - virtue of the personal influence of His Excellency the Viceroy, the - War Office sanctioned the raising of a corps which has now returned - loaded with honours, complimented time after time by Generals and in - official despatches for gallantry in the field. The Committee always - followed with interest the operations of the corps in South Africa, - and it was a pride and an honour to them to be in a position to say - that they were so closely connected with its formation. He regretted - that a few men should have found their appointments closed against - them on their return, but he assured them that the Executive - Committee, and particularly himself, would only be too glad to help - any man in finding suitable employment. He said he had already made - reference to the cases of men so placed to the Lieutenant-Governor, - and had asked that, all things else being equal, the men who had - served in Lumsden’s Horse should have the preference when appointments - were vacant. Sir Patrick Playfair then thanked Colonel Lumsden, the - officers, and men of the corps for the hearty way in which they had - drunk the health of the Committee. - - Sergeant Fraser then, in a very humorous speech, announced to the - Colonel the intention of the men to present him with a sword of - honour as a memento and a token of their respect and esteem. Within - the last few days they had heard the Governor of Bombay, the - Lieutenant-Governor of Bengal, and the Viceroy himself, express warm - admiration of Colonel Lumsden for the manner in which he had - conceived, organised, and led the corps. But he ventured to consider - that the men of Lumsden’s Horse were even in a better position than - these exalted gentlemen to express an opinion upon Colonel Lumsden, - for they had been with him in South Africa and seen with their own - eyes what he had done. It was in consequence of what they had seen - that they now asked Colonel Lumsden to accept from the men who had - been his comrades a sword of honour as the highest compliment they - knew how to pay him. He would remind them that Colonel Lumsden, - during the action at Ospruit, had ridden out to the rescue of a - wounded trooper, placed him on his own horse, and led the horse back - at a walk a distance of 200 yards, all under heavy fire.[14] Colonel - Lumsden had never asked his men to go where he did not lead himself, - and it will be within the recollection of all of them, after - climbing kopjes representing Kinchingjunga at six stone, that they - invariably found the Colonel on top busy with his binoculars, whilst - they themselves were helpless from loss of breath. His concern had - always been for his men without regard to his own convenience, and - it was because Colonel Lumsden had proved himself both gallant and - unselfish, that they desired to present him with the sword. If they - had a fault to find with Colonel Lumsden, it was that he was too - lenient with misdemeanants. They had frequently seen men marched - before him and sternly interrogated regarding their sins. But the - end of such interviews was generally a private conversation - regarding old times in Assam, or elsewhere, and no punishment. The - result was that the men swore by their Colonel, even those he had - been compelled to send to ‘cells’—there was one of these, half rear, - at the present moment loudly applauding all he was saying. Colonel - Lumsden was not only their commanding officer, but a personal friend - to each man, a combination which had led to the maintenance of an - extraordinary degree of discipline. They were all proud of the corps - they had the honour to belong to, but they were prouder, if - possible, of the officer whose name the corps bore. The only fault - they ever found with Colonel Lumsden was that he was too lenient - with the men, and in the goodness of his heart refrained from meting - out punishment where it was perhaps well deserved. However, it is - not every delinquent who would regard that as a fault. The men - regretted that time had not given them an opportunity of providing - the sword for presentation that night, but it would come in the - fulness of time. The Colonel’s health was then drunk with musical - honours, the men shouting themselves hoarse. - -[Illustration: Ceremonial Sword] - - Colonel Lumsden, in reply, said that this was truly and in every sense - the proudest moment of his life. He had already had the pleasure of - making a few speeches since the corps was raised, but he found it a - difficult thing to hit on words to express at all adequately his - appreciation of the eulogistic terms in which Sergeant Fraser, on - behalf of his comrades, had referred to him. He always had the - greatest confidence in his men and relied on their honour rather than - on strict and rigid discipline for the execution of his orders. He - knew his men thoroughly, and saw that they were prepared to play the - game as it should be played, and he felt proud, as any officer must, - of the men he commanded. The sword of honour proposed to be presented - to him would be his most treasured possession—he would always be proud - to refer to it and the happy associations it recalled. The past twelve - months had been the happiest in his whole career, and nigh forty-eight - summers had passed over his head. Turning to Sir Patrick Playfair’s - remark, he said that he, too, would do his utmost to have the men - without billets provided for. He was a believer in the great future in - store for South Africa, and wished every success to those of the corps - who had remained behind. He also said that Captain Petley had very - kindly placed the ‘Koladyne’ at the disposal of those who had no - friends to stay with in Calcutta, and that they only had to signify to - Captain Petley, who had taken a deep interest in the corps, their wish - to avail themselves of this kind offer. He would now say good-bye and - God-speed with every good wish for their future welfare, requesting - that, before breaking up camp, every man should promise to send his - photo. - - The men were visibly touched by Colonel Lumsden’s speech, and, after - cheering him over and over again, chaired him and all the officers, - and Sergeant-Major Stephens, at great risk to those chaired. - -The Sword of Honour, exquisitely wrought by Messrs. Hamilton & Co., of -Calcutta, and presented to Colonel Lumsden with such gratifying -evidences of good-will from those whom he had commanded, was of silver -with ring-mountings of gold, and bore upon its scabbard the following -inscription: - - SOUTH AFRICA, 1900. - - CAPE COLONY. - - ORANGE FREE STATE. - - JOHANNESBURG. - - PRESENTED TO LIEUTENANT-COLONEL D.M. LUMSDEN, C.B., - BY THE N.C.O.S AND MEN OF LUMSDEN’S HORSE - - AS A TOKEN OF THEIR PERSONAL REGARD, AND AS A MARK OF THEIR APPRECIATION - OF HIS HIGH QUALITIES AS A COMMANDING OFFICER. - ------ - -Footnote 14: - - Trooper Betts has since been awarded the D.C.M. for accompanying the - Colonel on this occasion—to carry in Franks, who was mortally - wounded. - ------ - - - - - CHAPTER XX - _A STIRRING SEQUEL—THE STORY OF THOSE WHO STAYED—MEMORIAL - TRIBUTES TO THOSE WHO HAVE GONE_ - - -On January 4, 1901, just one year after they had assembled on the Maidan -full of high hopes and noble aspirations, these Indian Volunteers, who -had made for themselves a name that will long be honoured among British -soldiers, were disbanded. So the curtain fell on the war scene in which -the two hundred and fifty men known to history as Lumsden’s Horse played -their parts. They had been in the field ten months, marched from camp to -camp over 1,500 miles, fought in thirty-nine actions, lost seven men -killed in action, two from enteric, several at various times -incapacitated by wounds; they had left nearly sixty of their number in -South Africa, some as administrators, some in the Regular Army, and some -in the Police; they had brought back to Calcutta only four of the horses -with which they started, and had used up 750 remounts. They had been -twice mentioned in despatches by the Field-Marshal, and had been praised -by every General under whom they served. Out of a total of fifteen -officers, one, Colonel Lumsden, was decorated by Her Majesty Queen -Victoria with the C.B.; another, Major Chamney, received the C.M.G.; two -others, Captain Rutherfoord and Lieutenant Pugh, obtained the D.S.O. The -Adjutant and the two Regular officers who had commanded companies were -promoted a step, to the rank of Brevet-Major. Trooper J.A. Graham, whose -act of valour at Crocodile River has been recorded, received the -Distinguished Conduct Medal; similar decorations were awarded to -Corporal Percy Jones, Troopers P.C. Preston, H.N. Betts, W.E. Dexter, -and Regimental Sergeant-Major Marsham; while seven other N.C.O.s and -troopers were mentioned in despatches. It is a noteworthy fact that of -all those whose names were brought forward by Colonel Lumsden not one -failed to obtain recognition from the Commander-in-Chief, and only three -received less honourable distinctions than their Colonel thought they -were entitled to. All these things prove that nobody was recommended -except for meritorious services of which clear and conclusive evidence -could be given. All soldiers will appreciate what that means. And of -twenty-three who obtained commissions in the Regular Army and others -gazetted to Irregular corps, only two resigned subsequently. Colonel -Lumsden was exceptionally fortunate in securing this number of -commissions, and still more fortunate in selecting men worthy to retain -them. It must not be forgotten, however, that the majority of those -serving in the ranks of Lumsden’s Horse were Public School boys, some of -whom may have failed in their examinations for Sandhurst, and gone out -to fight their way in India as indigo, tea, and coffee planters, and -who, when the occasion arose, were just the right men to fill the -appointments they got. Their merits were recognised not only by our own -military authorities, but also by the enemy. One Boer told the Rev. J.H. -Siddons, of Great Berkhampstead, whose letter is quoted by permission, -that Lumsden’s Horse were ‘exceptionally good both at scouting and -shooting.’ The same authority also says that he had similar testimony to -their merits from a corporal of one of the Cavalry regiments. This is -not surprising, as Lumsden’s Horse and their comrades of the Line were -always on good terms, and had a mutual admiration for each other. In a -letter to the Colonel, Trooper D. Morison says: - - I am afraid I cannot help you much with my personal experiences and - views. No doubt everyone who writes you on the subject will be full of - praise and admiration for Mr. Thomas Atkins as we found him on the - veldt. But I should like to record what a splendid chap he is. Whether - Scotch, Irish, Welsh, or from any other part of the country, he is all - the same when it comes to a tight corner. - -[Illustration: - - _Photo: Davies Brothers, Johannesburg_ - MEMBERS OF LUMSDEN’S HORSE WHO JOINED THE JOHANNESBURG POLICE, - DECEMBER 1900 -] - -Though the records of active service with Lumsden’s Horse as a body -closed when the corps left South Africa on December 6, 1900, many of its -members fought on in the Transvaal with the same undaunted spirit that -had quickened them and their comrades throughout, the same determination -to be true to their old regimental motto, and ‘Play the Game.’ The -following accounts of the affair at Benoni, in the Boksburg mining -district, give a good idea of the fighting qualities of the -Anglo-Indians who had won their spurs in Lumsden’s Horse: - - At the beginning of December 1900 many of the gallant little band had - enrolled themselves under Major-General Baden-Powell in the South - African Constabulary, others again in the Rand Mounted Rifles under - Mr. Henry, erstwhile Inspector-General of Police, Bengal, whose - companies were then holding entrenched positions at different portions - of the Rand. The one at Benoni for the protection of cattle, refugees, - and the mines was deemed an important duty, as the neighbourhood had - been in a very disturbed state for months past, and from time to time - had been visited by small parties of Boers. These were always put to - flight by the ordinary mounted patrols. But on Boxing Day at 4 A.M. - the alarm was given that a strong force of Boers was in the vicinity. - Immediate defensive measures were taken, and when a party of 100 of - the enemy rode up to the Post Office, they were accorded a greeting - very different from the Christmas one of ‘Peace and goodwill.’ They - scuttled, but later a second party engaged the right flank of the - police post. A second time they were compelled to retire, but poor - dear old Sergeant Walker (Lumsden’s Horse) was killed outright, a - bullet entering his head in the region of the temple. He was the - senior non-commissioned officer, and died bearing his responsibility - nobly. The command then devolved on Sergeant ‘Tim’ Lockhart, also of - Lumsden’s Horse, who displayed great dash and courage, exposing - himself at the most dangerous points, and thus inspiring his men to - avenge poor Walker. In the meanwhile the Boers took up a very strong - position on the left front, from which they harassed the gallant - little body of defenders. Finding that rifle-fire was ineffective, the - Boers brought a pom-pom and a Maxim to bear on the position, and - considerable damage was done to the head-gear machinery of the mine. - Lieutenant Evans, in command of a detachment of the Railway Pioneer - Regiment, finding he could not relieve the brave fellows, despatched - Trooper Tooley to Boksburg for reinforcements. The Boers, however, - true to their traditions, were now effecting a hurried retirement, and - to prevent a surprise Sergeant Lockhart sent out patrols (Troopers - Granville, Kelly, and Lloyd-Jones—all of Lumsden’s Horse). Lloyd-Jones - came to grief, falling from his horse and breaking his wrist, - otherwise the movement was eminently successful. The Boers were - retiring in very good order, and succeeded in doing considerable - damage to the New Kleinfontein and the New Chimes mines, held by - Lieutenant Evans and twenty-three men. Sergeant Lockhart had, all - told, eleven men, and two officers of the Intelligence Department and - Mrs. Hunter, the wife of one of these gentlemen. The post consisted of - twenty-three of all ranks, principally men of Lumsden’s Horse. Among - them were ‘Tim Lockhart’—now blossomed into a Sergeant of Mounted - Police—Walter Walker, Kelly, Arthur Nicholson, Jones, Harris, - Bradford, Kearsey, Petersen, Grenville, and Tooley; the remainder - being Railway Pioneer men. Their duty was to protect the mines from - raids by Boer patrols, and it was in the head-gear of the mine - workings that the defenders ensconced themselves when the attack was - made. - - Pom-pom, Maxim, and the rifle-fire of 300 Boers under Viljoen and - Erasmus played merrily on them from 4.20 A.M. till afternoon, the - pom-pom shells playing havoc with the wood and iron work of the - head-gear, but without hurting anybody. - -[Illustration: A. NICHOLSON] - - It has been definitely ascertained that the Boers were 400 strong, and - possessed a pom-pom and Maxim gun. Trooper Harris (Lumsden’s Horse) - was responsible for the work of ‘entrenching the position,’ and his - comrades testify to the creditable manner in which he executed his - duty. Of the 1,400 head of cattle in the British laager, not a single - one was taken. Viljoen was in command of the Boers. - - Poor Walker lies in the Johannesburg cemetery. He was accorded a - military funeral that was attended very largely. - - The reinforcements under Lieutenant Wynyard Battye (a cousin of the - Indian fighting Battyes) came up too late to render any immediate aid, - but they pursued the retreating Boers as far as Springs. - - Between 2 and 3 in the afternoon relief came, but not until - 300,000_l._ worth of damage had been done to machinery and buildings - near. The telegram given below speaks for itself, and it is pleasant - reading that those of our fellows who stayed behind are continuing to - play the game so well. - - _Telegram_ - - To Officer Commanding Police, Boksburg, from Lord Kitchener, dated - December 28, 1900. - - ‘Commander-in-Chief has heard with much pleasure of the successful - defence of their post by the Police at Benoni against an attack by - greatly superior numbers. He considers their gallant conduct does all - ranks of their garrison the greatest credit. He much regrets the loss - of their sergeant.’ - - This telegram, with flattering endorsements by the Military Secretary - to the Commander-in-Chief and the Military Governor of Johannesburg, - was ordered to be read to the men. - -Another and fuller version is given in a letter to Colonel Lumsden by -Trooper D. Morison, who writes: - - Just to show how the reputation of the corps is being kept up and - added to by those who remained in South Africa, I enclose an extract - from a letter received a short while ago from Sergeant Renny, now - serving in the Johannesburg M.M. Police. It gives an account of the - heroic death of Sergeant Walker at Benoni last Boxing Day. Renny says: - ‘On December 5, after a fortnight’s stay in Johannesburg, we were sent - off in two parties to take up police duties. One company, consisting - of nine men and Sergeant Walker, was sent to this place (Benoni), the - other party going to Brakpan coal-mines, half-way between Boksburg and - Springs. When we first came here there were four men of the Railway - Pioneer Rifles, together with whom we formed the garrison. We are in - charge of 1,300 head of cattle and sheep. We send out patrols every - day and mount three guards every night. Our three guards are posted - round the enclosure where the cattle are kept at night—one about 150 - yards in front, one in an empty dynamite magazine about 250 yards in - rear, and the third one is posted near where we sleep. We live in a - corrugated iron room on the top of a gold dump, half-way up to - heaven—that is, about 30 feet from the ground. A verandah runs round - it which we have fortified with sandbags. We have also dug trenches - all round the room, as a big body of Boers is reported to be in laager - twenty miles from us—the same commando that paid us so much attention - on French’s famous march. We had hardly settled down here before the - Boers paid us a visit. On December 10 I was on guard with a Railway - Pioneer Regiment man, and at 11.30 I suddenly heard the sound of - whips, as if cattle were being driven out of the kraal. I immediately - fired two shots in rapid succession. This had the desired effect of - hurrying the Boers out of the kraal and at the same time of warning - the other men. There was a small moon up and we could just distinguish - a dark body of men. At this we fired as fast as we could load, and had - the satisfaction of completely surprising the Boers, several of whom - we hit. They had got all the cattle out of the kraal, but were in such - a hurry to get away that they left these all behind. They exchanged a - few shots when at a safe distance. But where their bullets went none - of us know, as none came in our direction. After this they left us in - peace till December 26. - -[Illustration: G.D. NICOLAY] - - Reinforced after the first attack, we mustered twenty-seven guns on - the morning of the 26th, a day never to be forgotten by the little - garrison at Benoni. The Boers attacked us at 4.30 A.M. in large force, - numbering over three hundred men, with two pom-poms and a Maxim. Those - not on guard were in bed, when Tooley, who was outside the room, - shouted that the Boers were on us. We rushed out as quickly as we - could, and had just time to get into the trenches before a body of - about fifty Boers charged down upon us in regular cavalry fashion. We - waited till they were within 200 yards and then we gave them a volley - which cooled their ardour a bit and sent them back in hot haste with a - few of their saddles emptied. They then took up positions on mounds - right round us and began to pour in a hot rifle-fire from ranges - varying from 200 to 800 yards, using rifles of every description, even - fowling pieces, as we heard several charges of buckshot scatter over - us. Poor Walker, whom we all liked, exposed himself, and was shot - immediately. We returned their fire as well as we could, bowling over - a good few, both horses and men. We exchanged rifle shots till 9 A.M., - when, finding that they could not dislodge us, they brought their - pom-poms and Maxim up, and for half an hour gave us as lively a time - as we have ever had. Our room was riddled from top to bottom, any kit - hanging on the walls being perforated. The noise of the shells going - through the corrugated iron was most terrific and made us feel pretty - queer. We had to lie low in our trenches, expecting shells to drop - into the middle of us at any moment. The Boers crept closer under - cover of the pom-poms, but luckily for us the supply of pom-pom - ammunition gave out. Then rifle-fire recommenced and we soon drove - them back to their original positions. They had fired whole belts of - shells at us at a time. So you can imagine the lively time we had. - Rifle-fire was kept up till 2 P.M., when the Boers decamped on seeing - reinforcements arriving from Johannesburg and Boksburg. They burnt two - mines and several dwelling-houses and looted the stores before they - cleared out. We have had great praise for holding out so long—4.30 - A.M. to 2 P.M.—and have received congratulatory telegrams from Lord - Kitchener, Sir Alfred Milner, Colonel McKenzie, Governor of - Johannesburg, and Colonel Davies, Military Commandant of Johannesburg. - The Boers were led by Ben Viljoen, Hans Botha, and Erasmus.’ The names - of men with Rennie were Nicholson, Kelly, G.D. Nicolay, Jones, - Petersen, late of A Company; Harris, Grenville, Bradford, Kearsey, - late of Transport; Tooley, of Loch’s horse. - -Mr. E.R. Henry, lately commanding the Rand Mounted Rifles, writes thus -to Sir P. Playfair, C.I.E.: - - New Scotland Yard: July 31, 1901. - - DEAR PLAYFAIR,—You asked me last night to note down briefly some - details of the attack on the Chimes West mine. Here are the facts as - well as I remember them. - - We had a Police post at this mine on the Rand about nine miles from - Boksburg, a place you will find on all maps. Our force consisted of - sixteen Railway Pioneer Regiment and nine Lumsden’s Horse, the latter - under Sergeant Walker. - - On the morning of December 26 this small force—which, by-the-by, was - located in what I may term the first floor of the head-gear of the - Chimes West mine—was attacked by 300 Boers, who had with them two - pom-poms. - -[Illustration: H. KELLY] - - The Boers fired volleys, and a good many pom-pom shells went through - the quarters occupied by Lumsden’s Horse. I saw dozens of shell-holes, - not only through the iron sheets which formed the walls of their - quarters, but also through the great wooden beams or baulks of a foot - or more in diameter. From one of the earliest of these volleys - Sergeant Walker was killed as he was kneeling behind a sandbag. - - Our men were under fire for several hours, and, seeing that we were so - greatly outnumbered, Tolley volunteered to ride through the Boers into - Boksburg, a distance of nine miles, and did so—a gallant feat. Kelly, - Grenville, and Jones volunteered to make a dash for a tailings or - dump-heap, so as to enfilade the Boers. Kelly and Grenville got home, - Jones’s horse fell, and he fractured his arm and lay there. Kelly and - Grenville did excellent work from the tailings heap, and made it so - uncomfortable for the Boers that they had to shift their position. I - was there next day and met General Barton on the ground. On receipt of - his report the Commander-in-Chief, Lord Kitchener, wired us the - following message: ‘Congratulate Police on gallant defence Benoni. - Deplore loss of their sergeant.’ Lord Kitchener is temperate in - praise, so I take it his commendation meant much. I understand that - three of the men whose names I have given above have been since - mentioned in despatches on account of their behaviour on December 26. - - E.I. Lockhart, of Lumsden’s Horse, became senior sergeant on Walker’s - death, and is a gallant old fellow. He is much younger than I, but - everyone dubs him old. He behaved very well. His name should be - mentioned in any account of this particular incident. - - Our men saved the Chimes West mine. What this means you can infer from - what the Boers did to the Modderfontein mine, close by, which our men - could not defend. In less than half an hour the Boers did damage - estimated at from 250,000_l._ to 300,000_l._ - - We buried poor Walker on December 27 at Boksburg, and a memorial has - been subscribed for. - - I hope this gives you the data you require. - - Yours, - - E.R. HENRY. - - List of Lumsden’s Horse who joined the Johannesburg Police in December - 1900: - - A COMPANY. - - No. 63, Sergeant W.L. Walker │No. 4, Trooper I.A. Irwin - ” 88, Trooper B.R. Lloyd-Jones│ ” 55, ” G.D. Nicolay - ” 83, ” I.G. Petersen │ ” 10, ” A.J.H. Nicholson - ” 72, ” L.H. Bell │ ” 11, ” H.R. Kelly - ” 29, ” F.W.C. Lawrie │ ” 97, ” J.D.W. Holmes - ” 30, ” A.H. Buskin │ ” 60, ” K. Boileau - ” 274, Driver L.H. Bradford │ ” 272, Driver W.E. Harris - ” 254, ” R.A. Grenville │ ” 270, ” P.W. Anderson - - B COMPANY. - - Sergeant Lockhart │Trooper Smith - Lance-Sergeant Goodliffe │ ” Walton - Corporal Campbell │Driver Fitzgerald - Trooper Renny - -[Illustration: K. BOILEAU] - -Well may the names of men who fought that good fight at Benoni be -enrolled with honour in the records of Lumsden’s Horse; and proud indeed -must be the Colonel, who, commanding such a corps through all the -vicissitudes of an arduous campaign, won the affectionate respect of all -ranks serving under him. To this the officers have testified by -combining to present him with a silver statuette that will be a -gratifying memento to place beside the sword of honour given by his -troopers. - -[Illustration: - - SILVER STATUETTE OF COLONEL LUMSDEN - _Manufactured by the Goldsmiths and Silversmiths’ Company, Limited, - 112 Regent Street, London_ -] - -A history of Lumsden’s Horse would be incomplete were the names of those -noble sisters, the Misses Keyser, omitted. They nursed and looked after -several officers of the corps who were invalided home, and on this -account Colonel Lumsden thinks a tribute of admiration and an expression -of grateful thanks are due to them. Miss Keyser and her sister Miss -Agnes (Sister Agnes) have, since the commencement of the war, devoted -their house, their money, and their time to nursing officers invalided -home from wounds and sickness, and are still continuing their noble -work. Their contribution to the War Fund has been one of which the -nation may feel justly proud. King Edward’s Convalescent Home, which -their house is now styled, has been indeed ‘sweet home’—a place of rest -and unalloyed comfort—to over 300 officers who have been invalided from -South Africa, and the self-sacrifice of ladies whose days have been -devoted to the alleviation of suffering will be gratefully appreciated -by all those who have received kind treatment at their hands, and by the -British public. - -Colonel Lumsden, on his return to London, applied to get pay for his men -raised to the Colonial standard of 5_s._ per diem, but was told by Lord -George Hamilton that as Indian taxpayers would not be asked to -contribute to the cost either of the war in South Africa or of the war -in China, it would be quite impossible to make up the difference between -the British standard of pay and the Colonial standard. The Cape Colony -and Natal Governments had, in special cases, defrayed the difference out -of their own exchequers. - -On applying to the Secretary of State for War, the Colonel was informed -by Mr. Brodrick that, were his request granted, the whole of the -Yeomanry who went out in 1900 would be entitled to a similar increase, -and therefore he could not assist. Colonel Lumsden, in explanation, said -the request had not been made by any of the men themselves, but by him -on their account, and, although a sense of duty to them had impelled him -to make this claim, he considered that they would be all the prouder for -having served their country on 1_s._ 2_d._ a day. - -For nearly eighteen months after the disbandment of the corps its former -Colonel gave up his time to details connected with it. In the event of -another Volunteer contingent being despatched from India, it is doubtful -whether anyone of Colonel Lumsden’s position and resources would take -such an interest in the force or would have the time to give to work -that might be more properly undertaken by the War Office. - -Colonel Lumsden endeavoured successfully to get employment for those of -his troopers who had given up lucrative engagements to join the corps. -There were certain men who could not obtain their former appointments, -and their old commandant devoted his time and attention to further their -interests. He found that, however willing the Government of India and -the Government of Bengal were to find employment for these men in -Government service as some recognition of what they had done for the -Empire while serving with Lumsden’s Horse, neither the Viceroy nor the -Lieutenant-Governor of Bengal had appointments at his disposal owing to -the system of competitive examination for all posts under their -administration. Therefore Colonel Lumsden was greatly indebted to -merchants, tea proprietors, and others for the help they gave him in -obtaining situations for certain of his men. The fact that no -appointments are reserved for the benefit of soldiers or sailors who -have served their country well is a blot on the competitive system both -in India and in England. It may prove to be a serious discouragement to -the desire for volunteering in future emergencies. - -Very few, even among Colonel Lumsden’s most intimate friends and old -comrades, know that after all his hard work he went out to India again -in the first week of December 1901 with instructions from the War Office -to raise another corps of Indian Volunteers for service in South Africa, -provided sufficient numbers of the right class of men were available. On -arrival in Calcutta, and after consultation with His Excellency the -Viceroy, Colonel Lumsden wrote to Officers Commanding the different -Volunteer corps from whose ranks most of his previous contingent had -been recruited. Their replies showed, however, that the three great -industries, indigo, tea, and coffee, were not in a position to bear -another strain so soon. The Colonel’s sporting offer therefore came to -nothing. His efforts, however, were appreciated both by the Secretary of -State for War and by the Commander-in-Chief, and duly recognised in a -letter of thanks from the Adjutant-General. - -Colonel Lumsden and Sir Patrick Playfair have hardly yet finished their -labours in connection with the corps, of which all accounts have been -carefully audited by Messrs. Lovelock & Lewes, the actuaries in -Calcutta, and have been balanced to a point showing the expenditure in -India to equip the corps, the remittances made to South Africa for -urgent requirements, all disbursements in connection with the -disbandment of the corps, and the balance that remains. These -accounts[15] may be valuable in the future as guides to the probable -expenditure in similar cases, and they are interesting now as proving -the accuracy of calculations made at the outset, whereby the cost of -equipping and maintaining such a force in the field for twelve months -was estimated at 1,000 rupees per man, exclusive of gifts in kind. In -dealing with accounts previous to disbandment of the corps, much -valuable assistance was given by Major Ramsden, Controller of Military -Accounts, Bengal; but for the completeness and accuracy of pay-sheets -and other regimental documents, great credit is due to Mr. Fraser, of -the Bank of Bengal, and to his assistant paymaster, Mr. Graves, of the -same bank, both of whom did hard clerical work under difficulties in the -office without neglecting their duties as soldiers. After all expenses -are paid, there will probably be a balance of twenty or thirty thousand -rupees in hand. Colonel Lumsden has suggested that it cannot be devoted -to a better purpose than as a subsidy towards the maintenance of a -paying ward for sick or disabled Volunteers in the New General Hospital -in Calcutta. The general wish is that this should henceforth be known as -the Lumsden’s Horse Ward in commemoration of men who did good service to -their country at some personal sacrifice. - -To the memory of those who fell in battle or passed through the portals -of sickness to infinite peace in the midst of war Lord Curzon has paid -tribute by the erection of a handsome mural tablet in St. Paul’s -Cathedral, Calcutta. That monument was unveiled by the Viceroy on March -23, 1902, after Evensong, when a specially appropriate service was -arranged by Canon Luckman. Members of the Corps were invited to assemble -in full dress at the south transept door of St. Paul’s Cathedral at 6.15 -o’clock that Sunday evening. They entered the Cathedral and passed in -procession, following the choir and clergy, to seats provided for them -in the aisle. - -At the conclusion of the service His Excellency the Viceroy, Honorary -Colonel of Lumsden’s Horse, unveiled the brass tablet he had personally -presented to the Cathedral in memory of those members of the corps who -died in South Africa. The tablet had been placed on the south wall of -the entrance to the chancel, in front of the statue to Bishop Heber. -After the singing of the Offertory hymn the procession was formed in the -following order: - - The Choir. - The Clergy. - His Excellency the Viceroy. - Staff. - The Executive Committee of Lumsden’s Horse. - Lieutenant-Colonel Lumsden, C.B. - Members of Lumsden’s Horse. - -The troopers then formed up in front of and facing the tablet. His -Excellency took up a position in front of the tablet; Lieutenant-Colonel -Lumsden standing at the Viceroy’s left, and the Executive Committee and -Staff to the right of His Excellency, while Canon Luckman offered up the -prayers. His Excellency then unveiled the tablet. The choir sang the -hymn ‘Fight the good fight,’ and the Blessing was pronounced by the -Venerable the Archdeacon, Bishop’s Commissary in charge of the diocese. - -That tribute to the honoured memory of gallant comrades was the last -scene in which Lumsden’s Horse were to take part. Thenceforth they could -lay aside the frayed and war-stained khaki and say, ‘I have done my -duty.’ To the living as to the dead Lord Curzon’s eloquent words, with -one slight change, apply: - - Those sons of Britain in the East - Fought not for praise or fame; - They served for England, and the least - Made greater her great name. - -[Illustration: - - TABLET IN ST. PAUL’S CATHEDRAL, CALCUTTA - (_From a photograph by Messrs. Bourne & Shepherd_) -] - ------ - -Footnote 15: - - Appendix X. - - APPENDICES - - - - APPENDIX I - _ROLL OF LUMSDEN’S HORSE, INCLUDING TRANSPORT_ - - ┌──────────────────┬────────────────────────┬────────────────────────┐ - │Rank │Name │Occupation and Address │ - ├──────────────────┼────────────────────────┼────────────────────────┤ - │ │ OFFICERS │ │ - │Lieut.-Colonel │Dugald Mactavish Lumsden│Gentleman, Oriental │ - │ │ (Commandant) │ Club, Hanover │ - │ │ │ │ - │ │ │ │ - │ │ │ Square, London │ - │Major │Eden C. Showers │Tea Planter, Surma │ - │ │ │ Valley │ - │Captain │Neville C. Taylor │14th Bengal Lancers, │ - │ │ (Adjutant) │ Allahabad │ - │ ” │James Hugh Brownlow │3rd Sikhs │ - │ │ Beresford │ │ - │ ” │John Brownley │Indigo Planter, Behar │ - │ │ Rutherfoord │ │ - │ ” │Louis Hemington Noblett │Royal Irish Rifles, │ - │ │ │ Calcutta │ - │ ” │Henry Chamney[A] │Tea Planter, Surma │ - │ │ │ Valley │ - │ ” │Frank Clifford │Coffee Planter, Mysore │ - │ ” │Samuel Arthur Powell │Medical Officer, Cachar │ - │ ” │Bernard Willoughby │Medical Officer, E.I. │ - │ │ Holmes │ Railway │ - │Veterinary Captain│William Stevenson │Veterinary Surgeon, │ - │ │ │ Rangoon │ - │Lieutenant │George Augustus Neville │Tea Planter, Assam │ - │ ” │Charles Edward Crane │Indigo Planter, Behar │ - │ ” │Charles Lyon Sidey[A] │Tea Planter, Assam │ - │ ” │Herbert Owain Pugh │Jute Broker, Calcutta │ - │ │ │ │ - │ │ A COMPANY │ │ - │ │ NO. 1 SECTION │ │ - │ │ │ │ - │Company │James Brennan[A] │York and Lancaster │ - │ Quartermaster- │ │ Regiment, Agra │ - │ Sergeant │ │ │ - │Farrier-Sergeant │William Marshall │54th Battery, R.F.A., │ - │ │ │ Meerut │ - │Sergeant │Herbert James Fox │Assistant Manager, │ - │ │ │ Dumraon Raj, Shahabad │ - │ │ │ District │ - │Corporal │Percy Jones │Indigo Planter, Benipore│ - │ │ │ Concern, Sakri, │ - │ │ │ Durbunga │ - │ ” │Herbert Wheeler Marsham │Indigo Planter, Motihari│ - │ │ │ Concern, Motihari, │ - │ │ │ Chumparan │ - │Lance-Corporal │Hugh F. Blair │Indigo Planter, Lalouria│ - │ │ │ Concern, Bettiah, │ - │ │ │ Chumparan │ - │Trooper │John Alexander Irwin │Indigo Planter, Dhroomra│ - │ │ │ Concern, Mozufferpore,│ - │ │ │ Tirhoot District │ - │ ” │Arthur John Hampton │Indigo Planter, Thurma │ - │ │ Nicholson │ Concern, Sitamari, │ - │ │ │ Tirhoot District │ - │ ” │Hector Rupert Kelly │Indigo Planter, │ - │ │ │ Bhagulpore │ - │ ” │Leonard Kars Zorab │Indigo Planter, │ - │ │ │ Bhagulpore │ - │ ” │John Stewart Campbell │Indigo Planter, Sunyat │ - │ │ │ Concern, Mozufferpore,│ - │ │ │ Tirhoot District │ - │ ” │Claud Leonard Bell │Indigo Planter, Sunyat │ - │ │ │ Concern, Mozufferpore,│ - │ │ │ Tirhoot District │ - │ ” │John Alexander Brown │Indigo Planter, │ - │ │ │ Jeetwarpore Concern, │ - │ │ │ Durbunga │ - │ ” │George Maxwell Smith │Indigo Planter, Begum │ - │ │ │ Sarai Concern, │ - │ │ │ Durbunga │ - │ ” │Charles Reginald │Indigo Planter, │ - │ │ Macdonald │ Dowlutpore Concern, │ - │ │ │ Durbunga │ - │ ” │George Patrick Osborn │Indigo Planter, Singhea │ - │ │ Springfield │ Concern, Hajipore, │ - │ │ │ Tirhoot │ - │ ” │John Alexander Fraser │Indigo Planter, │ - │ │ │ Mozufferpore, Tirhoot │ - │ ” │D.C. Percy Smith │Assistant Superintendent│ - │ │ │ of Police, Dinapore │ - │ ” │E. Harry Gough │Indigo Planter, Suddowat│ - │ │ │ Concern, Sewan, Saran │ - │ ” │Robert G. Collins │Indigo Planter, Singhea │ - │ │ │ Concern, Hajipore, │ - │ │ │ Tirhoot │ - │ ” │Bruce Macgregor Allan │Indigo Planter, Begum │ - │ │ │ Sarai Concern, │ - │ │ │ Durbunga │ - │ ” │John Henry │Indigo Planter, │ - │ │ │ Turcouleah Concern, │ - │ │ │ Chumparan │ - │ ” │Osborne Aldis │Indigo Planter, Dulsing │ - │ │ │ Sarai, Durbunga │ - │ ” │Henry George Newton │Indigo Planter, │ - │ │ │ Jaintpore Concern, │ - │ │ │ Mozufferpore │ - │ ” │Robert Pheydell Haines │Indigo Planter, │ - │ │ │ Mortipore Concern, │ - │ │ │ Mozufferpore │ - │ ” │Frederick William │Indigo Planter, Kahunia │ - │ │ Charles Lawrie │ Concern, Gorukhpore │ - │ ” │Allan Henry Buskin │Indigo Planter, Dooriah │ - │ │ │ Concern, Mozufferpore │ - │ │ │ │ - │ NO. 2 SECTION │ - │ │ │ │ - │Regimental │Cyril Montagu Charles │Indigo Planter, Serryah │ - │ Sergt.-Major │ Marsham │ Concern, Mozufferpore │ - │Sergeant │Francis Stewart │Indigo Planter, │ - │ │ McNamara[A] │ Burhoulie Concern, │ - │ │ │ Sewan, Saran │ - │Corporal │George Elliott Pollnitz │Indigo Planter, Burhoga │ - │ │ Llewhellin │ Concern, Saran │ - │Signr. │William Lee │York and Lancaster │ - │ Lance-Corporal │ │ Regiment, Agra │ - │Lance-Corporal │Arthur Helme Firth │Indigo Planter, Kanti │ - │ │ │ Cour Concern, │ - │ │ │ Mozufferpore, Tirhoot │ - │ ” │Angus Macgillivray │Indigo Planter, Sohazra │ - │ │ │ Concern, Sewan, Saran │ - │Saddler │Richard James Lance │3rd (K.O.) Hussars, │ - │ │ │ Lucknow │ - │Trooper │R.J. Clayton Daubney │Indigo Planter, Belsund │ - │ │ │ Concern, Durbunga │ - │ ” │Selwyn Long-Innes │Indigo Planter, Peeprah │ - │ │ │ Concern, Motihari, │ - │ │ │ Chumparan │ - │ ” │Howard Herbert Julian │Indigo Planter, │ - │ │ Hickley[A] │ Bhicanpore Concern, │ - │ │ │ Mozufferpore, Tirhoot │ - │ ” │Leslie Gwatkin Williams │Indigo Planter, Rajkund │ - │ │ │ Concern, Mozufferpore,│ - │ │ │ Tirhoot │ - │ ” │Burton Disney │Indigo Planter, Peeprah │ - │ │ Rutherfoord[A] │ Concern, Motihari, │ - │ │ │ Chumparan │ - │ ” │Charles Bertram H. │Indigo Planter, │ - │ │ Mansfield │ Ramcollah Concern, │ - │ │ │ Saran │ - │ ” │Philip Stanley │Indigo Planter, Bhamoo │ - │ │ │ Concern, Saran, Chupra│ - │ ” │Harry C. Lumsden │Indigo Planter, Chuckhea│ - │ │ │ Concern, Sewan, Saran │ - │ ” │Norman James Vaughan │Indigo Planter, Moniarah│ - │ │ Reid │ Concern, Gopalgunje, │ - │ │ │ Saran │ - │ ” │Spencer Cochrane Gordon │Indigo Planter, Matihari│ - │ │ │ Concern, Motihari, │ - │ │ │ Chumparan │ - │ ” │Christie West Fletcher │Indigo Planter, Dholi │ - │ │ │ Concern, Mozufferpore,│ - │ │ │ Tirhoot │ - │ ” │William Gordon Watson │Indigo Planter, │ - │ │ │ Mozufferpore, Tirhoot │ - │ ” │George Innes Watson │Indigo Planter, │ - │ │ │ Chitwarrah Concern, │ - │ │ │ Mozufferpore, Tirhoot │ - │ ” │Reginald N. Macdonald │Indigo Planter, Jogapore│ - │ │ │ Concern, Sewan, Saran │ - │ ” │Percy Strahan │Indigo Planter, Dulsing │ - │ │ │ Sarai Concern, │ - │ │ │ Durbunga │ - │ ” │John Pringle Kennedy │Indigo Planter, Munjoul │ - │ │ │ Concern, Monghyr │ - │ ” │Gilbert Denis Nicolay │Indigo Planter, Durbunga│ - │ ” │Cecil W. John │Indigo Planter, Peeprah │ - │ │ │ Concern, Motihari, │ - │ │ │ Chumparan │ - │ ” │Cyril Darcy Vivian │Indigo Planter, │ - │ │ Cary-Barnard │ Mozufferpore, Tirhoot │ - │ ” │R. Upton Case │Indigo Planter, │ - │ │ │ Chumparan │ - │ ” │Julian Victor Jameson │Indigo Planter, Ottur │ - │ │ │ Concern, Mozufferpore,│ - │ │ │ Tirhoot │ - │ ” │Knyvett Boileau │Indigo Planter, │ - │ │ │ Chitwarrah Concern, │ - │ │ │ Mozufferpore, Tirhoot │ - │ │ │ │ - │ NO. 3 SECTION │ - │ │ │ │ - │Sergeant │Walter Larkins Walker │Tea Planter, Doom Dooma │ - │ │ │ T.E., Assam │ - │Vety. │James Lee Stewart │Coffee Planter, Thollol │ - │ Lance-Sergeant │ │ Coffee Estate, Beber, │ - │ │ │ Mysore │ - │Paymaster-Sergeant│David Stewart Fraser │Assistant, Bank of │ - │ │ │ Bengal, Agra │ - │Lance-Sergeant │James Stemhurst Elliott │Tea Planter, Assam │ - │ │ │ Company, Towkok │ - │ │ │ Nazira, Assam │ - │Lance-Corporal │Arthur Collier Walker │Tea Planter, Doom Dooma │ - │ │ │ T.E., Assam │ - │ ” │Denis J. Keating │Assistant, Calcutta Port│ - │ │ │ Trust │ - │Signaller │Arthur Thomas Hayward │3rd Hussars, Lucknow │ - │Trooper │George E. Kenny │Tea Planter, Doom Dooma │ - │ │ │ T.E., Assam │ - │ ” │Arthur Leigh Godden[A] │Assistant, Messrs. │ - │ │ │ Kilburn & Co., │ - │ │ │ Calcutta │ - │ ” │Edward Nugent Bankes │Tea Planter, Majuli Tea │ - │ │ │ Co., Ltd., Behali, │ - │ │ │ Darrang, Assam │ - │ ” │Henry Cecil Charleton │Tea Planter, Darjeeling │ - │ │ Bennett │ │ - │ ” │Arnold Daniell Radford │Gentleman, Rose Cottage,│ - │ │ │ Sonada, Darjeeling │ - │ ” │Arthur Noel Woods │Tea Planter, Surmah │ - │ │ │ Valley T.E., South │ - │ │ │ Sylhet │ - │ ” │Lionel Hugh Bell │Tea Planter, Badlipar, │ - │ │ │ Sibsagar │ - │ ” │Arthur Henry Luard[A] │Tea Planter, Kingsley │ - │ │ │ Golaghat Tea Co., │ - │ │ │ Jorhat, Assam │ - │ ” │Clarence A. Walton │Tea Planter, Badlipar, │ - │ │ │ Golaghat, Assam │ - │ ” │Hugh Stanley Cheshire │Engineer, Assam-Bengal │ - │ │ │ Railway, Hathikhola │ - │ ” │Bertie Edward Jones │Tea Planter, Singh Tea │ - │ │ │ Co., Jaboka, Sibsagar │ - │ ” │Herbert Pearce Brown │Tea Planter, Khonjea │ - │ │ │ T.E., Rajmai, Sibsagar│ - │ ” │Charles Edward Stuart │Tea Planter, Assam │ - │ ” │John W.A. Skelton │Tea Planter, Salonah Tea│ - │ │ │ Co., Ltd., Nowgong, │ - │ │ │ Assam │ - │ ” │Rupert Henry Mackenzie │Tea Planter, Hattigor │ - │ │ │ T.E., Mungledai, Assam│ - │ ” │Edward Bayley Hadden │Tea Planter, │ - │ │ Parkes │ Doolapudung, Assam │ - │ ” │Johan Gottfried Petersen│Assistant, R.S.N. Co., │ - │ │ │ Ltd., Garden Reach, │ - │ │ │ Calcutta │ - │ ” │John Stratford Saunders │Tea Planter, Jorhat Tea │ - │ │ │ Co., Ltd., Nimaligarh,│ - │ │ │ Sibsagar │ - │ ” │John Francis Hughes │Tea Planter, Amalgamated│ - │ │ │ Tea Estate, Dibrugarh,│ - │ │ │ Assam │ - │ ” │Frank Tancred │Gentleman, Lahore │ - │ ” │Bertie Rhys Lloyd Jones │Survey Department, │ - │ │ │ Lahore │ - │ │ │ │ - │ NO. 4 SECTION │ - │ │ │ │ - │Company │Edgar Hall Mansfield │Assistant Examiner, │ - │ Sergeant-Major │ │ Milty. Accts. Dept., │ - │ │ │ Punjab Command, Lahore│ - │Sergeant │Robert Septimus Stowell │Brewer, Messrs. Meakin &│ - │ │ │ Co., Kirkee │ - │Corporal │George Lawrie │Photographer, Lucknow │ - │Lance-Corporal │William Solomon Lemon │Travelling Agent, │ - │ │ │ Calcutta │ - │ ” │Edward James Ballard │Planter, Peshawar │ - │Trooper │Charles Frederick Hayes │Clerk, Calcutta │ - │ ” │Ernest Phillip Sanders │Travelling Agent, │ - │ │ │ Calcutta │ - │ ” │Ernest Stanley Clifford │Gentleman, Delhi │ - │ ” │John David William │ │ - │ │ Holmes │ │ - │ ” │Harry Warren Puckridge │Bangalore │ - │ ” │Arthur Edward │Inspector of Police │ - │ │ Consterdine │ │ - │ ” │Donald Robert Graham │Planter, Palumpur │ - │ │ Glascock │ │ - │ ” │Frederick Charles Warren│ │ - │ │ Mercer │ │ - │ ” │John Haviland Sperrin │ │ - │ │ Richardson │ │ - │ ” │Isambard Clarke Webbe │ │ - │ ” │Frederick Maurice │Extra Assist. │ - │ │ Clifford │ Commissioner, Delhi │ - │ ” │James Sydney Cowen │Agent to the Amir of │ - │ │ │ Afghanistan, Peshawar │ - │ ” │Hubert Noel Shaw │Planter, Palumpur │ - │ ” │Wilfred Herbert Holme │Planter, Palumpur │ - │ ” │Arthur Patrick Courtenay│Gentleman, Umballa │ - │ ” │Charles Henry Mortimer │Gentleman, Kalka │ - │ │ Johnstone │ │ - │ ” │Charles Hilliard Donald │Assistant, Messrs. │ - │ │ │ Spedding & Co., │ - │ │ │ Kashmir │ - │ ” │Hugh Stopford Northcote │Plague Department, │ - │ │ Wright │ Secunderabad, Deccan │ - │ ” │Frank Graham Bateman │Planter, Mysore │ - │ ” │Frederick Wilford Wright│Assistant, N.G.S. │ - │ │ │ Railway, Secunderabad │ - │ ” │Alexander Atkinson │Gentleman, Lahore │ - │ ” │John Daly Lecky Arathoon│Assistant, Alliance Bank│ - │ │ │ of Simla, Calcutta │ - │ │ │ │ - │ MAXIM-GUN DETACHMENT │ - │ │ │ │ - │Sergeant │Ephraim Robert Dale │Contractor, Jubbulpore, │ - │ │ │ C.P. │ - │Trooper │Patrick Terence Corbett │Loco. Dept., E.I. │ - │ │ │ Railway, Jamalpore │ - │ ” │Ivan Victor G. Dowd │Loco. Dept., E.I. │ - │ │ │ Railway, Jamalpore │ - │ ” │Noel Jocelyn Bolst │Loco. Dept., E.I. │ - │ │ │ Railway, Asansol │ - │ ” │Charles Vivian Scott │Loco. Dept., E.I. │ - │ │ Dickens │ Railway Jamalpore │ - │ ” │John Joseph Booth[A] │Traffic Dept., E.I. │ - │ │ │ Railway, Howrah │ - │ │ │ (formerly Royal │ - │ │ │ Artillery) │ - │ │ │ │ - │ B COMPANY │ - │ NO. 1 SECTION │ - │ │ │ │ - │Sergeant │Gerald Edward Pierson │Tea Planter, Tarapore │ - │ │ Thesiger │ Tea Co., Cachar │ - │Corporal │William Townsend Smith │Tea Planter, Tarapore │ - │ │ │ Tea Co., Cachar │ - │ ” │Edward A. Chartres │Doctor, Ballacherra │ - │ │ │ T.E., Cachar │ - │Lance-Corporal │John Maclaine │Tea Planter, Hatticherra│ - │ │ │ T.E., Cachar │ - │Bugler │Hugh Kirkwood F.A.H. │Custom House Officer, │ - │ │ Dawson │ Calcutta │ - │Trooper │Charles Alexander Forbes│Tea Planter, Vernerpore │ - │ │ │ T.E., Hailakandi, │ - │ │ │ Cachar │ - │ ” │Cecil Wilfred Spicer │Tea Planter, Alyne T.E.,│ - │ │ │ Lukipore, Cachar │ - │ ” │William Reid │Tea Planter, Chargola │ - │ │ │ T.E., Sylhet │ - │ ” │William Edward Clifford │Tea Planter, Pathemara │ - │ │ Johnson │ T.E., Cachar │ - │ ” │Ian George Sinclair │Tea Planter, Kalline │ - │ │ │ T.E., Cachar │ - │ ” │Walter Reginald Winder │Tea Planter, Bhuberighat│ - │ │ │ T.E., Sylhet │ - │ ” │Archibald William │Tea Planter, Coombirgram│ - │ │ Harrison │ T.E., Cachar │ - │ ” │James Henry Archibald │Tea Planter, │ - │ │ Burn-Murdoch │ Dullabcherra T.E., │ - │ │ │ Sylhet │ - │ ” │Ernest Adair Thelwall │Tea Planter, Lungla Tea │ - │ │ │ Co., Sylhet │ - │ ” │Stanley Ducat │Tea Planter, Chargola │ - │ │ │ Tea Co., Sylhet │ - │ ” │James Whyte Stevenson[A]│Tea Planter, Hattikhira │ - │ │ │ T.E.,Sylhet │ - │ ” │Arthur Philip Woollright│Medical Officer, Assam │ - │ │ │ Bengal Railway │ - │ ” │Frederick Vivian Clerk │Engineer, Assam-Bengal │ - │ │ │ Railway │ - │ ” │Richard Tait Innes │Tea Planter, Chandypore │ - │ │ │ T.E., Hailakandi, │ - │ │ │ Cachar │ - │ ” │Arthur Ruthven Thornton │Journalist, Calcutta │ - │ ” │Malcolm Hunter Logan │Engineer, Assam-Bengal │ - │ │ │ Railway │ - │ ” │Robert Brooke Lungley │Tea Planter, Deundi │ - │ │ │ T.E., South Sylhet │ - │ ” │Herbert Wallace Thelwall│Tea Planter, Dooars │ - │ ” │Edmond Stewart Chapman │Tea Planter, Rema T.E., │ - │ │ │ South Sylhet │ - │ ” │Rawdon Graham Hunter │Tea Planter, Ballacherra│ - │ │ │ T.E., Cachar │ - │ ” │Alexander Lytle │Tea Planter, Alyne T.E.,│ - │ │ │ Cachar │ - │ ” │Edward B. Moir-Byres │Tea Planter, Tarrapore │ - │ │ │ Tea Co., Cachar │ - │ ” │Bernard Charles Albert │Tea Planter, Silcaorie │ - │ │ │ T.E., Cachar │ - │ ” │Philip Partridge │Tea Planter, Silcaorie │ - │ │ │ T.E., Cachar │ - │ ” │William Turnbull │Tea Planter, │ - │ │ │ Pathecherra, T.E., │ - │ │ │ Cachar │ - │ ” │Oliver Charles John │Tea Planter, Jalinga │ - │ │ Stevenson-Hamilton │ T.E., Cachar │ - │ ” │Harvey Davies │Tea Planter, South │ - │ │ │ Sylhet │ - │ │ │ │ - │ NO. 2 SECTION │ - │ │ │ │ - │Company │William Burrell │Royal Irish Rifles, │ - │ Sergeant-Major │ Hewitt[A] │ Calcutta │ - │Sergeant │Walter Arnold Conduit │Assistant Engineer, B.N.│ - │ │ │ Railway │ - │Lance-Sergeant │Philip Bunbury Warburton│Assistant, Bank of │ - │ │ │ Bengal, Calcutta │ - │Farrier-Sergeant │Frederick Edwards │15th Hussars, Meerut │ - │Corporal │Francis Stuart Montagu │Merchant, Rangoon │ - │ │ Bates │ │ - │Lance-Corporal │Charles Maclean Jack │Assistant, Messrs. Shaw,│ - │ │ │ Wallace, & Co., │ - │ │ │ Calcutta │ - │ ” │Graham Peddie[A] │Assistant District │ - │ │ │ Traffic │ - │ │ │ Superintendent, E.I. │ - │ │ │ Railway │ - │Saddler │Henry Briggs │15th Hussars, Meerut │ - │Trooper │Harry Howes │Superintendent, Rangoon │ - │ │ │ Boat Club │ - │Trooper │Lewis Hills Cubitt │Broker, Calcutta │ - │ ” │Herbert Nicholson Betts │Jute Broker, Calcutta │ - │ ” │Walter Douglas Jones │Merchant, Calcutta │ - │ ” │William Burton Elwes │Indo-European │ - │ │ │ Telegraphs, Madras │ - │ ” │Charles Edward Turner │Assistant, Messrs. │ - │ │ │ Bullock │ - │ │ │ │ - │ │ │ Brothers, │ - │ │ │ Rangoon │ - │ ” │Thomas Brinsley │Coffee Planter, Yercand │ - │ │ Nicholson │ │ - │ ” │Phillip Chamberlayne │Indigo Planter, Purneah │ - │ │ Preston │ │ - │ ” │Harry Bright Oldham │Tea Planter │ - │ ” │George Alfred Gowenlock │Tea Planter, Darjeeling │ - │ ” │Eian Ingram Lockhart │Indigo Planter, Behar │ - │ ” │Reginald William Royds │Indigo Planter, Purneah │ - │ │ Birch │ │ - │ ” │Alfred Frederick Franks │Assistant Engineer, │ - │ │ │ B.-N. Railway │ - │ ” │Morris William Clifford │P.W.D. Accounts, Lahore │ - │ ” │Cecil Grant Huddleston │Mining Engineer, │ - │ │ │ Hyderabad State │ - │ ” │John Graves[A] │Assistant, Bank of │ - │ │ │ Bengal, Hyderabad │ - │ ” │Alfred Holberton Francis│Assistant, Messrs. Thos.│ - │ │ │ Cook │ - │ │ │ │ - │ │ │ & Sons, Rangoon │ - │ ” │Charles Henry McMinn │N.W.P. Police │ - │ ” │William Harold Nicolay │N.W.P. Police │ - │ ” │Harry Baden Powis │Tutor, Simla │ - │ ” │Harold Cooper │Assistant Engineer, East│ - │ │ │ Coast Railway │ - │ ” │Henry Dawson Were │Gentleman, Broadclyst, │ - │ │ │ S. Devon │ - │ │ │ │ - │ NO. 3 SECTION │ - │ │ │ │ - │Sergeant │Harry Alexander Campbell│Coffee Planter, │ - │ │ │ Natroeull Estate, │ - │ │ │ Koppa, Kadur Dist. │ - │Corporal │Lionel Edward Kirwan │Coffee Planter, │ - │ │ │ Santaweri Estate, │ - │ │ │ Birur, Kadur Dist. │ - │Lance-Corporal │George Horne │Coffee Planter, │ - │ │ │ Bykarhully Estate, │ - │ │ │ Sakluspur, Hassan │ - │ │ │ Dist. │ - │ ” │Talbot Cox │Coffee Planter, Santi │ - │ │ │ Kappa Estate, North │ - │ │ │ Coorg │ - │Trooper │Bernard Cayley │Coffee Planter, Honpet │ - │ │ │ Estate, Santaweri, │ - │ │ │ Birur, Kadur Dist. │ - │ ” │Lionel Kingchurch │Coffee Planter, │ - │ │ │ Balihonur Estate, │ - │ │ │ Kadur Dist. │ - │ ” │Francis Bere Follett │Coffee Planter, Bynekhan│ - │ │ │ Estate, Chickamagloor,│ - │ │ │ Kadur Dist. │ - │ ” │Henry Percy Cobb │Coffee Planter, │ - │ │ │ Arabedicool Estate, │ - │ │ │ Chickamagloor, Kadur │ - │ │ │ Dist. │ - │ ” │James Charles Dent │Coffee Planter, Bynekhan│ - │ │ Bewsher │ Estate, Chickamagloor,│ - │ │ │ Kadur Dist. │ - │ ” │Arthur Ernest Norton │Coffee Planter, │ - │ │ │ Santaweri Estate, │ - │ │ │ Birur, Kadur Dist. │ - │ ” │Thomas Edward Marmaduke │Indigo Broker, Madras │ - │ │ Lawson │ │ - │ ” │Montagu Beadon Follett │Coffee Planter, │ - │ │ │ Nungangode Estate, │ - │ │ │ Mysore │ - │ ” │Crosbie Charles Harvey │Coffee Planter, Davekhan│ - │ │ │ Estate, Koppa, Kadur │ - │ │ │ Dist. │ - │Trooper │Hugh Allardice │Coffee Planter, Burgode │ - │ │ │ Estate, Chickamagloor,│ - │ │ │ Kadur Dist. │ - │ ” │Melville Seymour Biscoe │Coffee Planter, │ - │ │ │ Chickolly Estate, │ - │ │ │ Chickamagloor, Kadur │ - │ │ │ Dist. │ - │ ” │Herbert Cecil Wood │Coffee Planter, Mercara,│ - │ │ │ North Coorg │ - │ ” │Thomas Lawrence Dalton │Coffee Planter, Huntrey │ - │ │ │ Estate, Shanwara │ - │ │ │ Santi, Mungerabad │ - │ ” │John Arthur Graham │Coffee Planter, Halari │ - │ │ │ Estate, Mercara, North│ - │ │ │ Coorg │ - │ ” │Claude Kennedy Martin │Coffee Planter, Palamado│ - │ │ │ Estate, Mercara, North│ - │ │ │ Coorg │ - │ ” │Lewis Collingwood Bearne│Coffee Planter, │ - │ │ │ Pollibetta Estate, │ - │ │ │ South Coorg │ - │ ” │Rex Johnston Smith │Coffee Planter, │ - │ │ │ Pollibetta Estate, │ - │ │ │ South Coorg │ - │ ” │Herbert Evetts │Coffee Planter, │ - │ │ │ Murguddi, Sullibile, │ - │ │ │ Kadur Dist. │ - │ ” │Claude Francis Walton │Police Inspector, Mysore│ - │ │ │ Service, Mudigiri, │ - │ │ │ Kadur Dist. │ - │ ” │David Onslow Allardice │Coffee Planter, Gubcull │ - │ │ │ Estate, Mudigiri, │ - │ │ │ Kadur Dist. │ - │ ” │Seymour Sladden │Coffee Planter, Badni │ - │ │ │ Estate, Sudaspore, │ - │ │ │ Hassan Dist. │ - │ ” │Ernest Alfred Sydenham │Coffee Planter, │ - │ │ Clarke │ Hitherhulli Estate, │ - │ │ │ Shanwara Santi, │ - │ │ │ Mungerabad │ - │ ” │Charles Elsee │Coffee Planter, Shanwara│ - │ │ │ Santi, Mungerabad, │ - │ │ │ Hassan Dist. │ - │ ” │Divie Robertson │Coffee Planter, Kerke │ - │ │ │ Coondah Estate, │ - │ │ │ Sullibile, Kadur Dist.│ - │ ” │Francis Hannay │Coffee Planter, Could │ - │ │ Cunningham │ Hilton Estate, Koppa, │ - │ │ │ Kadur Dist. │ - │ │ │ │ - │ NO. 4 SECTION │ - │ │ │ │ - │Sergeant │Ernest Dawson │Uncovenanted Civil │ - │ │ │ Service, Pagan, Burmah│ - │Vety.-Sergeant │Lewis Joseph Orland │Superintendent of │ - │ │ Oakley │ Stables, Maharajah of │ - │ │ │ Cooch-Behar │ - │ ” │Frank Deccan Sheriff │Tea Planter, Eastern │ - │ │ Mitchell │ Assam Co., Balijan │ - │Sig.-Sergeant │Albert John Longman │Sergeant Signaller, 3rd │ - │ │ │ Hussars, Lucknow │ - │Corporal │Alick Cyril Pratt[A] │D.I.S., B. & N.W. │ - │ │ │ Railway, Somastipore │ - │Lance-Corporal │Arthur D. Butler │Assistant, Messrs. Oakes│ - │ │ │ & Co., Madras │ - │ ” │Albert Hedley Jackman[A]│Traveller, Messrs. │ - │ │ │ Wrenn, Bennett & Co., │ - │ │ │ Madras │ - │Signaller │William Lowe │3rd Hussars, Lucknow │ - │Shoeing-Smith │Osborne Reginald │Shoeing Smith, 15th │ - │ │ Cuthbert │ Hussars, Meerut │ - │Trooper │William Kilner Brown │Assistant, Audit Office,│ - │ │ │ E.I. Railway, Calcutta│ - │ ” │Herbert James Moorhouse │P.O. Department, │ - │ │ │ Bangalore │ - │ ” │John Boyd Johnston │Assistant, Planters’ │ - │ │ │ Stores and Agency Co.,│ - │ │ │ Ltd., Calcutta │ - │ ” │Charles W. Maxwell │Assistant, Messrs. │ - │ │ │ William Watson & Co., │ - │ │ │ Calcutta │ - │ ” │Hugh James Renny │Tea Planter, Jalpaiguri │ - │ ” │George Augustus │Secretary, Rampur Raj, │ - │ │ Phillips[A] │ Rampur, N.W.P. │ - │ ” │David Liddell │2nd Officer, B.I.S.N. │ - │ │ Livingstone │ Co., Calcutta │ - │ ” │James Moore │Cawnpore Woollen Mills, │ - │ │ │ Cawnpore, N.W.P. │ - │ ” │William Walter Hight │Coffee Planter, │ - │ │ │ Valakadai Peak │ - │ │ │ Estate,Yercand, Salem │ - │ ” │Edward John Burgess │Assistant to the │ - │ │ │ Secretary, Government │ - │ │ │ of India, Home Dept. │ - │ ” │Robert Pennington │Chief Officer, B.I.S.N. │ - │ │ Williams │ Co., Calcutta │ - │ ” │Richard Grant Dagge │Captain, B.I.S.N. Co., │ - │ │ │ Calcutta │ - │ ” │Arthur King Meares │Gentleman, Ranchi, Chota│ - │ │ │ Nagpur │ - │ ” │Willie King Meares │Gentleman, Ranchi, Chota│ - │ │ │ Nagpur │ - │ ” │Walter Ernest Dexter │Chief Officer, Hajee │ - │ │ │ Cassim Line of │ - │ │ │ Steamers, Bombay │ - │ ” │Sydney Ward Circuitt │Jute Merchant, Pubna, │ - │ │ Lucas │ Lower Bengal │ - │ ” │Harry Rufus Parks │Asiatic Steam Navigation│ - │ │ │ Co., Calcutta │ - │ ” │Robert Charles Nolan │Mounted Police, Calcutta│ - │ ” │Joseph Seymour Biscoe │Salt Revenue Dept., │ - │ │ │ Northern Frontier, │ - │ │ │ Singum │ - │ ” │John Lewis Behan │Journalist, Calcutta │ - │ ” │Douglas Morison │Tea Planter, Assam │ - │ ” │Harry McGregor │Engineer, B.I.S.N. Co., │ - │ │ │ Calcutta │ - │ │ │ │ - │ A COMPANY TRANSPORT │ - │ │ │ │ - │Sergeant │Fred. Stephens │Indian Commissariat │ - │ │ │ Transport Department, │ - │ │ │ Howrah │ - │Driver │George Edward Wilkinson │Clerk, Medical College │ - │ │ │ Hospital, Calcutta │ - │ ” │Sydney Graham │Clerk, B.I.S.N. Company │ - │ │ Nightingale │ │ - │ ” │Leo. Davis │Tea Planter, Darjeeling │ - │ ” │Herbert Gregory Phillips│Clerk, B.I.S.N. Company │ - │ ” │Douglas Daly │Foot Police, Calcutta │ - │ ” │Richard Arthur Grenville│Foot Police, Calcutta │ - │ ” │Percy William Pryce │Assistant, Messrs. │ - │ │ │ Peliti & Co., Calcutta│ - │ ” │Percy Harrington Paxton │Custom House Officer, │ - │ │ │ Calcutta │ - │ ” │Frederick Charles │Custom House Officer, │ - │ │ Manville │ Calcutta │ - │ ” │Richard Parker │Assistant, Grand Hotel, │ - │ │ Estabrooke │ Darjeeling │ - │ ” │George Johnston Shaw │Guard, E.I. Railway, │ - │ │ │ Jamalpore │ - │ ” │Edmond John Power │Travelling Agent, │ - │ │ │ Messrs. Phelps & Co., │ - │ │ │ Calcutta │ - │ ” │John Charles[A] │Rice Broker, Rangoon │ - │ ” │Trewren Hare Scott │Rawalpindi │ - │ ” │George William Harrison │Guard, E.I. Railway, │ - │ │ │ Calcutta │ - │ ” │John Canute Doyle │Reporter, ‘Englishman,’ │ - │ │ │ Calcutta │ - │Driver │George William Palmer │Gentleman, Calcutta │ - │ ” │William G. Arthurton │Assistant, Messrs. │ - │ │ │ Whiteaway, Laidlaw, & │ - │ │ │ Co., Calcutta │ - │ ” │Lionel Willis │Theatrical Agent, │ - │ │ │ Calcutta │ - │ ” │John Frederick Richey │Audit Department, E.I. │ - │ │ │ Railway, Jamalpore │ - │ ” │Patrick W. Anderson │Assistant, Great Eastern│ - │ │ │ Hotel, Calcutta │ - │ ” │William Edward Harris │Clerk, E.I. Railway, │ - │ │ │ Calcutta │ - │ ” │Charles William │Assistant, Messrs. │ - │ │ Lovegrove │ Whiteaway, Laidlaw, & │ - │ │ │ Co., Calcutta │ - │ ” │Leo Horatio Bradford │Assistant, Messrs. Ball,│ - │ │ │ Mudie, & Co., Lahore │ - │ ” │Sherbrook William Cullen│Assistant, Messrs. │ - │ │ │ Harman & Co., Calcutta│ - │ ” │William Burnand │Clerk, E.I. Railway, │ - │ │ │ Jamalpore │ - │ │ │ │ - │ B COMPANY TRANSPORT │ - │ │ │ │ - │Driver │John James Campbell │Assistant Tea Planter, │ - │ │ │ Dibrugarh, Assam │ - │ ” │Alfred Morris │Assistant, Adelphi │ - │ │ │ Hotel, Calcutta │ - │ ” │William B. Brown │Engineer, B.I.S.N. Co. │ - │ ” │John Francis E. Morley │Assistant Tea Planter, │ - │ │ │ Kandie, Ceylon │ - │ ” │Francis Campbell │Clerk, E.I. Railway, │ - │ │ Thompson │ Calcutta │ - │ ” │Walter Henry Wheeler │Manager, Charing Cross │ - │ │ │ Hotel, Lahore │ - │ ” │Harry Archibald Campbell│Assistant, Messrs. │ - │ │ │ Davis, Leech, & Co., │ - │ │ │ Calcutta │ - │ ” │Albert Martin │Custom House Officer, │ - │ │ │ Calcutta │ - │ ” │Ernest Henry Waller │Coffee Planter │ - │ ” │Henry Tomlinson Smith │Travelling Agent, Great │ - │ │ │ Eastern Hotel, │ - │ │ │ Calcutta │ - │ ” │Harry Richard Rice │Clerk, Custom House, │ - │ │ │ Calcutta │ - │ ” │George Goodliffe │Veterinary Surgeon, │ - │ │ │ Messrs. Brown & Co., │ - │ │ │ Calcutta │ - │ ” │Richard Millett Crux │Military Accounts │ - │ │ │ Office, Lahore │ - │ ” │Sydney Herbert Bradford │Assistant, Messrs. Ball,│ - │ │ │ Mudie, & Co., Lahore │ - │ ” │Stephen Harry Kearsey │Military Accounts │ - │ │ │ Office, Lahore │ - │ ” │Edward Adlam │Railway Coolie │ - │ │ │ Contractor, Lahore │ - │ ” │Ormond Edward Fitzgerald│Tea Planter, Kangra │ - │ │ │ Valley │ - │ ” │Henry William Fuller │Coffee Planter │ - │ ” │William Rust │Agent for the Maharajah │ - │ │ │ of Nepal, Calcutta │ - │ ” │John Braine │Tea Planter, Gauhati, │ - │ │ │ Assam │ - │ ” │Robert Wallace Hyde │Assistant, Bristol │ - │ │ │ Hotel, Calcutta │ - │ ” │Harry Macgregor │Engineer, B.I.S.N. Co., │ - │ │ │ Wellington, New │ - │ │ │ Zealand │ - │ ” │Richard Pringle │Clerk, Custom House, │ - │ │ │ Calcutta │ - │ ” │Fred Leslie Lowther │Clerk, Custom House, │ - │ │ │ Calcutta │ - │ ” │Patrick William Banks │Guard, E.I. Railway, │ - │ │ │ Jamalpore │ - │ ” │Robert Henry Baldwin │Custom House Officer, │ - │ │ │ Calcutta │ - └──────────────────┴────────────────────────┴────────────────────────┘ - -Footnote A: - - Subsequently promoted. - - - APPENDIX II - _MOBILISATION SECTION, ARMY HEADQUARTERS_ - - DATED FORT WILLIAM, JANUARY 1900 - - _Scheme for the despatch of Two Companies Mounted Volunteers - to South Africa_ - - -Her Majesty’s Government having accepted the offer of the Government of -India to provide a force of Mounted Volunteers for service in South -Africa, two companies of Mounted Infantry, to be called ‘The Indian -Mounted Infantry Corps (Lumsden’s Horse),’ will be raised immediately at -Calcutta under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel D. McT. Lumsden, of the -Volunteer Force of India, Supernumerary List, Assam Valley Light Horse. - -_Terms of Enlistment._—The term of enlistment for officers and men will -be for one year, or for not less than the period of the war. - -All members of the force will be entitled to free passages to India on -discharge or completion of engagement. - -Preference will be given to Volunteers from Mounted Volunteer corps, but -Volunteers belonging to Infantry corps who may possess the requisite -qualifications will also be eligible. - -_Qualifications._—Candidates must be from twenty to forty years of age -and of good character. Infantry Volunteers must show that they are good -riders. - -All candidates must obtain a medical certificate of fitness for active -service. Civil surgeons will be asked to examine free of charge all -candidates applying for enlistment. - -_Pay._—The pay and allowances for officers and men will be at British -Cavalry rates from date of enlistment. - -_Allowances._—Particulars regarding wound pensions, gratuities, and -family pensions will be given later. - -_Rations._—All ranks will receive rations as for British soldiers from -date of joining. - -_Organisation._—_Establishment._—The corps will be organised in two -companies as under: - - - ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── - Officers Sergeants Artificers Buglers R.&F. Total - ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── - Staff— - Lieutenant-Colonel 1 — — — — 1 - Second in Command 1 — — — — 1 - Adjutant and 1[B] — — — — 1 - Quartermaster - Medical Officer 1 — — — — 1 - Quartermaster- — 1[B] — — — 1 - Sergeant - ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── - Total 4 1 — — — 5 - ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── - Detail of one - Company— - Major (or Captain) 1[B] — — — — 1 - Captain or 4 — — — — 4 - Subalterns - Company — 1[B] — — — 1 - Sergeant-Major - Company - Quartermaster- - Sergeant — 1[B] — — — 1 - Sergeants — 4 — — — 4 - Farrier-Sergeant — 1[B] — — — 1 - Shoeing-Smiths — — 2[C] — — 2 - Saddlers — — 1 — — 1 - Signallers — 1 — — 1 2 - Buglers — — — 2[C] — 2 - Rank and File — — — — 104 104 - ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── - Total of one Company 5 8 3 2 105 123 - ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── - Total of two 10 16 6 4 210 246 - Companies - ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── - Total of Staff 4 1 — — — 5 - ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── - GRAND TOTAL OF UNIT 14 17 6 4 210 251 - ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── - - - ─────────────────────────────────────────────── - Horses Ponies Private - or Mules Followers - ─────────────────────────────────────────────── - Staff— - Lieutenant-Colonel 2 3 - Second in Command 2 3 - Adjutant and 2 3 - Quartermaster - Medical Officer 2 3 - Quartermaster- 1 — - Sergeant - ─────────────────────────────────────────────── - Total 9 12 - ─────────────────────────────────────────────── - Detail of one - Company— - Major (or Captain) 2 3 - Captain or 8 12 - Subalterns - Company 1 — - Sergeant-Major - Company - Quartermaster- - Sergeant 1 — - Sergeants 4 — - Farrier-Sergeant 1 — - Shoeing-Smiths 2 — - Saddlers 1 — - Signallers 2 — - Buglers 2 — - Rank and File 104 — - ─────────────────────────────────────────────── - Total of one Company 128 15 - ─────────────────────────────────────────────── - Total of two 256 30 - Companies - ─────────────────────────────────────────────── - Total of Staff 9 12 - ─────────────────────────────────────────────── - GRAND TOTAL OF UNIT 265 42 - ─────────────────────────────────────────────── - - -Footnote B: - - From Regular Army. - -Footnote C: - - One from Regular Army, the other a Volunteer. - -The following officers, non-commissioned officers, and men will be drawn -from the Regular Army: - - Adjutant and Quartermaster 1 - Company Commanders (Majors or Captains) 2 - - Total Officers 3 - Quartermaster-Sergeant 1 - Company Sergeant-Majors 2 - Company Quartermaster-Sergeants 2 - Farrier-Sergeants 2 - Shoeing-Smiths 2 - Saddlers 2 - Signallers 4 - Buglers 2 - — - Total 17 - -The force will be equipped and trained as Mounted Infantry. - -Officers will be equipped and armed as far as possible like the men. - -Officers and men will provide their own horses. - -Officers’ Servants.—Officers will be allowed one personal native servant -each and one syce for each charger. Total, three native servants per -officer. - -_Ordnance Department._—Arms, ammunition, accoutrements, and equipment -will be issued _free_ by the Ordnance Department according to the scales -given. - -Officers and men will be armed with ·303 rifles and bayonets. - -All members of Volunteer corps of Light Horse or Mounted Rifles joining -the corps may, if they so wish it, bring with them the saddlery and -equipment issued to them in their present corps. - -Saddlery and camp equipment, according to the scales given, will be -supplied under regimental arrangements. If required the Ordnance -Department will supply saddlery and camp equipment on payment. - -The Ordnance Department will supply _free_ transport saddlery and -draught harness according to scale given. - -Line gear including one knee halter per horse will be provided _free_ by -the Ordnance Department. - -Two horse loads of entrenching tools as for a British Cavalry regiment, -together with complete equipment of saddlery, bridles, and entrenching -tool bags for two horses, will be provided _free_ by Ordnance -Department. - -Artificers’ tools and stores and miscellaneous stores, including two -light forges for pack saddles, will be issued _free_ by Ordnance -Department. - -_Signalling._—Signalling equipment will be issued _free_ on the field -service scale for a British Cavalry regiment. - -_Ammunition._—Small-arm ammunition will be issued at the rate of 650 -rounds per rifle, calculated according to the following scale: - - On soldier 100 rounds per rifles - - 1st Reserve (34 boxes) 132 ” ” - - 2nd ” (Ammunition Column and 268 ” ” - Park) - - Practice ammunition 150 ” ” - -Mark II. ·303 ammunition only will be taken for use in South Africa. The -practice ammunition may be black powder ammunition. - -Revolver ammunition will be issued at the rate of 150 rounds per -officer’s revolver calculated as under: - - On person 24 rounds per revolver - - 1st Reserve 26 ” ” - - 2nd ” (Ammunition Column and 50 ” ” - Park) - - Practice ammunition 50 ” ” - - Total 150 - -Two boxes of revolver ammunition will be carried with the 1st reserve -rifle ammunition. All the above ammunition will be issued at Calcutta. - -The 2nd reserve of rifle and revolver ammunition will on arrival of the -corps in South Africa be handed over to the Ordnance Department as may -be directed by the local military authorities. - -_Cooking Utensils._—Cooking utensils will be provided _free_ by the -Commissariat Department if required—viz., five sets of three oval camp -kettles (with one gridiron, chopper, and ladle for each kettle) per -company; one set weighs 39½ lb. - -_Transport._—Transport mules or ponies will be provided by the corps for -1st reserve ammunition, medical equipment and signalling equipment. -These animals should be trained to draught or pack work. Army transport -_carts_ as required will be provided _free_ by the Commissariat -Department. - -_Clothing._—Sea kit, as prescribed for the Cape Route in Army -Regulations, India, Volume V., Article 2166 (but without mattresses), -will be issued _free_ to all non-commissioned officers and men by the -Commissariat Transport Department. - -Clothing will be provided under regimental arrangements, but field -service and other clothing as required will be issued on payment indent -by the Commissariat Transport Department. - -_Supplies._—(_a_) Thirty days’ sea rations for men and animals will be -placed on the transport by the Commissariat Department. - -(_b_) In addition to the above sea rations, three months’ rations for -men and one month’s crushed gram and compressed hay for animals will be -provided and shipped by the Commissariat Department. - -(_c_) Supplies will be packed in one-maund packages and in waterproof -bags where necessary. - -_Veterinary._—The Principal Veterinary Officer in India will arrange for -the veterinary inspection of horses before embarkation and for the -necessary veterinary arrangements for the voyage. The corps will be -provided _free_ with two field veterinary chests and two veterinary -wallets. - -_Medical._—The Principal Medical Officer of her Majesty’s Forces in -India will issue orders for the necessary medical arrangements for the -voyage. The corps will be provided _free_ with medical equipment as for -a British Cavalry regiment on field service, except that two field -stretchers and four blanket stretchers will be provided. - -_Office Stationery._—The Superintendent Government Stationery will issue -_free_ such stationery as may be required for use in the regimental -office. - -The Superintendent Government Printing will supply _free_ such books and -forms as may be required for use in the regimental office. - -The officers in charge Mathematical Instrument Office will issue _free_ -such instruments as may be required on a scale not exceeding that of a -British Cavalry regiment on field service. - -_Embarkation._—The force will be embarked at Calcutta. The Director of -the Royal Indian Marine will arrange for the necessary sea transport for -conveyance of the force, informing the General Officer Commanding -Presidency District of the vessel or vessels he proposes to charter. The -vessels will then be surveyed in accordance with Army Regulations, -India, Volume X., and as soon as the date of sailing is known the -General Officer Commanding the Presidency District will arrange for the -embarkation of the force. Details regarding the transports engaged, date -of sailing, and probable date of arrival at Durban should be sent to -Army Headquarters and to the Bengal Command. - -_Stores, Rest Camps._—The General Officer Commanding the Presidency -District will make such arrangements as may be needed to facilitate the -raising of the force, the provision of such storage accommodation as may -be necessary, and for rest camps. He will be responsible for receiving -stores for the force and for loading the transport. - -_Telegrams._—The Lieutenant-General Commanding the Forces, Bengal, will -authorise the despatch of telegrams on the ‘debit note’ system from such -offices as may be concerned with the raising, equipment, and despatch of -the force. He will communicate to the Director-General of Telegraphs the -designations and head-quarters of officers whom he authorises to use the -‘debit note’ system, and any other offices from which such telegrams are -likely to be despatched. ‘Debit note’ telegrams cannot be despatched -from railway offices. - -All telegrams will be endorsed, ‘Lumsden’s Horse. Debit cost to Military -Department.’ - -_Report and Maps of Transvaal._—Copies of ‘A Short Military Report on -the Transvaal,’ together with maps, will be supplied by the Intelligence -Branch, Quartermaster-General’s Department, Simla. - -_Press Correspondents._—No member of the corps will be permitted to act -as a Press correspondent except with the special permission of the -military authorities in South Africa. - -_Expenditure Accounts._—The various departments of the Army are -authorised to issue on ‘payment indents’ such supplies, stores, -equipment, and clothing as may be required, in addition to the free -issues referred to above. All such payment indents will be clearly -marked ‘Lumsden’s Horse. On payment.’ - -All supplies, stores, equipment, and clothing issued from stock to the -force should be replaced as soon as possible, and all charges connected -with the raising, equipping, and despatching of the force other than -those borne by the corps itself should be debited to the Government of -India under the heading ‘Lumsden’s Horse.’ - -FORT WILLIAM: _January 1900_. - - FIELD-SERVICE KIT - - ┌──────────────────────────────────────────┬────────────┬────────────┐ - │ —— │ Officers │ N.C.O. and │ - │ │ │ Men │ - ├──────────────────────────────────────────┼────────────┼────────────┤ - │ │ │ │ - │ _On Person_ │ │ │ - │Helmet with khaki cover, pagri, and chin │ 1 │ 1 │ - │strap (or felt hat) │ │ │ - │Khaki serge coat │ 1 │ 1 │ - │Pantaloons, Bedford cord │ 1 │ 1 │ - │Khaki putties or leather gaiters │ 1 │ 1 │ - │Walking boots │ 1 │ 1 │ - │Spurs, jack │ 1 │ 1 │ - │Drawers │ 1 │ 1 │ - │Flannel shirt │ 1 │ 1 │ - │Socks, woollen pairs │ 1 │ 1 │ - │Vest │ 1 │ 1 │ - │Flannel belt │ 1 │ 1 │ - │Braces │ 1 │ 1 │ - │Pocket handkerchief │ 1 │ — │ - │Sword │ 1 │ 1 │ - │Revolver (and ammunition) │ 1 │ — │ - │Belts set │ 1 │ 1 │ - │Bandolier │ 1 │ 1 │ - │Field glasses (if not on saddle) │ 1 │ 1 (N.C.O. │ - │ │ │ only) │ - │Compass │ 1 │1 (ditto)│ - │Watch │ 1 │1 (ditto)│ - │Note-book │ 1 │1 (ditto)│ - │Water-bottle │ 1 │ 1 │ - │Haversack, with knife, fork, and cup │ 1 │ 1 │ - │Map, linen (if available) │ 1 │ 1 (N.C.O. │ - │ │ │ only) │ - │First field dressing (in special pocket) │ 1 │ 1 │ - │Descriptive card (ditto) │ — │ 1 │ - │Emergency ration (if available) │ 1 │ 1 │ - │Pocket dressing-case │ 1 (Medical │ — │ - │ │ Officer │ │ - │ │ only) │ │ - │ │ │ │ - │ _Carried in Kit_ │ │ │ - │ │ │ │ - │Khaki helmet cover, spare │ 1 │ 1 │ - │Khaki drill coat │ 1 │ 1 │ - │Khaki serge coat │ 1 │ 1 │ - │Khaki trousers, serge │ 1 │ 1 │ - │ ” ” drill │ 1 │ 1 │ - │Pantaloons, Bedford cord │ 1 │ 1 │ - │Field service cap │ 1 │ 1 │ - │Walking boots (and spare laces) │ 1 │ 1 │ - │Putties, khaki pair │ 1 │ 1 │ - │Drawers │ 2 │ 1 │ - │Flannel shirts │ 2 │ 1 │ - │Socks, woollen pairs │ 3 │ 1 │ - │Vests │ 2 │ 1 │ - │Flannel belt │ 1 │ 1 │ - │Pocket-handkerchiefs │ 5 │ 2 │ - │Housewife │ 1 │ 1 │ - │Holdall │ 1 │ 1 │ - │Towels │ 2 │ 2 │ - │Blankets │ 2 │ 2 │ - │Wolseley valise │ 1 │ — │ - │Waterproof sheet │ 1 │ 1 │ - │Basin, canvas │ 1 │ — │ - │Dubbing tin │ 1 │ 1 │ - │Small book │ — │ 1 │ - │Diary │ 1 │ — │ - │Field Service Departmental Code, Medical │ 1 (Medical │ │ - │ │ Officer │ │ - │ │ only) │ │ - │Writing-case │ 1 │ — │ - │Lantern │ 1 │ — │ - │Cardigan jacket │ 1 │ 1 │ - │Warm coat │ 1 │ 1 │ - │Mittens pair │ 1 │ 1 │ - │Balaclava cap │ 1 │ 1 │ - │Cooking utensils set │ 1 │ — │ - │Enamelled tin plates, cups, &c. set │ 1 │ 1 │ - │Logline for packing, 15 feet │ — │ 1 │ - └──────────────────────────────────────────┴────────────┴────────────┘ - - - _Artificers’ Tools and Stores (to be supplied free by - Government)_ - - Armourer’s tools and stores 80 lb. - - Saddler’s tools and stores 160 ” - - Materials for repairs of accoutrements, saddlery, 160 ” - and line gear - - Shoeing iron and charcoal 160 ” - - Reserve of shoes with nails 160 ” - - _Miscellaneous Stores (to be supplied free by Government)_ - - Handcuffs 2 pairs - - Steelyards, with weights, complete 1 set - - Scales, weights, with small stores, &c. 1 - - Light forges, Mark IV., pack saddle, I.P. 2 - - _Veterinary Stores (to be supplied free by Government)_ - - Universal field veterinary chests 2 - - Veterinary wallets 2 - - _Medical Stores (to be supplied free by Government)_ - - Medical field panniers 1 pair - - Field medical companion 1 - - ” surgical haversack 1 - - ” ” Cavalry bag 1 - - ” stretchers 2 - - Blanket stretchers 4 - - - _Quartermaster’s Stores (to be supplied on payment by - Government if required)._ - - Drawers, cotton 25 pairs - - Coats, khaki serge 25 - - Trousers, serge, khaki 25 pairs - - ” drill ” 25 ” - - Boots, ankle 25 ” - - Socks, woollen 25 ” - - Shirts, flannel 25 - - Caps, forage 10 - - Buttons, coat, small 6 doz. - - ” iron, trousers 2 gross - - Cloth, serge, khaki 20 yds. - - Chin, strapers, helmet, leather 10 - - Thread, black and coloured 5 lb. - - ” khaki 4 ” - - Dubbing - Soap, washing 30 ” - - Scissors, tailor’s, 9” 1 pair - - Oil, Rangoon (1 gallon per company) 2 cans - - _Shoemakers’ Tools and Stores (to be supplied free by - Government)_ - - Soles, half pairs 50 - - Lifts ” ” 50 - - Tips ” ” 50 - - Nails, tip 1 lb. - - Rivets 7 ” - - Feet, iron, 9” 2 - - Leather, spare - Hemp balls, 24-lb. 1 - - Tools, shoemakers’ 10 - - _Entrenching Tools (to be supplied free by Government)_ - - Shovels, light 20 - - Pickaxes, ” 20 - - Felling axes 8 - - Bill-hooks 16 - - Hooks, reaping 32 - - Bags, entrenching tool 2 pairs - - Carried on one horse per company. - - _Maxim Equipment_ - - One Maxim gun. One tripod mounting, &c. - - _Camp Equipment (to be supplied under regimental - arrangements)_ - - Officers, 80-lb. tent each. Non-commissioned officers and men, - 8 per 80-lb. G.S. tent. Office, 80-lb. tent. Surgery, 80-lb. - tent. Quarter-guard, 80-lb. tent. Rearguard, 240-lb. tent. - - - _Baggage._ - - Officers, 80 lb. each. Non-commissioned officers and men, 40 - lb. each. - - - _Saddlery and Line Gear (to be supplied free by Government)_ - _For each Horse_ - - One hay-net. │One set head and heel ropes. - One nosebag, canvas. │One set heel-pegs. - One watering-bridle. │One jhool. - One horse-brush. │One blanket. - One curry-comb. │One set spare shoes with nails. - One knee-halter. │One horse rubber. - One canvas water-bucket. │One waterproof harness wrapper. - One numnah. │Water buckets, one to four horses. - One eye-fringe. │Sponges, one to ten horses. - One chagul. │Clipping machines, one to ten horses. - One headstall. │Hoof-pickers, one to five horses. - - _Miscellaneous_ - - Cooking utensils, five sets per company 10 sets - Tables, office, 14 lb. each 2 - Chairs ” 4 lb. each 2 - Yakdans, office. Weight full 80 lb. each 1 pair - - _Reserve Saddlery (to be supplied free by Government)_ - - Saddle. │Horse brush. │Headstall. - Numnah. │Curry-comb. │Head-ropes. - Bridle. │Knee-halter. │Heel-pegs. - Reins. │Canvas water-bucket.│Jhool. - Bit, complete. │Eye-fringe. │Blanket. - Nosebags, canvas. │Chaguls. │ - Watering bridle. │ │ - -Pay as for British Cavalry of the Line (_vide_ Article 780, Royal -Warrant for Pay and Promotion): - - ┌────────────────────────────────────┬─────────────────┐ - │Rank │ Per day │ - │ │ _£._ _s._ _d._│ - │Lieutenant-Colonel │ 1 1 6│ - │Major │ 15 0│ - │Captain │ 13 0│ - │Lieutenant │ 7 8│ - │Second-Lieutenant │ 6 8│ - │Adjutant (and Quartermaster) │ 5 0[D]│ - │Quartermaster-Sergeant │ 4 4│ - │Company Sergeant-Major │ 4 4│ - │Company Quartermaster-Sergeant │ 3 4│ - │Sergeant │ 2 8│ - │Farrier Sergeant │ 2 10│ - │Shoeing Smith │ 1 8│ - │Saddler │ 1 9½│ - │Bugler │ 1 4│ - │Corporal (if paid as Lance-Sergeant)│ 2 4│ - │Corporal │ 2 0│ - │Private (appointed Lance-Corporal) │ 1 6│ - │Private │ 1 2│ - └────────────────────────────────────┴─────────────────┘ - -Footnote D: - - In addition to pay of rank. - - - APPENDIX III - THE ADJUTANT’S NOTE-BOOK - - -Captain and Adjutant Taylor contributes the following notes and -suggestions for consideration: - - There were a certain number of points which struck me very forcibly - during the campaign, and I should like to give them for what they are - worth. There may be certain conditions to be considered, the - importance of which outweighs all others, so that the following notes - must be regarded only as an attempt to carry out the duty which every - man owes to his profession, by showing things in the light in which he - saw them. Higher authorities, busy about big affairs, fail sometimes - to notice the important details with which juniors are brought in - daily contact. - - _Spare Horses._—The corps started from India with one horse per man - and the necessary complement of transport animals. There were a few - casualties on the journey, which were replaced at Cape Town, and the - corps began work in good condition, but with no spare animals. The - supposition apparently is that men fall out just as fast as the - horses. This did not prove correct in South Africa, and it is hard to - believe that it would be so elsewhere provided the work required was - of an active mounted kind. Therefore true economy would seem to - dictate the provision of spare horses. Very soon with us a few horses - got slight sore backs, but as every mounted man available was required - it was found impossible to ease these horses; the inevitable result - being that after a few days they were unfit for work. Consequently a - similar number of men had to be taken from the fighting strength and - their saddles put into the carts. As the work continued, more horses - gave out, and more loads were put into the carts. Hence, while the - transport animals grew weaker their loads grew heavier. To take - figures. The nominal strength of the mounted portion of the corps was - 250 men; actually the largest number we ever had in action was 185. - The average in the fighting line was under 150; of the remainder, - fifty were short on account of sickness and casualties, and fifty on - account of horses short. Had we had fifty spare horses, every - available man could have been mounted. As a matter of fact, thirty - spare horses would probably have sufficed, as, on the principle of ‘a - stitch in time,’ the timely ‘easing’ of trivial cases—such as a slight - sore back or temporary indisposition—would have saved many a horse’s - usefulness or life. The further you go, the more necessary such - reliefs become. The exact number of spare horses depends upon the - class of work required. To my mind, this is one of the lessons we - should learn from the Boers, who generally had two horses per man, and - often five. These spare horses can conveniently march with the - veterinary hospital and be taken care of by a small ‘native’ staff. - Working on this principle, Lumsden’s Horse kept every man mounted - during two months’ ceaseless trek, and the horses were practically all - fit and well at the end of it. On the other system each man used up - seven horses in as many months. To put it in brief. A corps of 250 men - and 250 horses, with their baggage, would, at the end of a week’s hard - marching and fighting, be less efficient than a corps of 200 men with - 250 horses, in that they would have no more mounted men in the field, - while their transport would have to carry food and kit for the extra - fifty men, in addition to the fifty saddles of the dismounted men, - weighing some five stones each, and also probably the fifty dismounted - men themselves. - - The same principles affect the question of the number of baggage - animals. - - _Method of Carrying Ammunition._—Our equipment for ammunition to be - carried by the man took the shape of a belt with two cross braces. On - the former were leather pouches to hold packets of cartridges, and on - the latter bandolier attachments to take single cartridges. The - disadvantages were many. (1) It necessitated the man carrying a heavy - weight constantly on his body or else hiding packets of ammunition in - his holsters, whence they were difficult to extract and where he often - left them in the hurry of a dismount. (2) The pouches were a great - discomfort to the men when lying down to snatch much-needed rest in - the many short intervals at their disposal. (3) The whole weight of - the ammunition came on to the saddle when the man was mounted, and - went some way towards causing sore backs. (4) Marching on foot with - this load of ammunition was so irksome that it soon tired the soldier - and made him urge and take every possible excuse for remaining - mounted. - - _The proposed remedy_ is to give every man two bandoliers holding - fifty rounds each and a bayonet-belt to take fifty rounds. The - bandoliers to be habitually buckled round the horse’s neck, like - collars. When going into action the man can transfer one or both - bandoliers to his own shoulders even without dismounting. Should he - have under-estimated the amount of ammunition required, and have left - one or both of these bandoliers on his horse, they can be sent for and - found with no difficulty, the distribution being also very simple. - Taking the weight of this ammunition off the saddle helps to save sore - back. The man will walk unencumbered, and consequently will walk more - readily, and can do so for longer distances, besides being in a better - state for duties when he gets to camp. On a similar principle the - rifle should not be carried by the soldier when marching dismounted, - as it is better to keep his weight, say eleven stone, off the horse’s - back as long as possible, and it will be longer if you put the - rifle-weight, seven pounds, on to the horse and not on to the man. - - _Spare Ammunition._—Anything in excess of this 150 rounds per man - should be, and was, carried on a led mule or horse, who could keep up - with the mounted men. - - _Picketing Gear_ caused us much trouble, as every kind of ground - entailed a different stamp of peg—_e.g._, a small iron peg did not - hold in sandy soil, wooden ones broke in rocky ground, while the - bundle of rope and pegs was an extra weight on the horse, and caused - the saddle to roll besides making the man less handy at getting on and - off his horse. The remedy was to have no heel-ropes or pegs carried on - the saddle horse, and to substitute three big iron pegs with fifty - yards of ‘line rope’ and a heavy mallet to every fifty men, carried on - a pack-animal with the ammunition mules. On arrival in camp these pegs - were driven in, the line rope stretched between them, and the horses - tied to each side of it by their head-ropes: heel-ropes were not found - necessary. This worked perfectly except on detached duties, when - perhaps ten men were separated for some ‘post,’ when they had to - ‘ring’ their horses—i.e., tie them together by their head-ropes in a - circle, heads inwards. They are unable to lie down in comfort, which - is of course a weak point, but it does not often happen. - - _Marching._—When the object to be attained was to cover as much ground - as possible it was found best to trot long stages, with walking - intervals between, when the men were made to dismount and lead. The - man should never be on his horse except when going faster than a walk. - It was found better to trot a good deal than to walk and lead even, - because the time saved by the faster pace gave the men and horses time - for an appreciable rest and for food while they were ‘off-saddled,’ - which should always be done when the enemy’s movements in any way - admit of it. - - _Shoeing._—Each horse, in marching order, is supposed to carry one - complete set of shoes. If every man were trained to see constantly - that his horse’s shoes were on firm, a shoe ought seldom to be lost. - If a farrier is present, and the man has the necessary nails, a - doubtful or loose nail can be drawn and replaced, hence we made the - rule that the men should not carry spare shoes, but should carry - nails, and we had the farriers with us. Occasionally a horse lost a - shoe when on detached duty, but only then; and, after all, if the - rider is careful, no serious damage should result. In any case, it is - not worth while for every horse to carry a complete set of shoes - always, on the chance of one horse requiring one shoe occasionally. - - _The Usefulness of Followers_ may be gathered to a certain extent from - the fact that none of the officers had chargers killed by anything but - bullets. Every officer had an Indian syce, and when a horse had had a - hard time it was found that one day marching with the syce restored - him. The follower has nothing to think about except to feed the horse - when he can, and it is wonderful what good one hour in a field of - green wheat or on a good bit of grass does for a tired and underfed - animal; besides, the follower often chances on a bundle or two of - oat-straw or some such luxury, and in any case the horse has plenty of - time for grazing during the delays of the march. The men latterly - employed Kaffir boys to a considerable extent, paying them wages out - of their own pockets. These Kaffirs received no rations, living on - their masters’ leavings and occasional steaks out of dead horses. - Taking all considerations together, it would appear to be a saving to - use the soldier as much as possible for fighting purposes _only_, and - to use native followers for all work that does not entail fighting. - Cooks and syces, even in small numbers, would to a great extent ease - the fighting man of arduous labour which the follower could do just as - well. We should have fewer cases of sickness from want of rest and - lack of time to cook properly if a few native cooks accompanied each - regiment. And a few syces might save the lives of many horses that - have to be neglected by the men when, after a long march and perhaps a - fight, they are ordered out on picket directly they arrive in camp. - The native is cheaper to feed and more docile to manage, not minding - things which Tommy hates—such as cutting grass, for instance. His food - is simple, and he can eat it very comfortably going along the road, so - that when he gets into camp he is quite fit to go to work. I was told - by an officer of the Indian Transport train, who was with General - Buller’s force in Natal, that he had taken his corps with his native - followers right through to Belfast, and landed his animals there - without a single casualty, and not only well, but fat. He attributed - it solely to the fact that the servants understood their work and - would unload without a murmur a dozen times a day, and cut a heap of - grass for every animal when they got to camp. Why not employ the - cheaper labourer, and save the dearer for work that suits him better - and which the follower cannot do? The answer, I am aware, is that an - armed transport man can help to defend the convoy. This is of course - true to a limited extent. Our transport men never had a chance of - firing a shot, and I think few had. All the ox-waggons and - mule-waggons were driven by Kaffirs, on the same grounds as advocated, - so why not apply the reasoning to other cases? The argument in favour - of the armed transport reminds one of the sportsman who goes out armed - with a gun, rifle, and pig-spear, ready for all emergencies, but never - has the right weapon in his hand when the game springs up. The spare - horse-shoes are another case of the same thing, and there are many - others. It is impossible to provide for every contingency. - - _Rations._—In a general way the men’s rations were very good, but one - or two improvements suggest themselves. First, everyone who has tried - it knows that when spirits are not available the body acquires a great - craving for sugar, which is no doubt recognised, and hence the jam - issue. Chocolate is cheap, by which I mean light to carry, and is - enormously appreciated; but more important than anything appear to be - the tea, coffee, or cocoa rations, because, in a great measure, on the - plentifulness of these depends the amount or otherwise of many - diseases, notably enteric. No man will boil water and let it cool - simply because he knows it’s a healthy thing to do, but he will boil - it to have a good drink of hot tea. If you give him enough, he will - have his drink before he goes to bed, another in the morning, and he - will also fill his water-bottle with it. Half an ounce per man will - accomplish this. I believe the amount allowed per man in South Africa - was ⅟16 oz. By the time this had been distributed in the dark, the - ration became so small that half-a-dozen men used to toss for the lot, - in the hope that one at least would get a good drink. Tea, moreover, - is very light. An ox-waggon load is 4,000 lbs., which is 128,000 - rations of ½ oz. each; which means that 4,000 men could be given ½ oz. - of tea daily for a month, at the cost of one ox-waggon added to the - convoy. On our trek from Machadodorp to Pretoria, we carried supplies - for about 4,000 men for about a month, and the convoy was many _miles_ - long, and I do not think that one ox-waggon added thereto would have - given any trouble. - - _Firing off Horseback._—The value of this practice on occasions is - another of the lessons we might learn from the Boers. I do not pretend - that the shooting is accurate, yet it has a great moral advantage in - certain circumstances. Imagine yourself on a big rolling veldt doing - rearguard. The slopes are easy, and the ridges about 1,000 yards from - crest to crest. You hold one and the enemy the next. In order to keep - your horses out of fire they must be 200 yards or so away. All is well - till you begin to retire, but on rising you at once become visible to - the Boer, who first of all shoots at you, and then follows you up at a - gallop to have a shot at you before you can gain the next ridge. You - retire in a hurry, run the risk of being shot, and have the - demoralising feeling that the enemy is gaining rapidly on you and will - ‘get at you’ before you gain the next ridge. _But_ leave near the - ridge a few mounted men, place them back so far that while they can - see the Boer’s ridge, the enemy can only possibly see their heads and - shoulders, and order your dismounted men to retire, crawling at first, - then stooping, and finally rising. They do this leisurely, as they can - see the mounted sentinels watching and they are reassured. These - sentinels have no fear, for they can at any time retire at a gallop, - while the enemy, hearing the firing, do not like advancing on an - unknown number. During the march from Machadodorp to Pretoria, this - practice enabled us to do in perfect comfort a rearguard duty which - was considered by all other corps very ‘nasty.’ - - _Suggestions with regard to raising Mounted Volunteer Corps in the - future._—Besides the actual experiences of the fighting in South - Africa, there were one or two points in connection with the raising of - the corps itself, which came to my special notice in the course of my - duties as Adjutant and Quartermaster, the knowledge of which would, I - think, facilitate matters in the event of anyone raising another - Volunteer corps in India for active service. - - In my opinion the most important point of all is to make certain that - secrecy is maintained. Before any steps are taken for enrolling men, - the Adjutant and other officers from the Regular Army should be - selected and apportioned their work in connection with the raising of - the corps. The ‘Regular’ N.C.O.s should be chosen, and the official - scheme drawn up. The first duty falls on the ‘office,’ and it should - be properly organised in every detail. Three or four rooms, - Quartermaster’s store accommodation, a shorthand writer, at least - three or four competent clerks, as well as mounted orderlies, are - necessary. A camp pitched complete in every detail should be ready to - receive the men, especial attention being paid to the provision of a - temporary mess for the men as well as ‘dry’ and ‘wet’ canteens, and of - a native food-shop for followers. This can all be done - ‘confidentially.’ When the arrangements are complete, the intention to - raise the corps and the terms may be made public. - - If the fact of the raising of the corps had not leaked out, Government - would of course have made all the above suggested arrangements, and - things would have gone smoothly from the outset. As it was, every - Government official assisted Colonel Lumsden to his utmost power. As a - sample of this I may mention that, at their own request, the one - squadron of the 14th Bengal Lancers at Alipur supplied eight mounted - orderlies daily for six weeks, rendering invaluable assistance in - carrying letters. This same squadron marked out the camp for us, and - lent their _bunniahs’_ (grain-sellers’) shops for the use of the swarm - of servants who came in attendance on the Volunteers. Another - difficulty which it would be good to avoid, if possible, was that - under existing regulations it was found to be impossible to attest the - men until the day before embarkation, so that for some weeks they were - in camp and being trained without being under military law. Their good - feeling alone preserved discipline. - - _Regulars._—A certain number of men who were specialists in various - lines, such as saddlers, farriers, signallers, and shoeing-smiths, - together with a sprinkling of non-commissioned officers, were lent to - the corps from the Regular Army, and they were of the greatest use to - us. It is essential that the selection of these be made with great - care. There is little doubt that the gentleman Volunteer is not always - easy to get on with, so that the Regular should be a man of character - and tact. When called upon for men, Commanding Officers send fully - qualified men, but have a tendency to ‘give a man a chance’ in novel - circumstances. Unless a Regular is a tactful, good fellow, he is - unlikely to be of much use with Volunteers. - - _Selection of Horses._—As far as we could learn from our experience in - South Africa, the three main points in the selection of a horse are: - (1) hardiness, (2) true action, (3) ‘good doing’; while for - convenience in mounting and dismounting he should not be over fifteen - hands high. Comparative slowness, light legs, and slight unsteadiness - do not seem to matter, but he must be hardy, he must be clear of any - suspicion whatever of brushing, and he must be the sort likely to - ‘live on sticks and stones.’ The work is all very slow, but it is - continuous. There were practically no cases of lameness from sprains, - or indeed of anything except ‘brushing,’ and after a month’s work, the - horse which could go the furthest and fastest was the one that kept - the best condition. One of the horses that did the best work in the - corps was a little Boer pony of Private Graham’s, which was only about - twelve hands high. As transport animals, our little ‘Bhootia’ ponies - did most excellently, and were better than mules, in that while they - were quite as hardy, they were heavier and more game. - - _Shipping Horses._—At Calcutta the quays are only a few feet above the - water-level, and as the horses all have to be put on the upper and - main decks, the custom is to ‘sling’ them on board by means of cranes - and tackle attached to belly-bands. I saw a whole ship being laden - with horses in this way. The operation took one entire day and cost - five rupees per horse. One horse at least was dropped and had to be - destroyed, a large proportion suffered injuries, and all were - terrified. On meeting the officer in charge afterwards, I learnt that - hardly any of the horses would feed at all for a day at least. For us - the authorities erected a zigzag gangway by the aid of which 200 - horses were put on board without accident in one hour and a half. - Moreover, the gangway could not have cost 100_l_. Communication - gangways between the decks were also fitted up, thus enabling us to - transfer horses from one deck to another, and these proved very - valuable in dealing with sick cases during the voyage. - - _Horse Standings._—Once on the ship each horse had a stall in a row, - each stall being just big enough for a horse to stand in, and - surrounded by a four-foot rail. On the floor-boards were fixed four - strong battens, two inches square in cross section, at intervals of - eighteen inches. The horse’s fore feet fell naturally on to the first - batten and his hind feet on to the last. He was thus forced to stand - always in a constrained position. For my own horses I had the battens - otherwise distributed, putting one six inches from either end and one - in the middle. The fore feet came naturally behind the first batten - and the hind feet before the rear one, while the middle one did not - interfere with the horse’s position, and was only used by the horse - when necessitated by bad weather. It was, I think, a great - improvement. This was not my idea, but was what the Australian horse - ‘shippers’ recommend and use. - - _Shoes._—The orders in the Service are that all horses go on board - shod, which is contrary to the custom of the big Australian shipping - firms, who say that shod horses slip up when it is rough. We had no - rough weather, and so could not prove this, but owing to the shoe - keeping the foot off the constantly damp boards, the feet of our - horses were, on arrival, in infinitely better condition than those of - the horses brought over by Australian ‘shippers’ to India. - - _Exercising Horses on Board Ship._—This is, I learn, never done, but - we gave the idea a trial, and it turned out to be quite practicable. - Our ship was a very small one, and we had some difficulty about space - for exercise ground. However, we found three places in different parts - of the ship where we could get a small circle. Matting was put down, - to prevent slipping, and it was found that on each of these ten horses - could be led at a time, one behind the other. In this manner we - managed to give every horse half an hour a day of walking exercise. - While these ten horses were out, the next ten had twice as much room - to stand in, which enabled the men to give them half-an-hour’s - grooming. It was very noticeable how the legs ‘fined’ with the - exercise, and it must have been a great relief to the horse. Our - horses landed in very good condition, and, except for being soft, they - were fit to go to work at once. It is obviously only possible to - exercise horses like this when you have a large number of hands as we - had. - - - APPENDIX IV - - _LIST OF OFFICERS, N.C.O.S, AND MEN WHO HAVE BEEN - AWARDED DECORATIONS, COMMISSIONS, OR CIVIL - APPOINTMENTS_ - - DECORATIONS - - Colonel D.M. Lumsden, Assam Valley Light C.B. - Horse - - Major H. Chamney, Surma Valley Light C.M.G. - Horse - - Captain J.B. Rutherfoord, Behar Light D.S.O. - Horse - - Lieutenant H.O. Pugh, Calcutta Light D.S.O. - Horse - - CIVIL EMPLOYMENT - - Major H. Chamney District Commissioner, Potchefstroom - - Lieutenant H.O. Pugh Assistant District Commissioner, - Heilbron - - Trooper C.G. Huddleston Assistant District Commissioner, - Kroonstad - - MILITARY AND CIVIL APPOINTMENTS - - Driver P.W. Anderson Johannesburg Police - Trooper J.D.L. Arathoon Gazetted to 3rd Dragoon Guards - (resigned); - returned to Calcutta - Lance-Corporal E.J. Ballard Johannesburg Police - Driver P.W. Banks Chief Warder, Barberton Gaol - Corporal F.S. Montagu-Bates East Surrey Regiment - (Commission)[E] - Trooper L.H. Bell Johannesburg Police - ” J.S. Biscoe 2nd Batt. W.I. Regiment - (Commission)[E] - ” H.F. Blair Northumberland Fusiliers - (Commission) - ” K. Boileau Johannesburg Police - Driver L.H. Bradford Johannesburg Police - ” J. Braine S.A. Constabulary - Trooper A.H. Buskin Johannesburg Police - Sergeant H.A. Campbell Imperial Yeomanry (Commission) - Transport-Corpl. H.A. Campbell Johannesburg Police - Trooper C.D.V. Cary-Barnard Wiltshire Regiment (Commission)[E] - ” E.S. Chapman Johannesburg Police - Corporal E.A. Chartres Royal Irish Fusiliers Medical - Officer (Commission) - Trooper R.G. Collins W.I. Regiment (Commission) - Lance-Corporal S.W. Cullen S.A. Constabulary - Driver O.E. Fitzgerald Johannesburg Police - Trooper C.W. Fletcher Army Service Corps (Commission)[E] - ” C.A. Forbes Re-enlisted in S.A. corps (not - known) - ” A.H. Francis Scottish Horse (re-enlisted - November) - ” J.A. Fraser W.I. Regiment (Commission)[E] - Veterinary-Sergeant G. Goodliffe Johannesburg Police - Driver R.A. Grenville Johannesburg Police - ” W.E. Harris Johannesburg Police - Trooper W.H. Holme Stated to be gazetted to Yeomanry - (Commission) - ” J.D.W. Holmes Johannesburg Police - ” S.L. Innes Stated to be gazetted to Yeomanry - ” B.R. Lloyd-Jones Johannesburg Police - Quartermaster-Sergt. W.D. Jones Army Service Corps (Commission)[E] - Driver S.H. Kearsey Johannesburg Police - Trooper H.R. Kelly Johannesburg Police - ” F.W.C. Lawrie Johannesburg Police - ” E.I. Lockhart Johannesburg Police - ” C.H. McMinn Gazetted to a Colonial corps - (December 1900) - ” C.B.H. Mansfield 19th Hussars (Commission)[E] - Reg. Sgt.-Maj. C.M.C. Marsham S.A. Constabulary (Commission) - Driver A. Martin Scottish Horse, South Africa - Transport-Corporal A. Morris Re-enlisted in Yeomanry at - Aldershot - Trooper T.B. Nicholson W.I. Regiment (Commission)[E] - ” G.D. Nicolay Johannesburg Police - ” A.E. Norton W.I. Regiment (Commission)[E] - ” G.W. Palmer W.I. Regiment (Commission)[E] - ” P. Partridge Northampton Regiment - (Commission)[E] - ” J.G. Petersen Johannesburg Police - Driver P.W. Pryce Scottish Horse - Trooper H.J. Renny Johannesburg Police - ” D.C. Percy Smith Middlesex Regiment (Commission)[E] - ” R.J. Smith Johannesburg Police - ” G.P.O. Springfield 3rd Dragoon Guards (Commission)[E] - ” B.C.A. Steuart Royal Highlanders (Black Watch) - (Commission)[E] - ” P. Strahan South Staffordshire Regiment - (Commission)[E] - ” C.F. Walton Johannesburg Police - Driver G.E. Wilkinson Brabant’s Horse - Trooper L.G. Williams North Staffordshire Regiment - (Commission)[E] - ” A.N. Woods Royal Garrison Artillery - (Commission)[E] - ” A.P. Woollright Imperial Military Railway, Medical - Officer - (Commission) - ” F.W. Wright Army Service Corps (Commission) - ” H.S.N. Wright Army Service Corps (Commission) - -Footnote E: - - Verified by the Army list. - - - APPENDIX V - _HONOURS AND PROMOTIONS_ - -Following are the recommendations made by Lieutenant-Colonel Lumsden, -late commanding Lumsden’s Horse, in bringing the names of the -undermentioned officers and men to the favourable notice of -Field-Marshal Lord Roberts, the Commander-in-Chief, as having done -special and meritorious work during the service of his corps in South -Africa. The promotions or honours given subsequently are placed within -parentheses. - -Previous to the date of these recommendations, Major Chamney had been -gazetted a Companion of St. Michael and St. George, while Captain -Rutherfoord and Lieutenant Pugh had received the decoration of the -Distinguished Service Order. - - - FOR D.S.O. - -CAPTAIN N.C. TAYLOR, _14th Bengal Lancers_. - -This gentleman filled the post of adjutant (difficult in a corps like -mine) with great judgment, and fulfilled his arduous duties to my entire -satisfaction. He behaved splendidly under fire on many trying occasions, -displayed great coolness and self-reliance, and proved himself a dashing -and able leader, and was of much service to me throughout the campaign. -(Brevet Major.) - -CAPTAIN L.H. NOBLETT, _Royal Irish Rifles_. - -In command of B Company Lumsden’s Horse. I cannot speak too highly of -this gentleman as a leader of Mounted Infantry. His services to me -from the raising of the corps until its disbandment were -invaluable—clear-headed and cool in any circumstances; and the way he -handled his men in action won their unbounded confidence and mine. To -raise or lead a corps of Mounted Infantry I know no one I would sooner -select. (Brevet Major.) - -CAPTAIN J.H.B. BERESFORD, _3rd Sikhs_. - -Commanded A Company Lumsden’s Horse. This gentleman took immense trouble -and interest in his company from start to finish, displaying much tact -in handling his men, with whom he was a great favourite. As a soldier I -can only say his long and honourable record added herewith speaks for -itself. (Brevet Major.) - - _Previous War Services_ - - Burmese Expedition, 1886-7 Medal with clasp. - Hazara ” 1888 Clasp. - Miranzai ” 1891 — - Hazara ” 1891 Clasp. - Waziristan ” 1894-5. Action at Wana Clasp. - -North-West Frontier of India, 1897-8. Operations on the Samana and in -the Kurram Valley during August and September 1897. Medal with two -clasps. - -Tirah, 1897-8. Action on Dargai and capture of the Sampagha Pass. -Reconnaissance for the Saran Sar operations against the Khan Khel -Chamkanis. Operations in the Bazar Valley, December 25 to 30, 1897. -Clasp. - - FOR MENTION - - OFFICERS - -CAPTAIN B.W. HOLMES, _East India Railway Volunteers_. - -This officer was in command of the Maxim-gun contingent sent by the East -India Railway. He did excellent service with his Maxim gun, on many -occasions displaying much coolness, especially in the action at the Zand -River, when, by his accurate fire, he dislodged the enemy from Kopje -Allien. In fact, throughout the campaign he and his Maxim-gun contingent -were a most useful and reliable addition to my corps. (Mention in -despatches.) - -CAPTAIN F. CLIFFORD. - -Commanded the contingent from the Coorg and Mysore Volunteer Rifles. -This gentleman did good service on many occasions, and had some very -trying duties to perform, especially while scouting on two occasions in -the Crocodile Valley in July, while we were stationed at Irene, as well -as on another occasion when his detachment was located at Springs. -(Mention in despatches.) - -LIEUTENANT C.E. CRANE. - -Was badly wounded and taken prisoner at Houtnek on April 30. He behaved -splendidly on that day in a very difficult position and in trying -circumstances. He rejoined at Pretoria, and went through the remainder -of the campaign with us with great credit to himself. - -If possible I should like this gentleman to receive the D.S.O. (Mention -in despatches.) - -CAPTAIN C.L. SIDEY, _from the Surma Valley Light Horse Volunteers_. - -This officer did _very_ good and consistent work throughout the -campaign. Was most popular with his men, and was never off a single -march during our stay in South Africa. (Mention in despatches.) - -SURGEON-CAPTAIN S.A. POWELL, M.D., _Surma Valley Light Horse -Volunteers_. - -This gentleman carried out his duties on many occasions under much -personal danger and difficulty, especially in assisting to carry Major -Showers when wounded into a place of safety under heavy fire. On June 4, -near Pretoria, as well as on the day prior to entering Johannesburg, he -also displayed much coolness in attending to some cavalrymen who were -wounded, also under fire. I consider him fully deserving of honourable -mention. (Mention in despatches.) - - RECOMMENDED FOR VICTORIA CROSS - -Trooper J.A. Graham—as per my letter attached. I have wired to India for -Trooper Caley’s statement of the case. - -The above happened in the end of July, when we were stationed at Irene. -Captain Clifford reported the matter to me on the evening of the event. - -I consider Trooper Graham behaved with great gallantry, risking his life -to endeavour to save that of Trooper Cayley, and, with exemplary -coolness, bringing in Cayley’s rifle as well as capturing and bringing -in under a heavy fire a horse which would otherwise have fallen into the -hands of the enemy. - -I strongly recommend him for the Victoria Cross. (Distinguished Conduct -Medal.) - - RECOMMENDED FOR DISTINGUISHED CONDUCT MEDALS - - 1. Corporal Percy Jones } - 2. Trooper P.C. Preston } (Distinguished - 3. ” H.N. Betts } Conduct Medal.) - 4. ” W.E. Dexter } - 5. Regimental Serg.-Major C.M.C. Marsham } - 6. Corporal G. Peddie (Mention in despatches.) - -The men I have recommended for this decoration behaved splendidly -throughout the campaign, and did many individual plucky actions. They -were the pick of my scouts, and were always selected when any difficult -or dangerous duty had to be performed. - - FOR HONOURABLE MENTION - - 1. Corporal J. Graves } - 2. Sergeant D.S. Fraser } - 3. ” E.R. Dale } (Mention in despatches.) - 4. Trooper H.R. Parks } - 5. Sergeant G. Llewhellin } - 6. Corporal C.E. Turner } - -In my recommendations for honourable mention I feel I must particularise -Corporal Graves and Sergeant Fraser, of the Bank of Bengal. They -rendered me invaluable service as orderly-room clerk and paymaster -respectively, besides rendering excellent service in the field. To carry -out efficiently both duties was no light measure, and on our arrival at -Cape Town I was complimented by the Pay Department as the only corps -which had come down with its pay-sheets up to date, all credit for which -is due to the above-named gentlemen. - -The remaining four named have all done meritorious work throughout the -campaign, and are extremely deserving of the honour I am soliciting for -them. - -In a corps like mine, where all did so well, I have found it a most -difficult and invidious duty in making my selections. - - - REGULAR NON-COMMISSIONED OFFICERS - -The following non-commissioned officers lent from the Regulars did -excellent work with me throughout the campaign, and I have much pleasure -in mentioning them:— - -1. SERGEANT HEWITT, of the Royal Irish Rifles, acted as Company -Sergeant-Major to B Company until November 1900, when he was made -Regimental Sergeant-Major, in succession to Sergeant-Major Marsham, who -then vacated the post for a commission in the South African -Constabulary. He had also acted temporarily as Regimental Sergeant-Major -from May 1 to September 1. He showed much tact throughout, and was of -the greatest possible assistance to the Adjutant; and I can strongly -recommend him for any similar appointment. He was most popular with all -members of the corps from the raising of the same to its disbandment. - -2. STAFF-SERGEANT STEPHENS, of the Indian Transport, was with the corps -throughout the war. It is impossible to over-estimate the assistance -given by him. He was in direct command of the whole of the regimental -transport and carried out his duties with skill, energy, tact, and -determination. He was most popular with his Volunteer drivers, and -managed them with great credit. - -3. FARRIER-SERGEANT MARSHALL, 54th Battery Royal Field Artillery, was in -subordinate charge of the horse hospital throughout the war, and -performed his duties most satisfactorily. He was especially tactful with -Volunteers. - -4. SERGEANT BRENNAN, of the York and Lancaster Regiment, was always -capable, willing, obliging, and uniformly well behaved. He took his -position where wanted in any capacity without a murmur, and, at various -times, filled the posts of Company Sergeant-Major, Company -Quartermaster-Sergeant, Regimental Sergeant-Major, and Regimental -Quartermaster-Sergeant. He also displayed much tact in dealing with -Volunteers. - -BRIGGS, CUTHBERT, and EDWARDS, shoeing-smiths, of the 15th Hussars, did -their work well and willingly from start to finish. They also worked -well with the Volunteers. - -Signallers LANCE-CORPORAL LEE, of the York and Lancaster Regiment, -Privates LOWE, LONGMAN, and HAYWARD, of the 3rd Hussars, did good and -useful work for the brigade, but were almost invariably detached from -the corps and placed on special service. From the end of May to the end -of November they were with General Sir Ian Hamilton, only rejoining when -my corps returned to Bloemfontein. While with me they were in every way -satisfactory. - - (Signed) D.M. LUMSDEN, Lieutenant-Colonel, - - Late Commanding Lumsden’s Horse. - - - APPENDIX VI - - _HONORARY RANK IN THE ARMY_ - -The undermentioned officers of Colonel Lumsden’s corps are, on the -disbandment of the corps, granted honorary rank in the Army as follows, -with permission to wear the uniform of the corps:— - - To be Honorary Lieutenant-Colonel:— - - Lieutenant-Colonel D. McT. Lumsden, C.B. (Dated January 12, 1901.) - - To be Honorary Major:— - - Major H. Chamney, C.M.G., Second-in-Command. (Dated January 12, - 1901.) - - To be Honorary Captains:— - - Captain F. Clifford } - - ” B.W. Holmes } - - ” J.B. Rutherfoord, D.S.O. } (Dated January 12, - - ” C.L. Sidey } 1901.) - - ” S.A. Powell, M.D., Medical } - Officer - - To be Honorary Lieutenants:— - - Lieutenant H.O. Pugh, D.S.O. } - ” G.A. Neville } (Dated January 12, - ” C.E. Crane } 1901.) - ” F.S. McNamara } - - To be Honorary Veterinary-Captain:— - - Veterinary-Captain W. Stevenson, Veterinary Officer. (Dated January - 12, 1901.) - -—‘London Gazette,’ June 24, 1902. - - - APPENDIX VII - _LUMSDEN’S HORSE EQUIPMENT FUND_ - - CONTRIBUTIONS IN CASH - - Name of Subscriber Amount - - Rs. a. p. - - H.E. the Viceroy (Lord Curzon of Kedleston) 1,500 0 0 - - H.E. the Governor of Bombay (Lord Sandhurst) 200 0 0 - - H.E. the Commander-in-Chief in India (Sir - William Lockhart) 500 0 0 - - H.H. the Lieutenant-Governor of Bengal (Sir - John Woodburn) 500 0 0 - - H.H. the Lieutenant-Governor of the Punjab - (Sir W. Mackworth Young) 250 0 0 - - H.H. the Lieutenant-Governor of the N.W.P. - and Oudh (Sir A.P. MacDonnell) 200 0 0 - - H.H. the Lieutenant-Governor of Burmah (Sir - F.W.R. Fryer) 200 0 0 - - H.J.S. Cotton, Esq., I.C.S. 100 0 0 - - Lieut.-Colonel D.M. Lumsden 50,000 0 0 - - Sir H. Seymour King, K.C.I.E., M.P., on - account of Messrs. Henry S. King & Co., - Messrs. King, Hamilton, & Co., and Messrs. - King, King, & Co. 10,000 0 0 - - Maharajah Sir Jotendro Mohun Tagore, K.C.S.I. 5,000 0 0 - - Rajah Sir Sourindro Mohun Tagore, Kt., C.I.E. 5,000 0 0 - - F.T. Verner, Esq., M.P. 5,000 0 0 - - Kumar Radha Prosad Roy 5,000 0 0 - - Nawab Sir Sidi Ahmed Khan, K.C.S.I. 5,000 0 0 - - Messrs. Apcar & Co. 5,000 0 0 - - Babu Kally Kissen Tagore 2,500 0 0 - - H.H. the Maharajah of Bharatpur 2,500 0 0 - - The Khulsor State 2,500 0 0 - - The Nawab Bahadur of Murshidabad, G.C.I.E. 2,000 0 0 - - H.H. the Maharajah of Kooch Behar, G.C.I.E., - C.B. 2,000 0 0 - - Kwajah Mahomed Khan of Mardan 2,000 0 0 - - H.H. the Maharajah of Jodhpur, G.C.S.I. 2,000 0 0 - - Messrs. Cooper, Allen, & Co. 2,000 0 0 - - ” Prawn, Kissen, Law, & Co. 2,000 0 0 - - ” Jardine, Skinner, & Co. 1,000 0 0 - - ” Gillanders, Arbuthnot, & Co. 1,000 0 0 - - ” Bird & Co. 1,000 0 0 - - ” Andrew Yule & Co. 1,000 0 0 - - ” Geo. Henderson & Co. 1,000 0 0 - - ” Anderson, Wright, & Co. 1,000 0 0 - - ” Kettlewell, Bullen, & Co. 1,000 0 0 - - ” Mackinnon, Mackenzie, & Co. 1,000 0 0 - - ” Balmer, Lawrie, & Co. 1,000 0 0 - - ” Barry & Co. 1,000 0 0 - - ” Turner, Morrison, & Co. 1,000 0 0 - - ” Ewing & Co. 1,000 0 0 - - ” Gladstone, Wyllie, & Co. 1,000 0 0 - - ” Octavius Steel & Co. 1,000 0 0 - - ” Ralli Brothers 1,000 0 0 - - ” Grindlay & Co. 1,000 0 0 - - ” Piggott, Chapman, & Co. 1,000 0 0 - - ” Becker, Ross, & Co. 1,000 0 0 - - ” J. Thomas & Co. 1,000 0 0 - - ” McLeod & Co. 1,000 0 0 - - ” Birkmyre Brothers 1,000 0 0 - - ” Jessop & Co. 1,000 0 0 - - ” Finlay, Muir, & Co. 1,000 0 0 - - ” Shaw, Wallace, & Co. 1,000 0 0 - - ” Lyall, Marshall, & Co. 1,000 0 0 - - ” Marshall, Sons, & Co. 1,000 0 0 - - Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Co., - Ltd. 1,000 0 0 - - Eastern Insurance Co. 1,000 0 0 - - Triton Insurance Co. 1,000 0 0 - - Messrs. Hamilton & Co. 1,000 0 0 - - ” Whiteaway, Laidlaw, & Co. 1,000 0 0 - - ” Bathgate & Co. 500 0 0 - - ” Cooke, Kelvey, & Co. 500 0 0 - - ” Lovelock & Lewes 500 0 0 - - ” E. Meyer 500 0 0 - - ” S. Menasseh & Sons 500 0 0 - - ” Macintosh, Burn, & Co. 500 0 0 - - ” Meakin & Co. 500 0 0 - - ” E. Dyer & Co. 500 0 0 - - ” Hoare, Miller, & Co. 500 0 0 - - ” F.W. Heilgers & Co. 500 0 0 - - ” Halford, Smith, & Co. 500 0 0 - - ” M. David & Co. 500 0 0 - - The Murree Brewery Co. 500 0 0 - - Messrs. Bhama, Churn, Bhur, & Co. 260 10 0 - - ” Duncan Brothers & Co. 250 0 0 - - Messrs. Peace, Siddons, & Gough 250 0 0 - - ” Walter Locke & Co. 250 0 0 - - The Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking - Corporation, Ltd. 250 0 0 - - Messrs. Baines & Co. 250 0 0 - - ” F. & C. Osler 250 0 0 - - ” Lazarus & Co. 250 0 0 - - ” Stewart & Co. 250 0 0 - - ” Thacker, Spink, & Co. 250 0 0 - - ” Dykes & Co. 250 0 0 - - ” Armfield & Chard 250 0 0 - - ” H. Goldspink & B. Thompson 250 0 0 - - ” Harding & Monk 250 0 0 - - ” Cook & Co. 250 0 0 - - ” Manton & Co. 250 0 0 - - ” Grunberg Brothers 250 0 0 - - ” Davenport & Co. 250 0 0 - - ” R. Knight & Sons 250 0 0 - - ” Norman Brothers 250 0 0 - - ” McDowell & Co. 250 0 0 - - ” Mackenzie, Lyall, & Co. 250 0 0 - - ” McVicar, Smith, & Co. 250 0 0 - - ” Davidson & Co. 250 0 0 - - ” Smith, Stanistreet, & Co. 250 0 0 - - ” A. & J. Main & Co. 250 0 0 - - ” John King & Co. 250 0 0 - - ” Arracan Co., Ltd. 250 0 0 - - ” David Sassoon & Co. 250 0 0 - - ” T.E. Thomson & Co. 200 0 0 - - ” R. Scott, Thomson, & Co. 200 0 0 - - ” Francis Harrison, Hathaway, & Co. 200 0 0 - - The South British Fire and Marine Insurance - Co. 250 0 0 - - Messrs. Jas. Monteith & Co. 200 0 0 - - ” Moore & Co. 100 0 0 - - ” Watts & Co. 100 0 0 - - ” Broomfield & Co. 100 0 0 - - ” Ahmuty & Co. 100 0 0 - - ” Marrison, Cottle, & Co. 100 0 0 - - ” W. Newman & Co. 100 0 0 - - ” J. Boseck & Co. 100 0 0 - - ” Cuthbertson & Harper 100 0 0 - - ” Hall & Anderson 100 0 0 - - ” Phelps & Co. 100 0 0 - - ” Stockwell & Co. 100 0 0 - - ” Harold & Co. 100 0 0 - - Messrs. Bourne & Shepherd 100 0 0 - - ” J.B. Norton & Sons 100 0 0 - - ” B. Smyth & Co. 100 0 0 - - ” Traill & Co. 100 0 0 - - ” M.S. Hathaway & Co. 100 0 0 - - The Naini Tal Brewery Co. 100 0 0 - - The Crown Brewery Co. 100 0 0 - - Messrs. S.G. Tellery & Co. 50 0 0 - - ” T.E. Bevan & Co. 50 0 0 - - ” J.A. Dykes & Co. 50 0 0 - - ” J.C. Bechtler & Sons 50 0 0 - - ” Jamasji & Sons 21 0 0 - - Staff of the Bank of Bengal, Calcutta 2,000 0 0 - - H.H. the Maharajah of Ajodhya, K.C.I.E. 1,000 0 0 - - Hon. Rajah Ranajit Sinha Bahadur of Nashipur 1,000 0 0 - - Maharajah Manindra Chandra Nundy of - Cossimbazar 1,000 0 0 - - H.H. the Maharajah of Bikanir 1,000 0 0 - - H.H. the Maharajah Bahadur of Durbhanga 1,000 0 0 - - Malik Ahmed Wali Khan 1,000 0 0 - - H.H. the Rajah of Charkhari 1,000 0 0 - - H.H. the Rajah of Datia 1,000 0 0 - - H.H. the Maharajah Bahadur of Oorcha, - K.C.I.E. 1,000 0 0 - - Hon. Nawab Mumtaz-ud-Dowla Mahomed Fairaz Ali - Khan of Pahasu, Bulandshahr 500 0 0 - - H.H. the Maharajah of Benares, G.C.I.E. 500 0 0 - - Rajah Bijoy Singh of Kunari, Kotah 500 0 0 - - Babu Sotish Chunder-Chowdhari, Zemindar of - Bhowanipur 500 0 0 - - Babu Romanath Ghose 500 0 0 - - Rai Cameleshwari Prosad Singh Bahadur of - Monghyr 400 0 0 - - Zinzbur Disit 251 0 0 - - Rao Saheb Bahadur Singh, C.I.E. 200 0 0 - - H.H. the Maharajah Bahadur of Gidhour, - K.C.I.E. 200 0 0 - - Kumar Dakshineswar Mallia 200 0 0 - - Khan Bahadur Moulvi Syed Ali Ahmed Khan 200 0 0 - - H. Mustafa Khan 150 0 0 - - Nawab Walakader Syed Hossein Ali Mirza 150 0 0 - - Nawab Syed Mahomed Zain-ul-Abidin, - Murshidabad 100 0 0 - - Syed Bahadur Nawab Goozree, Patna 100 0 0 - - Rajah Mumtaz Ali Khan (Utraula) 100 0 0 - - Rajah of Naldanga 100 0 0 - - Rai Budri Dass Mookim Bahadur 100 0 0 - - Maharajah Sir Narendra Krishna Deb Bahadur 100 0 0 - - Babu Nolin Behary Sircar 100 0 0 - - Babu Nibaron Chunder Dutt 100 0 0 - - Nawab Syed Ameer Hossein, C.I.E. 100 0 0 - - Babu Jumna Prosad 100 0 0 - - Lalla Ram Saran Dass 100 0 0 - - Golam Hashim Ariff 100 0 0 - - Babu Chakan Lall Roy 60 0 0 - - Talukdar of Haswar 50 0 0 - - Nawab Mahomed Hayat Khan, C.S.I. 50 0 0 - - Prince Mehomed Bukhtyar Shah, C.I.E. 25 0 0 - - Lieut.-Col. J.L. Walker 1,000 0 0 - - ” D.P. Masson, C.I.E. 1,000 0 0 - - W. Malings Grant, Esq. 1,000 0 0 - - G.T. Spankie, Esq. 1,000 0 0 - - C.W. McMinn, Esq. 750 0 0 - - C.R.S. Walker, Esq. 700 0 0 - - Hon. Mr. Clinton Dawkins 500 0 0 - - ” Sir Griffith P. Evans, K.C.I.E. 500 0 0 - - ” Mr. J.T. Woodroffe (Advocate-General) 500 0 0 - - ” Sir Francis Maclean, K.C.I.E. (Chief - Justice of Bengal 150 0 0 - - Hon. Mr. Justice C.H. Hill 100 0 0 - - ” ” Stanley 100 0 0 - - ” ” Harington 100 0 0 - - ” ” Wilkins 100 0 0 - - ” ” Rampini 100 0 0 - - ” ” Stevens 100 0 0 - - ” ” S.G. Sale 100 0 0 - - ” Sir H.T. Pinsep 100 0 0 - - ” Sir Wm. Macpherson 100 0 0 - - ” Mr. Justice W.O. Clark, I.C.S. 50 0 0 - - ” ” R. L, Harris, I.C.S. 50 0 0 - - ” ” J.A. Anderson, I.C.S. 50 0 0 - - ” ” Gooroo Dass Bannerjee 100 0 0 - - ” ” Chunder Mudhab Ghose 100 0 0 - - ” ” O.H.S. Reid 50 0 0 - - ” ” P.C. Chatterjee 32 0 0 - - Subscriptions from Tezpur District (per L. - Mackay, of Borjulie Tea Estate) 1,109 0 0 - - ‘A Sympathiser’ 1,000 0 0 - - An ex-Deputy Commissioner of Assam and - Trooper of the S.V.L.H. 1,000 0 0 - - Officers, Non-commissioned Officers, and Men - of the Imperial Service Camel Corps of - Bikanir 500 0 0 - - Officers and Men of the Cossipur Artillery - Volunteers 471 0 0 - - Staff of the Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking - Corporation, Ltd. 400 0 0 - - ‘A Recruit’ 250 0 0 - - Committee of the Mounted Infantry Send-off - Fund, Rangoon 196 10 0 - - Staff of Messrs. Cook & Co. 186 0 0 - - Officers of Executive Engineer, S.M. Railway 111 4 0 - - Manager and Staff of Jhainpur Concern 160 0 0 - - Darjeeling Bench and Bar 123 0 0 - - Mirzapore Detachment, B Company, Ghazipur - Volunteer Rifles 106 0 0 - - ‘C.O.S.’ (Bombay) 105 0 0 - - Staff of Messrs. Davis, Leech, & Co. 100 0 0 - - Employés of the Bengal Central Railway 100 0 0 - - Officers, Non-commissioned Officers, and - Troopers of B Troop A.V.L.H., and Civilian - Residents of the District 1,078 0 0 - - Staff of Messrs. Moore & Co. 67 9 6 - - Officers, Non-commissioned Officers, and Men - of H Company 3rd Battalion C.V.R. 65 0 0 - - Hajipur Division, B. & N.W. Railway 61 5 5 - - District Superintendent and Inspector of - Police (Balaghat C.P.) 60 0 0 - - ‘A.’ 50 0 0 - - ‘F.’ 100 0 0 - - ‘Rot’ 50 0 0 - - Subscriptions collected at Spence’s Hotel 47 0 0 - - Staff of Messrs. Bevan & Co. 41 0 0 - - Subscriptions through Punjab Banking Company, - Ltd. 35 0 0 - - No. 21, Fort Sandeman 30 0 0 - - ‘S.C.’ 30 0 0 - - Members of B Troop, N.B.M.A. 45 0 0 - - ‘X.Y.Z.’ (Sonai) 25 0 0 - - ‘A Corporal of the Agra Volunteers’ 25 0 0 - - ‘E.L.C.’ 25 0 0 - - Morton Institution 10 0 0 - - ‘T.H.I.’ 10 0 0 - - ‘G.H.D.’ 5 0 0 - - W. Garth, Esq. 500 0 0 - - Geo. Foster, Esq. 500 0 0 - - J.H. Thomson, Esq. 500 0 0 - - Geo. Williamson, Esq. 500 0 0 - - Cairns Deas, Esq. 500 0 0 - - C.H. Moore, Esq. 500 0 0 - - Colonel Kirwan 500 0 0 - - J.A. Devenish, Esq. 500 0 0 - - Harry Stuart, Esq. 500 0 0 - - Miss Mackinnon 365 0 0 - - Sir William J. Cuningham, K.C.S.I. 250 0 0 - - Hon. Sir A.C. Trevor, K.C.S.I. 250 0 0 - - R. Nathan, Esq. 250 0 0 - - L.P.D. Broughton, Esq. 250 0 0 - - J.S. Ritchie, Esq., I.C.S. 250 0 0 - - R.B. Pringle, Esq. 300 0 0 - - J.H.S. Richardson, Esq. 300 0 0 - - R.H. Mackenzie, Esq. 300 0 0 - - C.E. Turner, Esq. 300 0 0 - - Shirley Tremearne, Esq. 250 0 0 - - G.S. Henderson, Esq. 250 0 0 - - R.J. Reid, Esq. 250 0 0 - - A.M. Dunne, Esq. 250 0 0 - - J.M.G. Prophit, Esq. 250 0 0 - - A.S. Dott, Esq. 250 0 0 - - Hon. Mr. J. Buckingham, C.I.E. 250 0 0 - - G. Champion, Esq. 250 0 0 - - F. Robinson, Esq. 250 0 0 - - F.G. Harris, Esq. 250 0 0 - - J.A. Beattie, Esq. 250 0 0 - - W.L. Bailey, Esq. 250 0 0 - - H. Wicks, Esq. 250 0 0 - - A.W. Forbes, Esq. 250 0 0 - - Major-General Sir Edwin Collen, K.C.I.E. 250 0 0 - - F. Herlihy, Esq. 248 0 0 - - F.S. Hamilton, Esq., I.C.S. 200 0 0 - - L. Hare, Esq., I.C.S. 200 0 0 - - E.A. Short, Esq. 200 0 0 - - J.B. Lee, Esq. 200 0 0 - - J.F. Hughes, Esq. 200 0 0 - - F.R. Roe, Esq. 200 0 0 - - A.W. Davis, Esq. 200 0 0 - - R.W. Maxwell, Esq. 200 0 0 - - D.J. Macpherson, Esq., C.I.E., I.C.S. 150 0 0 - - G. Rivett-Carnac, Esq. 150 0 0 - - D. Coats Niven, Esq. 150 0 0 - - A.L. Johnston, Esq. 150 0 0 - - A.S. Crum, Esq. 150 0 0 - - Hon. Mr. C.W. Bolton, C.S.I. 100 0 0 - - ” Mr. J.D. Rees, C.I.E. 100 0 0 - - Brigadier-General C.R. McGregor, C.B. 100 0 0 - - ” ” Sir E.R. Elles, K.C.B. 100 0 0 - - ” ” Sir A. Gaselee, K.C.B. 100 0 0 - - ” ” H.P.P. Leigh, C.I.E. 100 0 0 - - Sir Adelbert C. Talbot, K.C.I.E. 100 0 0 - - Surgeon-General R. Harvey, C.B., I.M.S. 100 0 0 - - F.A. Upcott, Esq., C.S.I. 100 0 0 - - The Lord Bishop of Calcutta (Dr. J.E.C. - Welldon) 100 0 0 - - H.F. Evans, Esq., I.C.S. 100 0 0 - - A.U. Fanshawe, Esq., C.I.E., I.C.S. 100 0 0 - - J. Douglas, Esq. 100 0 0 - - G.H. Sutherland, Esq. 100 0 0 - - W. Skinner, Esq. 100 0 0 - - Dr. G.A. Ferris 100 0 0 - - Otto Eck, Esq. 100 0 0 - - D.B. Horn, Esq. 100 0 0 - - C.E. Pittar, Esq. 100 0 0 - - E.G. Colvin, Esq. 100 0 0 - - W.F. Wells, Esq., I.C.S. 100 0 0 - - H. Luson, Esq., I.C.S. 100 0 0 - - Captain H. Daly, C.I.E. 100 0 0 - - L.C. Turner, Esq., I.C.S. 100 0 0 - - T. Higham, Esq., I.C.S. 100 0 0 - - F.J. Jeffries, Esq., I.C.S. 100 0 0 - - Hon. Mr. G. Toynbee, I.C.S. 100 0 0 - - E. Molony, Esq., I.C.S. 100 0 0 - - Major-General T.B. Tyler, R.A. 100 0 0 - - A. Goodeve, Esq., I.C.S. 100 0 0 - - Lieutenant-Colonel C.H. Joubert, I.M.S. 100 0 0 - - Hon. Mr. W.B. Oldham, C.I.E. 100 0 0 - - Lieutenant-Colonel B. Scott, C.I.E. 100 0 0 - - S.H. Freemantle, Esq., I.C.S. 100 0 0 - - H.C. Williams, Esq., I.C.S. 100 0 0 - - F.F. Handley, Esq., I.C.S. 100 0 0 - - W.H. Cobb, Esq., I.C.S. 100 0 0 - - H.F. Maguire, Esq., I.C.S. 100 0 0 - - J. Lang, Esq., I.C.S. 100 0 0 - - F.D. Simpson, Esq., I.C.S. 100 0 0 - - Ross Scott, Esq., I.C.S. 100 0 0 - - M.L. Darrah, Esq. 100 0 0 - - Lieutenant-Colonel H. St. P. Maxwell, C.S.I. 100 0 0 - - J. Taylor, Esq. 100 0 0 - - William Dods, Esq. 100 0 0 - - H.H. Jelliott, Esq. 100 0 0 - - H.S. Ashton, Esq. 100 0 0 - - C. Greenway, Esq. 100 0 0 - - Geo. Girard, Esq. 100 0 0 - - H.C. Begg, Esq. 100 0 0 - - J.D. Nimmo, Esq. 100 0 0 - - J. Arbuthnot, Esq. 100 0 0 - - J.H. Apjohn, Esq. 100 0 0 - - Otto Hadenfelt, Esq. 100 0 0 - - T.B.G. Overend, Esq. 100 0 0 - - E.W.J. Bartlett, Esq. 100 0 0 - - H. Hensman, Esq. 100 0 0 - - C.P. Hill, Esq. 100 0 0 - - Captain W.J. Bradshaw, P.D.V.R. 100 0 0 - - George Irving, Esq. 100 0 0 - - W.H. Cheetham, Esq. 100 0 0 - - F. Mathewson, Esq. 100 0 0 - - W.C. Bonnerjee, Esq. 100 0 0 - - R. Allen, Esq. 100 0 0 - - M.J. Beattie, Esq. 100 0 0 - - R.H. Tickell, Esq. 100 0 0 - - Mrs. F.A. Burnham 100 0 0 - - W. Bull, Esq. 100 0 0 - - J.L. Maddox, Esq. 100 0 0 - - F.M. Shaw, Esq. 100 0 0 - - W.H. Holmes, Esq. 100 0 0 - - A. Pedler, Esq. 100 0 0 - - Mrs. J.A.C. Skinner 75 0 0 - - E.P. Chapman, Esq. 75 0 0 - - Examiner of Accounts and Circle Paymaster, - Rangoon 68 0 0 - - Dr. J. Neild Cook 60 0 0 - - Hon. Mr. R.B. Buckley 50 0 0 - - Major-General Hobday, C.B. 50 0 0 - - C.E. Pitman, Esq., C.I.E. 50 0 0 - - Captain J.H. Murray 50 0 0 - - F.F. Duke, Esq., I.C.S. 50 0 0 - - H. Paget, Esq. 50 0 0 - - W.O. Grazebrook, Esq. 50 0 0 - - J. Allison, Esq. 50 0 0 - - G.H.D. Walker, Esq. 50 0 0 - - Victor Murray, Esq. 50 0 0 - - W.S. Meyer, Esq. 50 0 0 - - Frank Lyall, Esq. 50 0 0 - - P.E. Guzdar, Esq. 50 0 0 - - H. Robinson, Esq. 50 0 0 - - A.F. Simson, Esq. 50 0 0 - - R.D. Mehta, Esq., C.I.E. 50 0 0 - - H.N. Harris, Esq. 50 0 0 - - W.H. McKewan, Esq. 50 0 0 - - Mrs. A.C.M. Harrison 50 0 0 - - H.J. Bell, Esq. 50 0 0 - - F. McL. Carter, Esq. 50 0 0 - - S. Brandreth, Esq. 50 0 0 - - G.F. Stainforth, Esq. 50 0 0 - - W.E. Curry, Esq. 50 0 0 - - Arthur Casperz, Esq. 50 0 0 - - St. John Stephens, Esq. 50 0 0 - - H.S. Tozer, Esq. 50 0 0 - - F.W. Roberts, Esq. 50 0 0 - - G.C. Lawrie, Esq. 50 0 0 - - S. Finney, Esq. 50 0 0 - - H.C. Woodman, Esq. 50 0 0 - - W. Touch, Esq. 50 0 0 - - J.R.E. Younghusband, Esq. 50 0 0 - - James Lackersteen, Esq. 50 0 0 - - J.G. Jennings, Esq. 50 0 0 - - C.H. Browning, Esq. 50 0 0 - - H.B. Warner, Esq. 50 0 0 - - Mair R. Buksh 50 0 0 - - C.P. Beachcroft, Esq., I.C.S. 50 0 0 - - Major H.W. Pilgrim, I.M.S. 50 0 0 - - B. Foley, Esq., I.C.S. 50 0 0 - - L.A.G. Clarke, Esq., I.C.S. 50 0 0 - - H. Ware, Esq., I.C.S. 50 0 0 - - J. Hope Simpson, Esq., I.C.S. 50 0 0 - - C.E. Crawford, Esq., I.C.S. 50 0 0 - - F.J. Cooke, Esq., I.C.S. 50 0 0 - - Capt. St. J. Shadwell 50 0 0 - - F.G. Mayne, Esq. 50 0 0 - - H.W. Sutcliffe, Esq. 50 0 0 - - A.J. Fraser Blair, Esq. 50 0 0 - - D. McLaren Morrison, Esq. 50 0 0 - - F.E. Durham, Esq. 50 0 0 - - W.M. Beresford, Esq. 50 0 0 - - G.H.L. Mackenzie, Esq. 50 0 0 - - A.F.M. Abdur Rahman, Esq. 50 0 0 - - E.L.S. Russell, Esq. 50 0 0 - - J. Reid, Esq. 50 0 0 - - L.B. Goad, Esq. 50 0 0 - - R. Sykes, Esq. 50 0 0 - - R. Todd, Esq. 50 0 0 - - R.W. Hilliard, Esq. 50 0 0 - - B. Harrison, Esq. 50 0 0 - - E.N. Drury, Esq. 50 0 0 - - P.R. Cadell, Esq. 50 0 0 - - Captain N. Rainier 50 0 0 - - Babu Baij Nath Goenka 33 0 0 - - ” Nand Kumar Lall 33 0 0 - - ” Jowhary Lall 33 0 0 - - Captain W.J. McElhinny 32 0 0 - - Major E.A. Waller, R.E. 32 0 0 - - J.E. Phillimore, Esq., I.C.S. 32 0 0 - - R.N. Burn, Esq. 32 0 0 - - S. Halliwell, Esq. 32 0 0 - - G. Kingsley, Esq. 32 0 0 - - G.D. Oswell, Esq. 32 0 0 - - Trevor Lloyd, Esq. 32 0 0 - - P. Hennesy, Esq. 32 0 0 - - H. Lyall, Esq. 32 0 0 - - G.L. Hendley, Esq. 32 0 0 - - F.C.W. Dover, Esq. 30 0 0 - - E.R. Osgood, Esq. 30 0 0 - - E. Staples, Esq. 30 0 0 - - W.G. Hemingway, Esq. 30 0 0 - - H. Richardson, Esq. 30 0 0 - - Rao Gungadhur Mahdev Chitnavis, C.I.E. 30 0 0 - - Major D. Prain, I.M.S. 25 0 0 - - J.S. Harris, Esq. 25 0 0 - - Thomas Watson, Esq. 25 0 0 - - W. Parsons, Esq. 25 0 0 - - John Bathgate, Esq. 25 0 0 - - C.A. Walsh, Esq. 25 0 0 - - Colin A. Paterson, Esq. 25 0 0 - - H.H. Macleod, Esq. 25 0 0 - - W.J. Cotton, Esq. 25 0 0 - - G.H. Le Maistre, Esq. 25 0 0 - - W.B. Browne, Esq. 25 0 0 - - O. Ghilardi, Esq. 25 0 0 - - Chas. F. Baker, Esq. 25 0 0 - - W.T. Grice, Esq. 25 0 0 - - F.H. Ware, Esq. 25 0 0 - - P.J. Macdonald, Esq. 25 0 0 - - E.J.R. Dyer, Esq. 25 0 0 - - C.E. Dard, Esq. 25 0 0 - - John Leslie, Esq. 25 0 0 - - F.C. Simpson, Esq. 25 0 0 - - H.W.G. Herron, Esq. 25 0 0 - - J.C. Hewitt, Esq. 25 0 0 - - N. Williamson, Esq. 25 0 0 - - A.J. Lloyd, Esq. 25 0 0 - - Hon. Babu Doorgagati Bannerjee, C.I.E. 25 0 0 - - Babu Davendro Nath Dutt 25 0 0 - - Nawab Mehdi Hassan 25 0 0 - - Syed Manjhla Nawab 25 0 0 - - F. Williams, Esq., C.E. 20 0 0 - - Captain G.W. Rawlins 20 0 0 - - C.H. Atkins, Esq. 20 0 0 - - Captain I.C. Beresford 20 0 0 - - G. Huddleston, Esq. 20 0 0 - - M.C. Fitzgibbon, Esq. 20 0 0 - - Dr. Scott 20 0 0 - - Babu Krishna Chunder Bannerjee 20 0 0 - - Babu Gobind Sahai 17 0 0 - - Babu Ram Dhari Singh 17 0 0 - - A.H. Diack, Esq., I.C.S. 16 0 0 - - Captain P. Thompson, I.S.C. 16 0 0 - - Colonel B. Franklin, I.M.S. 16 0 0 - - Captain T.J. Kennedy 16 0 0 - - Lieutenant-Colonel J.A. Parkinson 16 0 0 - - Major J.M. Reid 16 0 0 - - ” J.R. Harwood 16 0 0 - - A.S. Barrow, Esq. 16 0 0 - - E. Walker, Esq. 16 0 0 - - T. Major, Esq. 16 0 0 - - J.B. Lloyd, Esq. 16 0 0 - - H.R. Klugh, Esq. 16 0 0 - - F. Stevenson, Esq. 16 0 0 - - W. Muir Masson, Esq. 16 0 0 - - James Jameson, Esq. 16 0 0 - - S.M. Robinson, Esq. 16 0 0 - - Rev. E.F.C. Wigram 16 0 0 - - R.P. Atkinson, Esq. 16 0 0 - - S.E. Madan, Esq. 16 0 0 - - C. Roe, Esq. 16 0 0 - - S. Waterfield, Esq. 16 0 0 - - F. Field, Esq. 16 0 0 - - S.W. Emery, Esq. 16 0 0 - - H.P. Cowley, Esq. 16 0 0 - - J.F. Mure, Esq. 16 0 0 - - Lieutenant G. Wilkinson, R.A. 15 0 0 - - A.B. Dalgetty, Esq. 15 0 0 - - A.W. Thomas, Esq. 15 0 0 - - Chas. H. Hacking, Esq. 15 0 0 - - Lieutenant W.B. Huddleston 10 0 0 - - ” L.T. Gage 10 0 0 - - Major E. Bowring 10 0 0 - - F. Fischer, Esq. 10 0 0 - - J.M. D’Costa, Esq. 10 0 0 - - C.H. Jones, Esq. 10 0 0 - - D.S. Richmond, Esq. 10 0 0 - - T.F. Richardson, Esq. 10 0 0 - - V.E. Nepos, Esq. 10 0 0 - - A. Stevenson, Esq. 10 0 0 - - Mrs. E. Clarke 10 0 0 - - ” L. Macalister 10 0 0 - - A.E. Jones, Esq. 10 0 0 - - A.J. Stavridi, Esq. 10 0 0 - - K.C. Chronopolo, Esq. 10 0 0 - - E.S.L. Morton, Esq. 10 0 0 - - W.L. Dallas, Esq. 10 0 0 - - Mrs. L.P. Patton 10 0 0 - - E.C. Richardson, Esq. 10 0 0 - - Rai Medni Prosad Singh Bahadur 10 0 0 - - Babu Tin Cowry Rai 6 0 0 - - Mirza Habib Husain 5 0 0 - - A.S. Cooper, Esq. 5 0 0 - - W.H. Burgess, Esq. 5 0 0 - - J. Harding, Esq. 5 0 0 - - W.H. Russell, Esq. 5 0 0 - - Malik Mahomed Khan 5 0 0 - - Babu Behary Lall Mukerji 5 0 0 - - Captain L.C. Dunsterville 5 0 0 - - Babu B.M. Laha 3 8 0 - - ————————— - - TOTAL 2,20,353 6 11 - - Proceeds of Ladies’ Ball given in Town Hall 6,898 1 0 - - ————————— - - GRAND TOTAL 2,27,251 7 11 - - CONTRIBUTIONS IN KIND - - Name of Contributor Contribution - - H.H. the Maharajah of 50 Arab chargers and saddlery - Bhownagar - - The Maharani Regent of Mysore 20 country-bred chargers - - Maharaj Kumar Prodyat Coomar A complete set of _x_-ray - Tagore apparatus - - Colonel Desraj Urs 30 horses - - Rajah of Mursan 25 horses - - The Maharajah Bahadur of 12 horses - Soubarsa, C.I.E. - - Nawab Mahomed Khan, Chief of 2 horses - Mardan - - Mahomed Mazamullah Khan of 2 horses, 1 mule, and 2 - Aligarh sleeping cottage tents - - Natives of Aligarh 27 horses and 1 mule - - Kashmir Durbar 300 Kashmir putties - - Victoria Mills Company of 125 thick double blankets for - Cawnpore syces - - The Muir Mills, Cawnpore Tents for the force - - The Woollen Mills, Cawnpore Serge cloth for all coats - complete, 1,000 pairs ribbed - stockings, 400 yards fawn - flannel, 400 pairs khaki - putties - - The Brush Factory, Cawnpore Brushes - - The Wense Tannery, Cawnpore Leather goods - - Messrs. Cooper, Allen, & Co., 300 pairs of gaiters - Cawnpore - - New Egerton Mills, Dharwal 300 Cardigan jackets - - F.H. Abbott, Esq. Fodder - - G.C. Mookerjee & Sons 2 lever clocks - - Messrs. Hart Bros. Fodder, shoes, veterinary - nails, &c. - - ” James Murray & Co. 6 field glasses - - Russell of Dinapore 1 box Diamond Ointment - - Messrs. Lipton, Ltd. Tea and coffee for the force - for the voyage to South - Africa - - Lawrie Johnstone, Esq., and 5,000 Manilla cigars - J.R. Stewart, Esq. - - C.F. Chadburn, Esq. 7,200 boxes of matches - - G.F. Kellner & Co. 10 cases of whisky - - Robinson, Morrison, & Co. 2 hogsheads beer - - Whiteaway, Laidlaw, & Co. 300 hats - - Ranken & Co. Officers’ uniforms - - Harman & Co. Making one suit of clothes for - each man - - W. Leslie & Co. 12 sets of aluminium - cooking-pots - - J.F. Madan 30 doz. Charles Southwell’s - whole fruit jams, 15 doz. - Rowat’s pickles, 72 doz. - Rowat’s Sauce, 200 lb. - Mackenzie & Mackenzie’s - biscuits, 96 doz. Universal - potted meat, 10 doz. Brand’s - essence of beef, 25 galls. - English malt vinegar, 30 lb. - fresh ground coffee, 50 lb. - orange Pekoe tea - - Various People 7 volumes ‘Blackwood’s - Magazine,’ 4 volumes - ‘Harper’s Monthly Magazine,’ - 6 volumes ‘The Century - Magazine,’ 72 paper books - (miscellaneous) - - - APPENDIX VIII - _FRIENDS AND SUPPORTERS OF THE CORPS_ - -The following gentlemen played prominent parts in connection with the -raising and equipment of Lumsden’s Horse: - - H.E. the Commander-in-Chief—Sir William Lockhart, G.C.B., K.C.S.I., - whom illness, however, prevented from inspecting the corps prior to - their departure to South Africa. - - Major-General Sir Edwin Collen, K.C.I.E., C.B., Military Member of - Council. - - Major-General P.J. Maitland, C.B., Secretary to the Government of - India Military Department. - - Major the Hon. E. Baring, Military Secretary to H.E. the Viceroy. - - Brigadier-General Sir E.R. Elles, K.C.B., Adjutant-General in India. - - Brigadier-General Sir Arthur Gaselee, K.C.B., Quartermaster-General in - India. - - Sir Patrick Playfair, C.I.E. - - Captain A.L. Phillips, Indian Staff Corps. - - Major-General R. Wace, C.B., Director-General of Ordnance. - - Surgeon-General R. Harvey, C.B., Director-General of I.M.S. - - Colonel P.A. Buckland, Superintendent Army Clothing. - - Major-General T.F. Hobday, Commissary-General. - - Captain W.S. Goodridge, Director R.I.M. (Bombay). - - Captain A. Gwyn, Deputy Director R.I.M. (Kidderpur Docks). - - William Currie, Esq., Messrs. Mackinnon, Mackenzie & Co. - - The Most Rev. J.E.C. Welldon, Lord Bishop of Calcutta and Metropolitan - of India. - - Shirley Tremearne, Esq. - - Canon A. Luckman, Senior Chaplain, St. Paul’s Cathedral, Calcutta. - - H.E.A. Apjohn, Esq., Chairman, Port Commissioners. - - Brigadier-General Leach, C.B., G.O.C. Bengal. - - Colonel Money, Assistant Adjutant-General. - - Colonel Mansfield, Commissary-General for Transport. - - Thanks are due to the following: - - The Indian Press for the free notices and list of subscriptions - inserted from time to time. - - A.U. Fanshawe, Esq., C.I.E., Director-General of Post Offices. - - C.E. Pitman, Esq., C.I.E., Director-General of Telegraphs, for - establishing Post and Telegraph Offices in Camp. - - The Lieutenant-Governor of Bengal (Sir John Woodburn). - - Her Excellency Lady Curzon of Kedleston. - - Lady Woodburn, the Misses Pugh, and the other ladies of Calcutta who - organised the Ball. - - THE LADIES’ BALL, CALCUTTA, JANUARY 1900, - - IN AID OF THE FUNDS FOR EQUIPPING LUMSDEN’S HORSE. - - _Patroness_ - Her Excellency LADY CURZON OF KEDLESTON, C.I. - - _Vice-Patronesses_ - Lady _Woodburn_ Lady LOCKHART - - Lady MACLEAN H.H. the MAHARANI OF - COOCH BEHAR - - Mrs. COTTON - - _General Committee._ - -Mrs. Aldam - ” C.H. Allen - ” Apjohn - ” Baker - ” Barkley - ” Barrow - ” Birkmyre - ” Bolton - ” Boyd - ” Branson - ” Beadon-Bryant - ” Buckland - ” Campbell - ” Chappell - ” Charles - ” Churchill -Lady Collen -Mrs. Comley - ” Constable - ” Coulter - ” Dangerfield - ” Lindsay Daniell - ” Dawkins - ” Dring - ” Duke - ” Dunne - ” Eggar - ” Ellis - -Mrs. Elworthy - ” Trevor Forbes - ” Gayer - ” Gemmell - ” Gibbs - ” A.S. Gladstone - ” Banks-Gwyther - ” Haggard - ” Harington - ” Havell - ” Hill - ” Huddleston - ” Iggulden - ” Joubert - ” Judge - ” Ker - ” Knight - ” Luson - ” Maconochie - ” Mair - ” Maitland - ” Mansfield - ” Mawdsley - ” Melville - ” Miller - ” R.L. Morgan -Hon. Mrs. McLaren Morrison - -Mrs. Morris - ” Murray - ” Goodwin Norman - ” Oakley - ” Ormond - ” Orr - ” Paget - ” Pearson - ” Petersen - ” Phelps - ” Poppe - ” Pratt - ” Pugh - ” Renny - ” Seymour - ” Silk -Kanwar Rani Lady Harnam Singh -Mrs. Assheton-Smith - ” Sparkes - ” Stanley - ” Foster Stevens - ” Stone - ” Watkins - ” Wallis-Whiddett - ” Wicks - ” Wilkins - ” Wynne - - _List of the Stewards._ - -Captain Allanson -Mr. C.H. Allen - ” Rob Allen - ” G.G. Anderson - ” E.W. Antram - ” A.A. Apcar - ” Gregory Apcar - ” J.G. Apcar - ” J.H. Apjohn - ” E.C. Apostolides -Hon. Mr. Allan Arthur -Captain Badcock -Mr. L.C. Baines -Major the Hon. E. Baring -Mr. A.S. Barrow - ” C.P. Bartholomew - ” W.E. Bayley - ” C.F. Beadel - ” V. Beatty - ” H.C. Begg - ” W.M. Beresford - ” A.J. Fraser Blair - ” D.C. Blair - ” E.G. Buck -Hon. Mr. J. Buckingham -Mr. P.L. Buckland - ” A.L. Butter -Dr. Arnold Caddy -Mr. G. Caine - ” P.E. Cameron -Captain Campbell, A.D.C. -Mr. John Campbell -Captain Baker-Carr, A.D.C. -Mr. N. Bonham Carter - ” W.D. Carter - ” W.D. Cartwright - ” E. Chapman - ” E.P. Chapman - ” E.C. Coates - ” G. Colville - ” W. Ross Craig - ” W.D. Cruickshank - ” J.E. Cubitt - ” R.H.S. Dashwood -Hon. Mr. Clinton Dawkins -Mr. Cairns Deas - -Mr. W. Dods -Major Dolby -Mr. W.A. Dring - ” W.K. Eddis - ” W.H. Edwards -Sir G.H.P. Evans -Hon. Mr. A.U. Fanshawe -Mr. R.R. Gales - ” J. Gemmell - ” G. Girard - ” W.O. Grazebrook - ” R.J. Green -Captain Grimston -Mr. J.D. Guise - ” F.F. Handley -Hon. Mr. Justice Harington -Surgeon-General Harvey -Mr. H. Hensman - ” C.R. Hills - ” H. Hookey - ” G. Huddleston - ” A.D. Ingram - ” P. Ismay - ” C.M. Jack - ” J.R. Johnston - ” C. Lawrie Johnstone - ” C.B. Jourdain - ” A.S. Judge - ” C.H.B. Jurret - ” Paul Knight -Captain Knox, A.D.C. -Brigadier-General Leach, C.B. -Mr. A.M. Lindsay - ” Allan Mackinnon -Sir Francis Maclean -Mr. A. McNiven -Sir Wm. Macpherson -Mr. A.G.H. Macpherson -Major-General Maitland, C.B. -Mr. J.R. Maples - ” E.J. Marshall - ” E.S. Martin - ” Harold Martin - ” Francis Matthewson -Colonel Money -Mr. D. McLaren Morrison - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -Mr. A.K. Muir -Hon. Mr. A.C. Murray -Mr. J. Needham - ” John Nicoll -Captain Noblett -Major Ormerod -Mr. J.A. Ormiston - ” E.W. Ormond - ” J.C. Orr - ” J.W. Orr - ” W. Orrell - ” J.J. Page -Captain Phillips -Mr. G. Pickford - ” A. Pickford -Sir Patrick Playfair, C.I.E. -Mr. F. Power - ” A.J. Pugh - ” L.P. Pugh - ” R.A.C. Pugh - ” C. Radcliffe - ” A. Rawlinson -Hon. Mr. J.D. Rees -Mr. A. Rodachanachi - ” L.E.D. Rose - ” C.L.S. Russell - -Mr. A. Short - ” J.A. Simpson -Hon. Mr. D.M. Smeaton -Mr. C.E. Smyth - ” C.D. Stewart - ” H. Stokes - ” Harry Stuart -Earl of Suffolk and Berks, A.D.C. -Mr. H.W. Sutcliffe - ” G.H. Sutherland - ” R.G.D. Thomas - ” W.L. Thomas - ” Shirley Tremearne - ” J.M. Turner -Captain Tyrrell -Major Verschoyle -Mr. S. Verschoyle - ” C.L.W. Wallace -Captain Waters -Mr. Martyn Wells - ” D. Westmacott - ” Thos. Westmacott -Hon. Mr. Justice Wilkins -Captain Wilkinson -Mr. H.D. Wood - - - APPENDIX IX - _LUMSDEN’S HORSE RECEPTION COMMITTEE_ - -The following is the first list of names of the Reception Committee: - - _Patron_ - - His Excellency Lord Curzon - - _Vice-Patrons_ - - His Excellency the Commander-in-Chief - His Honour the Lieutenant-Governor of Bengal - Hon. the Chief Commissioner of Assam - Hon. the Chief Justice of Bengal - Most Rev. the Lord Bishop of Calcutta - - _Members_ - - Mr. A.F.M. Abdur Rahman - ” J.A. Anderson - ” A.A. Apcar - ” A.G. Apcar - Captain Apostolides - Mr. J. Arbuthnot - Hon. Sir Allan Arthur, Kt. - Mr. H.S. Ashton - ” R.P. Ashton - Lieutenant Baines - Mr. W.A. Bankier - Hon. Mr. Justice Gooroo Das Bannerjee - Major the Hon. E. Baring - Mr. A.S. Barrow - ” H. Bateson - ” H.C. Begg - ” W.M. Beresford - Colonel J. Binning - Mr. D.C. Blair - Hon. Mr. C.W. Bolton, C.S.I., I.C.S. - ” Major J. Bourdillon, C.S.I., I.C.S. - Captain W.J. Bradshaw, P.D.V. - Hon. Mr. J. Buckingham, C.I.E. - ” Mr. C.E. Buckland, C.I.E., I.C.S. - ” Mr. R.B. Buckley - ” Prince Mahomed Bukhtyar Shah, C.I.E. - Mr. E. Cable - Lieutenant Caddy - Captain Baker-Carr - Dr. J. Nield Cook - Hon. Mr. W.E. Cooper, C.I.E. - Mr. H.E.A. Cotton - Dr. William Coulter - Mr. W.D. Cruickshank - Sir William J. Cuningham, K.C.S.I. - Mr. Lindsay Daniell - ” Walter J. Davies - ” Cairns Deas, C.E. - ” J.G. Dickson - Lieutenant Dunbar - Mr. E.B. Eden - Hon. Mr. H. Elworthy - ” Sir Griffith Evans, K.C.I.E. - ” Mr. H.F. Evans, C.S.I., I.C.S. - Mr. A.U. Fanshawe, C.I.E., I.C.S. - ” J. Finlay - Hon. Mr. M. Finucane, C.S.I., I.C.S. - Mr. J.S. Fraser - ” J. Gemmell - Hon. Mr. Justice Chunder Madhub Ghose - Mr. C. Greenway - ” R.T. Greer, I.C.S. - Captain Griffiths - Mr. H.B. Hall - ” D.M. Hamilton - Hon. Major Harington - Mr. John Harper - Surgeon-General R. Harvey, C.B., I.M.S., &c. - Mr. Gilbert S. Henderson - Captain Henry - Mr. H. Hensman - ” J.P. Hewett, C.S.I., C.I.E. - Hon. Mr. Justice Hill - Mr. T.W. Holderness, C.S.I., I.C.S. - Hon. Nawab Syed Ameer Hossein, C.I.E. - Mr. A.J. Ker - ” D. King - ” H.A. Kirk - ” H.M. Kisch, M.A., I.C.S. - ” Paul Knight - Hon. Sir Edward Law, K.C.M.G. - Brigadier-General H.P. Leach, C.B., R.E., &c. - Mr. W. Leslie - ” A.M. Lindsay, C.I.E. - ” A.S. Lovelock - Rev. Canon Luckman - Mr. A.A. Lyall - ” F.G. Maclean - ” D.J. Macpherson, C.I.E., I.C.S. - Maharajah Sir Narendra Krishna Bahadur, K.C.I.E. - Major-General P.J. Maitland, C.B., I.S.C. - Mr. E.J. Marshall - Colonel A. Masters - Mr. W.J.M. McCaw - Lieut.-Colonel McLaughlin, S.V.L.H. - Mr. F. Matheson - ” Norman McLeod - Major J.R. Maples - Lieut.-Colonel J.J. Meade - Mr. R.D. Mehta, C.I.E. - Colonel J.A. Miley, C.S.I., I.S.C. - Mr. Charles Morris - Mr. A.K. Muir - ” Reginald Murray - Hon. Mr. F.A. Nicholson, C.I.E. - Mr. John Nicoll - Mr. A.F. Norman - Hon. Mr. C.W. Odling, C.S.I., M.E. - Mr. G.A. Ormiston - ” C.R. Orr - ” T.B.G. Overend - ” W. Parsons - ” A. Pedler, F.R.S. - Captain E.W. Petley, C.I.E. - Mr. W.H. Phelps - Major H.W. Pilgrim, I.M.S. - Sir Patrick Playfair, Kt., C.I.E. - Major D. Prain, M.B., I.M.S. - Hon. Mr. Justice Pratt, M.A., I.C.S. - ” Sir H.T. Prinsep, Kt. - Mr. J.M.G. Prophit - Mr. L.P. Pugh - Hon. Mr. T. Raleigh - ” Mr. Justice Rampini - Colonel Rankin, M.D., I.M.S. - Hon. Mr. C.M. Rivaz, C.S.I. - Mr. W.T.M. Robertson - ” A. Rodocanachi - ” H.M. Ross - ” H.M. Rustomji - ” J. O’B. Saunders - ” F.N. Schiller - ” J.C. Shorrock - Hon. Sir Harnam Singh, K.C.I.E. - ” Mr. D.M. Smeaton, C.S.I. - Mr. C.E. Smyth - ” T.W. Spink - Hon. Rai Sri Ram Bahadur - ” Mr. Justice Stanley - Mr. W.R. Stikeman - Major Strachey - Mr. Harry Stuart - Hon. Mr. Sutherland - Maharajah Sir Jotendro Mohun Tagore Bahadur, K.C.S.I. - Maharaj Kumar Prodyat Coomar Tagore - Rajah Sir Sourindro Mohun Tagore, Kt., C.I.E. - Mr. W.L. Thomas - ” T. Traill - ” Shirley Tremearne - Hon. Sir A.C. Trevor, K.C.S.I. - Mr. M.C. Turner - ” F.R. Upcott, C.E. - Major-General R. Wace, C.B., R.A. - Mr. A.H. Wallis - Mr. C.H. Wilkie - ” George Williamson - ” H.C. Williamson, C.S. - ” J. Wilson - Hon. Mr. J.T. Woodroffe, Advocate-General - Colonel T.R. Wynne - - APPENDIX X - _THE FINAL ACCOUNTS_ - - _To the Editor of the ‘Indian Daily News.’_ - - SIR,—May I ask you to be good enough to publish for the benefit of the - subscribers to the Indian Mounted Infantry Corps (Lumsden’s Horse) - Fund a detailed account of the receipts and expenditure? - - On behalf of myself, officers, and men of the corps, I desire to - tender our grateful acknowledgment to His Excellency Lord Curzon, - Honorary Colonel, not only for having sanctioned the raising of the - corps and for his patronage, but also for the very material assistance - he graciously gave us and for the interest he took in our operations - on active service. - - I take the opportunity, at the completion of our campaign, again to - thank the public for the splendid manner in which they equipped the - corps for active service in South Africa and for the cordial way they - welcomed it back again. The public appreciation of their services to - the Army has been to the officers and men of Lumsden’s Horse ample - recompense for any hardships they may have endured. For myself I can - only repeat that I never wish to be associated with more gallant - comrades. I am indebted to General Sir E.R. Elles, Adjutant-General, - General Gaselee, Quartermaster-General, Surgeon-General Harvey, - Director-General I.M.S., and General Wace, Director-General of - Ordnance, for the assistance given in obtaining equipment for the - corps and facilitating its despatch. - - More than special thanks are also due to Sir Patrick Playfair for the - great interest he has taken in the corps from start to finish, as well - as to the other members of the committee.—Yours, &c., - - D.M. LUMSDEN, Lieutenant-Colonel, - - Commanding Lumsden’s Horse. - - April 17, 1900. - - LUMSDEN’S HORSE EQUIPMENT FUND - - THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE IN ACCOUNT WITH THE FUND FROM THE DATE OF THE - OPENING OF THE FUND - TO APRIL 9, 1900 - - ─────────────────────────────── - RECEIPTS. - Rs. a. p. - Subscriptions 2,22,225 7 11 - and - Donations - - Rs. 2,22,225 7 11 - ═══════════════════════════════ - - ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── - DISBURSEMENTS. - Rs. a. p. Rs. a. p. - Equipment 31,027 2 1 - Uniform, Clothing, &c. 30,320 7 11 - Ponies and Transport 27,459 9 7 - Horses and Remounts 15,337 15 0[F] - Medicines 695 14 6 - ————————— 1,04,841 1 1 - Camp Messing 19,301 9 0 - Camp Equipage 2,522 14 6 - Camp Conservancy 529 0 0 - Camp Sundry Expenses 1,523 9 0 - Office Establishment and - Expenses 1,631 7 9 - Stationery, Printing, and - Advertising 628 11 6 - Postages and Telegrams 373 5 6 - Salaries of Native Followers 862 0 0 - ————————— 27,372 9 3 - Canteen and Stores for South - Africa 12,059 13 9 - £2,000 taken to South Africa 29,912 10 0 - ————————— 41,972 7 9 - ————————— - 1,74,186 2 1 - Advances to Recover 1,277 13 0 - Balance in Hand: - With Bank of Bengal 46,241 2 1[G] - With Honorary Treasurers 520 6 9 - ————————— 46,761 8 10 - ————————— - Rs. 2,22,225 7 11 - ═════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════ - -Footnote F: - - There is a further liability under this head of about Rs. 20,000. - -Footnote G: - - From Bank Balance in Hand a credit of £2,000 has been opened for the - contingent with the Standard Bank of South Africa. - - -Audited and found correct. - LOVELOCK & LEWES, Chartered Accountants, - _Honorary Auditors_. -CALCUTTA: _April 14, 1900_. - - - APPENDIX XI - _LUMSDEN’S HORSE TRANSPORT_ - -The following article is by Sergeant Stephens, of the Indian -Commissariat and Transport Department, attached to Lumsden’s Horse: - - The Government of India at the last moment not sanctioning native - drivers for the corps, fifty Europeans had to be enlisted under the - same terms as those of trackers, receiving kit, equipment, &c. As - there was no time to pick and choose, the men were taken, if - physically fit, more by personal appearances than recommendations. - With the exception of a few, they worked remarkably well and never - complained of the hardships they had to endure while we were in South - Africa. - - When each member joined the corps he was handed over a pair of ponies - or mules, also harness for same, with cart complete. The majority of - them had never driven or ridden a horse in their lives, so that the - breaking-in of horses and men was not an easy task. Of fifty pairs of - animals received for draught purposes not a pair was broken to - harness, and when the heavy breechen was placed on their backs they - did their best to kick it off, but the girths supplied by Government - were strong enough to keep that in place. Our next difficulty was to - put them together in carts. Immediately the curricle bar or iron - support rested on their backs they wanted to be off for their lives, - and in some instances got away and did a lot of mischief before they - came to grief, cart and all. Privates Hyde and Braine once trying to - stop a pair got severely hurt; Hyde putting his shoulder out, while - Braine got his head badly cut. Both were sent to the General Hospital - for treatment, but recovered in time to join B Company. - - The Transport men were very willing, took a delight in their duty, and - worked hard from 7 A.M. to 6 P.M. daily, and at that rate we were able - to have the worst of the animals broken to harness before we left - Calcutta. At the same time, the men were improving daily in the care - and treatment of animals, and when the General Officer Commanding held - his inspection, every one of them was able to drive, or seemed to - think he could, so we had A Company’s Transport out for inspection. - After inspecting carts, animals, and drivers, the General expressed - himself pleased with the very ready way in which they had been got in - order, and stated that he thought we should get on well in Africa. - - The men had not the slightest idea of what a muleteer was until they - got on board ship. Then the work started, and dirty work it was for - about two hours every morning. Even then there were no complaints. The - officer commanding the corps and the captain of the ship gave great - praise to the Transport men every day for having the cleanest deck. - The captain afterwards said that with Regular troops he had never seen - it better kept. They had to perform the same duties as the troopers, - the only difference being that they had extra work daily from 2 P.M. - to 4 P.M. dubbing and cleaning harness. - - While on board ship the Transport of A Company was divided into four - sections, consequently four non-commissioned officers had to be made. - This was the first promotion in the Transport, and was given to those - who seemed to take most interest in their work. The names of men - promoted were Power, Palmer, Cullen, and Estabrooke. Power afterwards - worked up to sergeant, was a very good non-commissioned officer - throughout, and quite deserved the rank he held. Work on board ship - was the same daily, nothing fresh occurring till we landed at Cape - Town. That night carts had to be got ready, and the following morning - we had to take our own baggage to Maitland Camp. That was about the - worst day we had while in Africa. It was impossible to look to our - front—animals would not face the sand-storms—it was not sand, but - small stones beating against our faces, and our eyes were sore for - weeks after our first day at the Cape. It was very hard to harness the - Transport animals in carts; but after being about twenty-six days on - board ship, they had not much mind for bolting that first day. The - camp, when we got there, was knee-deep in sand. Maitland at that time - was a dirty hole, and we were pleased when we got our orders to shift. - But a few things happened during our stay there which we cannot - forget. The Government came on us, thinking we had too many carts, and - they had to be reduced by ten. So we handed our ten carts and ten - pairs of ponies to the Transport Officer, Cape Town, and, instead of - them, got thirty-eight pairs of mules, with leader harness complete, - to act as leaders for our remaining carts. That meant instead of two - ponies to a cart, as we left India, we had to put four ponies or - mules. This complicated matters a long time, for some of the drivers - could never manage four-in-hand, so had to be left with a pair only. - They said that two ‘donkeys’ (which they would insist upon calling - their chargers) were quite enough for them to look after. In the end, - everything turned out very well. We kept those animals spare, and - whenever any in the teams showed signs of fatigue, got lame, or - otherwise unfit, we had others to take their places. - - The Transport Officer at the Cape did not think much of his bargain. - He could not get the Cape boys to make head or tail of our Indian - carts and harness. It was harder for them to put a pair of our ponies - in their cart than their own span of ten, which they could use as they - liked. - - After receiving orders for the front with a light heart, every man - thought the minutes too long until he got an opportunity of - distinguishing himself. We were ordered to Bloemfontein, and everybody - was on the war-path at once. We railed to that station, which did not - do the animals any good, and on arrival there were ordered to join a - brigade at Deel’s Farm, about three miles beyond the town. Having to - draw our stores from Bloemfontein station prepared our transport and - drivers for the work which lay before them, and during our stay there - they got in excellent order. - - The first day our Transport carts went out with spare ammunition for - the corps, nothing unusual occurred, and, in fact, all returned - disappointed, but this showed the ammunition drivers what they must - expect when going out again. All in charge of these carts were picked - men, being the best drivers with the best animals. They had to canter - and trot over rough country with eight boxes of ammunition, to keep in - touch with their corps, over hills or otherwise, and be always where - they were wanted; our carts were very handy, and could go where others - failed. - - Next day was the well-remembered Ospruit fight, and the carts had a - narrow escape then. The enemy got their range, and the pom-poms - played round them for some time, a few of the shells landing between - the carts; but the drivers were just as easy as ever, and when - ordered to retire did it in excellent style, smoking and passing - jokes as the shells followed them up. Private Lowther, who was on - stretcher-bearer’s duty that day, will not forget what he called a - cool order. When the drivers were getting out of range one of their - hats was blown off, and Lowther, being on foot, was ordered to pick - it up. He looked twice, but went back and got it. Shells were a bit - thick, but he remembered he was a soldier. The day after the fight - we had to send a cart out to bring in Major Showers. Corporal Cullen - and Private Arthurton went with it on duty, Cullen corporal in - charge, Arthurton the driver. After finding the Major’s body, they - were joined by some Boers, who assisted to put the Major in the - cart, had a friendly chat with them, passed cigarettes and tobacco - round, and Cullen said when he came back to camp that there were - very few Boers among them, nearly all English-speaking and of a very - respectable class. They had very little to say regarding the fight - the previous day, but said they were sorry our Colonel was killed. - They had found some papers in the pockets of young Lumsden, whom - they took to be the Colonel. - - We had most trouble with our carts and animals when night marching. - The ponies were excellent for draught purposes; the Cape mules did not - last nearly as well. If properly fed the ponies would have worked - throughout our stay in Africa; but they were often days without - anything but what they could pick when we got an hour’s halt. On one - occasion which I remember well they were thirty-six hours under - harness without food of any kind, and only watered once. People might - say, Why not oftener? Water was not procurable. - - Another thing that came against us was the cunning Kaffir. He could - walk around at night, take the best of our animals, and have them - disfigured in such a way that nobody could recognise them the - following morning. We put up with this for a long time, until our - stock of spare mules ran short, and then we had to carry out the same - tricks as the remainder by doing unto others as they had done to us. - We were able to take to Pretoria every one of the carts with which we - left Bloemfontein. When we got there, everything, of course, was the - worse for wear, but complete in every other respect. If anything ever - frightened our Transport drivers it was the word ‘drift.’ You should - have seen their worried looks when they heard that there was a drift - ahead; but they braved everything, thinking that Pretoria would finish - all. But to our surprise when we got there we found out that the show - was only then starting. We had a little rest after the surrender, - being sent to a station ten miles off called Irene. While there the - Transport kept the horses of the corps well fed on oat-hay, which we - brought from all the farms within ten miles of the place. We remained - at Irene until August 1, and then got attached to a brigade going - after De Wet in the Rustenburg direction. We were on this march for - twenty-eight days without rest, which was the cause of killing all our - Indian ponies except twelve. The whole of that month’s march was a - dead pull for the Transport—some days it was up to the ankle in sand, - while next it was just the same in black sticky earth. We were not the - only lot that suffered; every unit experienced just the same. It took - us all our time to get our carts back to Pretoria. At the end of - August we were only a day in Pretoria before being ordered off again - on the march to Barberton. Things had to be got ready as quickly as - possible, and off we went on September 1 for another long trek. When - starting on this march we had to leave twelve of our carts in - Pretoria, and as many men of the corps had come down we reduced our - Transport. During the whole of this period we had very little time for - carrying out repairs to carts and harness. The saddles began to give - out in the leather, as they had not been repaired since we left - Calcutta except a stitch here and there. During our stay in Africa we - never had an animal suffer from sore back. This, we think, was due to - the excellent way in which the saddles were stuffed before leaving - Calcutta. Although newly received from the Ordnance Department, they - did not satisfy the Commissariat and Transport Sergeant-Major, who had - them stuffed to his own liking. - - On the march to Barberton and back we had very bad weather, which - completely destroyed our gear, and, arriving at Pretoria for the third - time, we thought of getting it thoroughly repaired. We had done our - best, and, in fact, had all the saddles restuffed and lined in a very - short time, when orders were received for the corps to be disbanded. - - The number of animals with which we left India was—Ponies, 100; mules, - 5; total, 105. The five mules lasted throughout, but only eight ponies - lived to see the finish. Two of these, driven by Private Arthurton, - seemed to be in better condition at the finish than when they left - Calcutta. He took great care of his animals. Two others were in charge - of Driver Estabrooke. As he intended remaining in South Africa, the - Colonel presented him with his pair. - - The whole of the carts and gear were handed over to the Ordnance, - Pretoria, before our departure, with three hearty cheers from - Lumsden’s muleteers. - - - APPENDIX XII - TOPICAL SONG - - BY J. HENRY, TROOPER IN LUMSDEN’S HORSE - - I - - The long campaign is over, - And we are homeward bound; - We think about what’s waiting us on shore: - Of the dâks at country stations, - Of the evenings in the club, - And the pleasures of a civy rig once more. - - CHORUS. - - For the ration jam is sweet, - And the ‘bully’ beef is good, - And ‘Machonochie’ is nothing short of prime; - But give me, yes, oh, give me, - Oh, how I wish you would, - ‘Moorghi’ cutlets and my peg at evening time. - - II - - We have often groused and grumbled, - But not a man would say - He’s sorry that he joined the good old corps; - And the longest marches seem now - But fair share of work and play, - When we know we’ve not to do them any more. - - (Chorus.) - - III - - It really is annoying - When you march at break of day, - To find your moke has vanished from the line; - And you curse the stable picket, - And on your knees you pray - You may never see another ‘Argentine.’ - - (Chorus.) - - IV - - We’re very near the finish, - And in a week or so - We will scatter over India, hill and plain; - But when two of us foregather, - ’Mid the clouds of smoke we blow - We’ll follow-Colonel Lumsden once again. - - (Chorus.) - - - _Errata_ - - Page 100, line 16, _for_ Grobelaar’s _read_ Grobler’s - - ” 182, ” 20, _for_ East Indian Railway Volunteer - Rifles _read_ East India Railway - Volunteer Rifles - - ” 257, ” 20, _for_ Private J.E. Cubitt _read_ Private - L.H. Cubitt - - ” 267, ” 25, _for_ Thompson, T. _read_ Thompson, F.C. - - ” ” ” 32, _for_ Henry, G.E. _read_ Henry, J. - - ” 364, ” 4, _for_ Burnett _read_ Bennett - - ” ” ” 10, _for_ Campbell, L.C. _read_ Campbell, - J.S. - - ” 384, ” 13, _for_ Johnstone, E.J. _read_ Johnstone, - C.H. - - ” ” ” 15, _for_ Ritchie _read_ Richey - - ” ” ” 20, _for_ Bagge _read_ Dagge - - ” 395, ” 35, _for_ Rustomjee _read_ Rustomji - -HISTORY OF LUMSDEN’S HORSE - - - - - INDEX - - - Abbott, Mr. F.H., 475 - - Abdur Rahman, Mr. A.F.M., 471, 480 - - Adlam, E., 267, 364, 436 - - Adye, Colonel, 370 - - Ahmed Khan, Nawab Sir Sidi, 25, 462 - - Ahmed Wali Khan, Malik, 465 - - Ahmuty & Co., 464 - - Ajodhya, Maharajah of, 465 - - Aldam, Mrs., 477 - - Aldis, O., 384, 428 - - Aligarh, 25, 475 - - Aligarh, Mahomed Mazamullah Khan of, 475 - - Alipur, 451 - - Alipur Native Cavalry, 395 - - Allan, B.M., 384, 428 - - Allanson, Captain, 478 - - Allardice, D.O., 267, 344, 346, 384, 434 - - Allardice, H., 344, 346, 371, 434 - - Allen, Mr. C.H., 478 - - Allen, Mr. R., 470, 478 - - Allen, Mrs. C.H., 477 - - Allison, Mr. J., 470 - - Anderson, P.W., 364, 418, 436, 454 - - Anderson, Mr. Justice, 466 - - Anderson, Mr. G.G., 478 - - Anderson, Mr. J.A., 480 - - Anderson, Wright & Co., 463 - - Anley, Captain, 104 - - Anstruther, Colonel, 316 - - Antram, Mr., 478 - - Apcar, Mr., 402 - - Apcar, Mr. A.A., 478, 480 - - Apcar, Mr. A.G., 480 - - Apcar, Mr. J.G., 478 - - Apcar & Co., 25, 462 - - Apjohn, Mr., 395, 470, 476, 478 - - Apjohn, Mrs., 477 - - Apostolides, Captain, 480 - - Apostolides, Mr., 478 - - Arathoon, J.D.L., 311, 365, 367, 431, 454 - - Arbuthnot, Mr. J., 469, 480 - - Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, 296 - - Armfield & Chard, 464 - - Army Service Corps, 311 - - Arracan Co., Ltd., 464 - - Arthur, Sir A., 402, 480 - - Arthur, Mr. A., 478 - - Arthurton, W.G., 436, 487, 489 - - Artillery, _see_ Royal Horse - - Artists’ Volunteers, 369 - - Ashton, Mr. H.S., 469, 480 - - Ashton, Mr. R.P., 480 - - Asonsole, 183 - - ‘Assam Gazette,’ 180 - - Assam Valley Light Horse, 4, 12, 38, 467 - - Atkins, Mr. C.H., 473 - - Atkinson, A., 72, 384, 385, 431 - - Atkinson, Mr. R.P., 473 - - ‘Atlantian’ transport, 371, 372, 382, 383, 384, 387, 389 - - Australian Volunteers, 184, 217, 219, 220, 239, 293, 296, 338, 360, 363 - - Avoca, 335 - - Ayerst, Captain, 402 - - - Badcock, Captain, 478 - - Baden-Powell, General, 288, 289, 292, 293, 294, 296, 300, 305, 306, - 309, 310, 311, 413 - - Baden-Powell, Major, 293 - - Bailey, Mr. W.L., 468 - - Baileytown, 121 - - Baines, Lieutenant, 480 - - Baines, Mr., 478 - - Baines & Co., 464 - - Baker, Mr. C.F., 472 - - Baker, Mrs., 477 - - Balaghat Police, 467 - - Baldwin, R.H., 267, 364, 436 - - Ballard, Lance-Corporal, 75, 430, 454 - - Balmer, Lawrie, & Co., 463 - - Balmoral, 316, 328 - - Bank of Bengal, 423, 465 - - Bankes, E.N., 267, 364, 430 - - Bankier, Mr. W.A., 480 - - Banks, P.W., 364, 436, 454 - - Bannerjee, Mr. Justice, 466, 480 - - Bannerjee, Babu Doorgagati, 473 - - Bannerjee, Babu Krishna Chunder, 473 - - Barberton, 190, 314, 315, 316, 320, 324, 327, 332, 333, 336, 339, 340, - 349, 351, 488 - - Baring, Hon. E., Major, 395, 476, 478, 480 - - Barkley, Mrs., 477 - - Barotse Tribe, 306 - - Barrackpur, 396 - - Barrow, Mr. A.S., 473, 478, 480 - - Barrow, Mrs., 477 - - Barry & Co., 463 - - Bartholomew, Mr., 478 - - Bartlett, Mr. E.W.J., 470 - - Barton, General, 417 - - Bateman, F.G., 347, 431 - - Bates, Corporal, 268, 311, 365, 367, 432, 454 - - Bateson, Mr. H., 480 - - Bathgate, Mr. J., 472 - - Bathgate & Co., 463 - - Battye, W., Lieutenant, 414 - - Bayley, Mr., 478 - - Beachcroft, Mr. C.P., 471 - - Beadel, Mr., 478 - - Bearne, L.C., 277, 280, 281, 364, 434 - - Beattie, Mr. J.A., 468 - - Beattie, Mr. M.J., 470 - - Beatty, Mr., 478 - - Bechtler & Sons, 465 - - Bechuanaland, 287 - - Becker, Ross, & Co., 463 - - Begg, Mr. H.C., 469, 478, 480 - - Behan, J.L., 364, 435 - - Behar, 172, 173 - - Behar Contingent, 15, 38 - - Behar Light Horse, 12 - - Belfast, 337, 344, 449 - - Bell, C.L., 384, 428 - - Bell, L.H., 418, 430, 454 - - Bell, Mr. H.J., 470 - - Benares, Maharajah of, 465 - - Bengal, 178 - - Bengal Central Railway, 467 - - Bengal Lancers (14th), 451 - - Bennett, H.C.C., 267, 364, 430 - - Benoni, 413, 414, 417, 418 - - Beresford, Captain, 31, 33, 120, 126, 266, 312, 316, 333, 334, 335, - 337, 340, 343, 344, 345, 349, 384, 402, 427, 457 - - Beresford, Captain, I.C., 473 - - Beresford, Mr. W.M., 471, 478, 480 - - Bergendal, 313 - - Berkshire Regiment, 290 - - Bethany, 124 - - Bethel, 350, 353 - - Bethulie, 86, 91, 92, 121, 122, 223 - - Bevan & Co., 465, 467 - - Bewsher, J.C.D., 244, 267, 332, 364, 433 - - Bhama, Churn, Bhur, & Co., 463 - - Bharatpur, Maharajah of, 462 - - Bhownagar, Maharajah of, 25, 474 - - Bidenhamp, Dr., 333 - - Bijoy Singh, Rajah of Kunari, Kotah, 465 - - Bikanir, Maharajah of, 465 - - Bikanir Imperial Service Camel Corps, 466 - - Binning, Colonel, 480 - - Birch, R.W.R., 267, 364, 433 - - Bird & Co., 463 - - Birkmyre, Mrs., 477 - - Birkmyre Brothers, 463 - - Biscoe, J.S., 268, 346, 365, 435, 454 - - Biscoe, M.S., 371, 434 - - Bishop of Calcutta, _see_ Welldon - - Blair, Lance-Corporal, 71, 75, 119, 267, 268, 365, 427, 454 - - Blair, Mr. A.J.F., 471, 478 - - Blair, Mr. D.C., 478, 480 - - ‘Blake’s Ruffians,’ 312 - - Bloemfontein, 86, 90, 93, 96, 98, 99, 101, 110, 111, 112, 113, 117, - 120, 122, 123, 124, 127-143, 150, 177, 194, 199, 208, 224, 226, 253, - 257, 258, 269, 369, 460, 487, 488 - - Boesman’s Kop, 99, 106, 107 - - Boileau, K., 90, 111, 418, 429, 454 - - Bokfontein, 304 - - Boksburg, 242, 244, 271, 273, 413, 414, 415, 416, 417, 418, 425 - - Bolst, N.J., 77, 183, 384, 431 - - Bolton, Mr. C.W., 468, 480 - - Bolton, Mrs., 477 - - Bombay, 387-391 - - Bombay Infantry (20th), 395 - - Bonnerjee, Mr. W.C., 470 - - Booth, J.J., 183, 364, 384, 431 - - Bosek & Co., 464 - - Botha, Hans, Commandant, 416 - - Botha, Louis, General, 97, 150, 178, 200, 234, 236, 248, 251, 260, 261, - 270, 287, 289, 301, 313, 315, 338 - - Bothaville, 118, 331 - - Bourdillon, Major, 480 - - Bourdillon, Mr., 402 - - Bourne & Shepherd, 465 - - Bowring, Major, 474 - - Boyd, Mrs., 477 - - Brabant, General, 150 - - Bradford, L.H., 235, 414, 416, 418, 436, 454 - - Bradford, S.H., 384, 436 - - Bradshaw, Captain, 395, 402, 470, 480 - - Braine, J., 321, 364, 436, 454, 485 - - Brakpan, 208 - - Brandfort, 136, 140, 141, 142, 143, 150, 176, 177, 189, 193, 208, 209, - 213, 258, 311, 343 - - Brandreth, Mr. S., 471 - - Branson, Mrs., 477 - - Brennan, Sergeant, 385, 404, 405, 427, 460 - - Briggs, H., 384, 432 - - Broadwood, General, 98, 99, 100, 101, 102, 106, 177, 300 - - Brodrick, Mr. St. John, 421 - - Bronkhurst Spruit, 316 - - Broomfield & Co., 464 - - Broughton, Mr. L.P.D., 468 - - Brown, J.A., 361, 428 - - Brown, H.P., 341, 430 - - Brown, W.B., 267, 371, 384, 436 - - Brown, W.K., 434 - - Brown, Rev. Mr., 403 - - Browne, Captain, 389 - - Browne, Mr. W.B., 472 - - Browning, Mr. C.H., 471 - - Bryant, Mrs. Beadon, 477 - - Buck, Sir E., 398 - - Buck, Mr. E.G., 478 - - Buckingham, Colonel, 4, 26, 64, 402 - - Buckingham, Mr., 404, 468, 478, 480 - - Buckland, Colonel, 29, 64, 476 - - Buckland, Mr. C.E., 480 - - Buckland, Mr. P.L., 478 - - Buckland, Mrs., 477 - - Buckley, Mr. R.B., 470, 480 - - Buffalo River, 91 - - Buffalo Spruit, 320 - - Bukhtyar Shah, Prince Mahomed, 480 - - Buksh, Mair R., 471 - - Bull, Mr. W., 470 - - Buller, General, 85, 87, 180, 314, 449 - - Burgess, E.J., 370, 435 - - Burgess, Mr. W.H., 474 - - Burmese Mounted Infantry, 106 - - Burn, Mr. R.N., 472 - - Burn-Murdoch, J.H.A., 136, 149, 159, 161, 163-166, 171, 267, 364, 365, - 432 - - Burnand, W., 183, 321#, 384, 436 - - Burnham, Mrs. F.A., 470 - - Bushman’s Kop, _see_ Boesman’s - - Buskin, A.H., 418, 428, 454 - - Butcher, Major, 389 - - Butler, Lance-Corporal, 267, 332, 434 - - Butter, Mr. A.L., 478 - - Byres, _see_ Moir-Byres - - - Cable, Mr. E., 480 - - Cachar, 181 - - Caddy, Lieutenant, 480 - - Caddy, Dr. Arnold, 478 - - Cadell, Mr. P.R., 471 - - Caine, Mr. G., 478 - - Calcutta, 11, 35, 41, 45, 48, 63, 86, 182, 206, 225, 269, 366, 378, - 381, 391-408, 422, 423, 488 - - Calcutta ladies’ work for the corps, 38, 64, 95 - - Calcutta Light Horse, 12, 395 - - Calcutta Port Defence, 396 - - Calcutta Volunteers, 395, 467 - - Cameron, Mr. P.E., 478 - - Campbell, Captain, 478 - - Campbell, Sergeant, 227, 364, 433, 454 - - Campbell, Corporal, 418, 436, 454 - - Campbell, J.J., 384, 436 - - Campbell, J.S., 231, 267, 364, 428 - - Campbell, Mr. John, 478 - - Campbell, Rev. Mr., 403 - - Campbell, Mrs., 477 - - Canadian Volunteers, 273, 296, 343, 359, 360, 363 - - Cape Colony, 97, 110, 195 - - ‘Cape Times,’ 371 - - Cape Town, 85, 88, 89, 90, 110, 111, 142, 266, 268, 369, 370, 371, 377, - 382, 486 - - Carabiniers, 350, 354 - - Carolina, 311, 314, 316, 318, 320, 350, 351, 352 - - Carpendale, Major, 393, 394 - - Carr, Captain Baker, 478, 480 - - Carrington, General, 288, 293, 294 - - Carter, Mr. F. McL., 471 - - Carter, Mr. N. Bonham, 478 - - Carter, Mr. W.D., 478 - - Cartwright, Mr. W.D., 478 - - Cary-Barnard, C.D.V., 231, 246, 429, 454 - - Case, R.U., 72, 157#, 159, 161, 173, 178, 194, 425, 429 - - Casperz, Mr. A., 471 - - ‘Catalonia’ transport, 370, 371, 382 - - Cathcart, 94 - - Cawnpore, 25 - - Cawnpore Brush Factory, 475 - - Cawnpore Woollen Mills, 475 - - Cayley, B., 210, 277, 278, 279, 280, 281, 365, 436 - - Chadburn, Mr. C.F., 475 - - Chakan Lall Roy, Babu, 466 - - Chamney, Captain, 31, 33, 152, 155, 165, 166, 178, 179, 266, 271, 334, - 349, 351, 353, 356, 357, 369, 370, 409, 427, 454, 456, 461 - - Champion, Mr. G., 468 - - Chapman, E.S., 167, 168, 171, 231, 364, 432, 454 - - Chapman, Mr. E., 478 - - Chapman, Mr. E.P., 470, 478 - - Chappell, Mrs., 477 - - Charkhari, Rajah of, 465 - - Charles, Lance-Corporal, 75, 364, 376, 435 - - Charles, Mrs., 477 - - Chartres, Corporal, 3, 155, 311, 344, 364, 431, 454 - - Chatterjee, Mr. Justice, 466 - - Cheetham, Mr. W.H., 470 - - Cherra Gardens, 180 - - Cheshire, H.S., 249, 267, 364, 430 - - Cheshire Regiment, 95, 141, 370 - - Chitnavis, Rao Gumgadhur Mahdev, 472 - - Christian, Princess, hospital train, 349 - - Chronopolo, Mr. K.C., 474 - - Churchill, Major, 395, 402 - - Churchill, Mrs., 477 - - City Imperial Volunteers, 130, 237, 357, 359 - - Clark, Mr. Justice, 466 - - Clarke, E.A.S., 361, 371, 434 - - Clarke, Mr. L.A.G., 471 - - Clarke, Rev. Mr., 403 - - Clarke, Mrs. E., 474 - - Clerk, F.V., 364, 432 - - Clifford, Captain, 31, 33, 155, 159, 266, 276, 277, 278, 281, 282, 310, - 344, 354, 355, 427, 457, 461 - - Clifford, E.S., 231, 384, 430 - - Clifford, F.M., 257, 364, 384, 431 - - Clifford, M.W., 268, 433 - - Coates, Mr. E.C., 478 - - Cobb, H.P., 344, 346, 347, 349, 433 - - Cobb, Mr. W.H., 469 - - Cogan, Rev. Canon, 403 - - Coghlan, Private (Victorian Rifles), 194 - - Colesberg, 112, 315, 343 - - Collen, Sir Edwin, 64, 402, 468, 476 - - Collen, Lady, 477 - - Collins, R.G., 268, 365, 367, 428, 455 - - Colombo, 11 - - Colvile, General, 99, 107 - - Colville, Mr. G., 478 - - Colvin, Mr. E.G., 469 - - Comley, Mrs., 477 - - Commando Nek, 281, 288, 292, 294, 296, 303, 304, 305, 306 - - Compton’s Horse, 243, 244 - - Conduit, Sergeant, 257, 364, 384, 432 - - Constable, Mrs., 477 - - Consterdine, A.E., 347, 357, 430 - - Cooch-Behar, Maharani of, 477 - - Cook, Dr. J.N., 395, 470, 480 - - Cook & Co., 464, 467 - - Cooke, Mr. F.J., 471 - - Cooke, Kelvey & Co., 463 - - Cooper, Major, 395 - - Cooper, H., 267, 333, 364, 433 - - Cooper, Mr. A.S., 474 - - Cooper, Mr. W.E., 480 - - Cooper, Allen, & Co., 462, 475 - - Coorg Contingent, 19 - - Corbett, P.T., 77, 183, 384, 431 - - Cossipur Artillery Volunteers, 466 - - Cotton, Sir Henry, 180, 395, 402 - - Cotton, Mr. H.E.A., 480 - - Cotton, Mr. H.J.S., 462 - - Cotton, Mr. W.J., 472 - - Cotton, Mrs., 477 - - Coulter, Dr. W., 480 - - Coulter, Mrs., 477 - - Courtenay, A.P., 345, 379, 384, 431 - - Cowan, Colonel, 119, 366 - - Cowen, J.S., 136, 243, 275, 297, 329, 382, 384, 431 - - Cowley, Mr. H.P., 473 - - Cox, Captain, (N.S.W. Lancers), 264 - - Cox, Lance-Corporal, 433 - - Craddock, Colonel, 338 - - Craig, Mr. W. Ross, 478 - - Crane, Lieutenant, 31, 33, 72, 155, 156, 160, 161, 162, 168, 172, 174, - 183, 190, 194, 205, 207, 258, 268, 427, 457, 461 - - Crawford, Mr. C.E., 471 - - Crocodile Poort, 336 - - Crocodile River, 276, 277, 278, 279, 281, 287, 290, 295, 304, 328, 337, - 409 - - Cronjé, General, 86, 315 - - Crowe, Mr. Justice, 389 - - Crown Brewery Co., 465 - - Cruickshank, Mr., 478, 480 - - Crum, Mr. A.S., 468 - - Crux, R.M., 384, 385, 436 - - Cubitt, L.H., 257, 365, 433 - - Cubitt, Mr. J.E., 478 - - Cullen, S.W., Lance-Corporal, 75, 235, 436, 455, 486, 487 - - Cuningham, Sir W.J., 467, 480 - - Cunningham, General, 333, 340 - - Cunningham, F.H., 434 - - Currie, Mr. W., 476 - - Curry, Mr. W.E., 471 - - Curzon, Lady, 29, 48, 59, 63, 397, 398, 402, 477 - - Curzon, Lord, 9, 11, 22, 24, 29, 48, 52, 56, 59, 60, 61, 63, 64, 119, - 356, 363, 371, 378, 381, 402, 422, 423, 424, 425, 462, 483 - - Cuthbert, O.R., 384, 434, 460 - - Cuthbertson & Harper, 464 - - Cyferfontein, 237 - - - D’Costa, Mr. J.M., 474 - - Dagge, R.G., 215, 240, 384, 435 - - ‘Daily News,’ the, 97 - - Dakshineswar Mallia, Kumar, 465 - - Dale, Lance-Sergeant, 75, 77, 183, 229, 384, 404, 405, 431, 459 - - Dalgetty, Mr. A.B., 473 - - Dallas, Mr. W.L., 474 - - Dalmanutha, 345 - - Dalton, T.L., 371, 434 - - Daly, Captain, 469 - - Daly, D., 384, 435 - - Dangerfield, Mrs., 477 - - Daniell, Mr. Lindsay, 480 - - Daniell, Mrs. L., 477 - - Dard, Mr. C.E., 472 - - Darjeeling Bench and Bar, 467 - - Darrah, Mr. M.L., 469 - - Dashwood, Mr., 478 - - Datia, Rajah of, 465 - - Daubney, R.J.C., 75, 90, 111, 159, 161, 173, 178, 194, 425, 429 - - Davenport & Co., 464 - - David & Co., 463 - - Davidson & Co., 464 - - Davies, Colonel, 416 - - Davies, H., 347, 432 - - Davies, Leo, 235, 435 - - Davies, Mr. W.J., 480 - - Davis, Mr. A.W., 468 - - Davis, Leech, & Co., 467 - - Dawkins, Mr. C., 466, 478 - - Dawkins, Mrs., 477 - - Dawson, Sergeant, 267, 269, 364, 434 - - Dawson, H.K.F.A. H., Bugler, 431 - - De Aar, 112, 113, 117 - - De Kaap Goldfields, 327 - - De Kaap Mountains, 320, 331, 349 - - De Kaap Valley, 324 - - De la Rey, General, 176, 178, 189, 208, 286, 288, 289, 300, 302, 315, - 360 - - De la Rey, Mrs., 340 - - De Lisle, Colonel, 248 - - De Wet, General, 97, 98, 100, 118, 150, 178, 234, 235, 236, 240, 270, - 294, 295, 299, 300, 301, 302, 303, 306, 309, 313, 338, 360, 488 - - Deane, Lieutenant, 389 - - Deas, Mr. Cairns, 467, 478, 480 - - Deel’s Farm, 128, 129, 131, 487 - - Delagoa Bay Railway, 314 - - Delhi, 180 - - Derby Militia, 125, 267 - - Devenish, Mr. J.A., 467 - - Deverill, Captain, 395 - - Devil’s Kantoor, 315, 323 - - Dewetsdorp, 177 - - Dexter, W.E., 229, 243, 384, 409, 435, 458 - - Diack, Mr. A.H., 473 - - Diamond Hill, 260, 270, 289, 343 - - Dickens, C.V.S., 77, 183, 384, 431 - - Dickson, General, 337, 349, 350, 351, 352, 355 - - Dickson, Mr. J.G., 480 - - Disit, Zinzbur, 465 - - Distinguished Conduct Medal, 279 - - Dods, Mr. W., 469, 478 - - Dolby, Major, 64, 478 - - Donald, Sergeant, 379, 384, 431 - - Donker Hoek, 343 - - Doorn Spruit, 208 - - Dorrien, Smith-, General, 107, 117, 300, 302, 345 - - Dorset Yeomanry, 327 - - Dott, Mr. A.S., 468 - - Douglas, Mr. A., 469 - - Dover, Mr. F.W.C., 472 - - Dowd, I.V.G., 183, 384, 431 - - Doyle, Sir A. Conan, quoted, 173, 389 - - Doyle, J.C., 90, 111, 384, 435 - - Dragoon Guards (7th), 350, 352 - - Drake-Brockman, Captain, 64 - - Driefontein, 315, 343 - - Dring, Mr., 395, 478 - - Dring, Mrs., 477 - - Drury, Mr. E.N., 471 - - Dublin Fusiliers, 180 - - Ducat, S., 164, 165, 166, 215, 432 - - Duke, Mr. F.F., 470 - - Duke, Mrs., 477 - - Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry, 283 - - Dunbar, Lieutenant, 480 - - Duncan Brothers & Co., 463 - - Dundonald, Lord, 314 - - Dunne, Mr. A.M., 468 - - Dunne, Mrs., 477 - - Dunsterville, Captain, 474 - - Durban, 85, 87, 371, 382 - - Durbunga, Maharajah Bahadur of, 465 - - Durham, Mr. F.E., 471 - - Durham Light Infantry, 104 - - Durrung Mounted Rifles, 4 - - Dutt, Babu Davendro Nath, 473 - - Dyce, General, 402 - - Dyer, Mr. E.J.R., 472 - - Dyer & Co., 463 - - Dykes & Co., 464 - - Dykes (J.A.) & Co., 465 - - - East India Railway, 25 - - East India Railway Volunteer Rifles, 182 - - East Lancashire Mounted Infantry, 136 - - East London, 85, 86, 88, 91, 92, 93, 120, 121 - - East Surrey Regiment, 311 - - Eastern Bengal State Railway, 25 - - Eastern Insurance Company, 463 - - Eck, Mr. Otto, 469 - - Eddis, Major, 26, 27, 64 - - Eddis, Mr. W.K., 478 - - Eden, Mr. E.B., 480 - - Edenburg, 123, 124, 125 - - Edwardes, Captain, 389 - - Edwards, Farrier-Sergeant, 379, 384, 432 - - Edwards, Mr. W.H., 478 - - Egerton Woollen Mills, Cawnpore, 25 - - Eggar, Mrs., 477 - - Eikenhof Drift, 239, 240 - - Eland’s River, 288, 293, 302 - - Elandsfontein, 241, 242, 243, 260, 270, 273, 316, 332 - - Elandslaagte, Battle of, incidents at, 147, 148 - - Elgin Cotton Mills, Cawnpore, 25 - - Elles, General, 23, 64, 393, 402, 468, 476, 483 - - Elliott, Lance-Sergeant, 75, 157, 161, 162, 166, 267, 364, 365, 429 - - Ellis, Mrs., 477 - - Elsburg, 242 - - Elsee, C., 371, 434 - - Elwes, W.B., 244, 371, 433 - - Elworthy, Mr., 402, 408 - - Elworthy, Mrs., 477 - - Emery, Mr. S.W., 473 - - Engelbrecht’s Drift, 230, 233 - - ‘Englishman,’ the, 14, 63, 69, 87, 111, 136, 163, 253, 272, 279, 394, - 402, 404 - - Erasmus, Commandant, 256, 414, 416 - - Ermelo, 350 - - Estabrooke, R.P., Lance-Corporal, 75, 321#, 435, 486, 489 - - Evans, Sir G.P., 466, 478, 480 - - Evans, Lieutenant, 413 - - Evans, Mr. H.F., 469, 480 - - Everard, Dr., 189 - - Evetts, H., 361, 364, 434 - - Ewing & Co., 463 - - Executive Committee, the, 25, 26, 52, 266, 382, 405 - - - Fanshawe, Mr. A.U., 469, 476, 478, 480 - - Ferreira (Boer emissary), 236 - - Ferris, Mr. G.A., 469 - - Ferror, Major, 402 - - Field, Mr. F., 473 - - Finlay, Mr. J., 480 - - Finlay, Miar, & Co., 463 - - Finney, Mr. S., 471 - - Finucane, Mr. M., 480 - - Firth, Lance-Corporal, 75, 160, 162, 173, 178, 192, 194, 207, 257, 364, - 428 - - Fischer, Mr. F., 474 - - Fitzgerald, O.E., 364, 418, 436, 455 - - Fitzgibbon, Mr. M.C., 473 - - Fletcher, C.W., 365, 429, 455 - - Foley, Mr. B., 471 - - Follett, F.B., 266, 364, 433 - - Follett, M.B., 266, 311, 332, 364, 425, 433 - - Forbes, C.A., 364, 431, 455 - - Forbes, Mr. A.W., 468 - - Forbes, Mrs. Trevor, 477 - - Fort William, 52, 394 - - Foster, Mr. G., 467 - - Fowle, Major, 389 - - Fox, Sergeant, 75, 379, 384, 427 - - Francis, Prince, of Teck, 126 - - Francis, A.H., 219, 267, 364, 433, 455 - - Franklin, Colonel, 473 - - Franks, A.F., 155, 157, 160, 161, 166, 167, 168, 169, 171, 189, 194, - 425, 433 - - Franks, Mrs., 190 - - Fraser, Sergeant, 75, 161, 169, 193, 205, 207, 222, 257, 384, 406, 423, - 429, 459 - - Fraser, J.A., 268, 364, 365, 428, 455 - - Fraser, Mr. J.S., 480 - - Freemantle, Mr. S.H., 469 - - French, General, 100, 135, 136, 150, 190, 229, 230, 233, 234, 235, 236, - 237, 240, 252, 313, 314, 315, 318, 324, 337, 343, 349, 350, 352, - 353, 357 - - Fuller, H.W., 364, 436 - - - Gage, Lieutenant, 474 - - Gales, Mr. R.R., 478 - - Galle, 371 - - Garth, Mr. W., 467 - - Gaselee, General, 23, 29, 468, 476, 483 - - Gatsrand, 234 - - Gayer, Mrs., 477 - - Gee, Rev. Mr., 403 - - Gemmell, Mr. J., 478, 480 - - Gemmell, Mrs., 477 - - Germiston, 242, 243, 244 - - Ghilardi, Mr. O., 472 - - Ghose, Mr. Justice, 466, 480 - - Gibbs (Somerset Yeomanry), 264 - - Gibbs, Mrs., 477 - - Gidhour, Maharajah Bahadur of, 465 - - Gillanders, Arbuthnot, & Co., 462 - - Girard, Mr. G., 469, 478 - - Girouard, Colonel, quoted, 117 - - Gladstone, Mrs. A.S., 477 - - Gladstone, Wyllie, & Co., 463 - - Glascock, D.R.G., 364, 430 - - Glasgow, 182 - - Glen, 126, 135, 136, 141, 142 - - Gloucester Yeomanry, 141 - - Gloucestershire Regiment, 50 - - Goad, Mr. L.B., 471 - - Godden, Lance-Corporal, 379, 384, 430 - - Goenka, Babu Baij Nath, 472 - - Goldspink & Thompson, 464 - - Goodeve, Mr. A., 469 - - Goodliffe, Lance-Sergeant, 418, 436, 455 - - Goodridge, Captain, 55, 476 - - Goozree, Syed Bahadur Nawab, Patna, 465 - - Gordon, General, 233, 350, 351 - - Gordon, S.C., 379, 384, 429 - - Gordon Highlanders, 237 - - Gough, E.H., 231, 267, 364, 428 - - Gowenlock, G.A., 267, 433 - - Graham, J.A., 278, 279, 280, 281, 365, 409, 434, 458 - - Grant, Mr. W.M., 466 - - Graves, Corporal, 222, 354, 355, 384, 423, 433, 459 - - Grazebrook, Mr. W.O., 470, 478 - - Greaves, Lieutenant, 389 - - Greaves, Mr., 389 - - Green, Mr. R.J., 478 - - Greenberg Brothers, 464 - - Greenway, Mr. C., 469, 481 - - Greer, Mr. R.T., 395, 402, 481 - - Greig, Captain, 389 - - Grenville, R.A., 413, 414, 416, 418, 435, 455 - - Grice, W.T., 472 - - Griffiths, Captain, 481 - - Grimston, Captain, 478 - - Grindlay & Co., 463 - - Grobler, Commandant, 100, 306, 309, 310 - - Guards, Foot, 221, 251 - - Guise, Mr. J.D., 478 - - Gun Kopje, 154, 209 - - Guzdar, Mr. P.E., 470 - - Gwyn, Captain, 55, 64, 476 - - Gwyther, Mrs. Banks, 477 - - - Haaman’s Kraal, 306, 309, 310 - - Haartebeestefontein Farm, 237 - - Hacking, Mr. C.H., 473 - - Hadenfelt, Mr. Otto, 470 - - Haggard, Mrs., 477 - - Haines, R.P., 249, 267, 364, 384, 428 - - Halford, Smith, & Co., 463 - - Hall, Mr. H.B., 481 - - Hall & Anderson, 464 - - Halliwell, Mr. S., 472 - - Hamilton, Lord George, 421 - - Hamilton, Bruce, General, 284 - - Hamilton, Ian, General, 120, 135, 149, 150, 176, 177, 208, 217, 219, - 227, 230, 233, 234, 236, 237, 240, 257, 268, 284, 288, 289, 290, - 291, 292, 293, 294, 295, 296, 300, 301, 302, 304, 305, 306, 309, - 310, 312, 316, 345, 460 - - Hamilton, Mr. D.M., 481 - - Hamilton, Mr. F.S., 468 - - Hamilton & Co., 408, 463 - - Handley, Mr. F.F., 469, 478 - - Harding, Mr. J., 474 - - Hare, Mr. L., 468 - - Harington, Major, 395, 481 - - Harington, Mr. Justice, 402, 466, 478 - - Harington, Mrs., 477 - - Harman & Co., 475 - - Harold & Co., 464 - - Harper, Mr. John, 481 - - Harrington, Mrs., 402 - - Harris, Captain, 244 - - Harris, W.E., 414, 416, 418, 436, 455 - - Harris, Mr. Justice, 466 - - Harris, Mr. F.J., 468 - - Harris, Mr. H.N., 470 - - Harris, Mr. J.S., 472 - - Harrismith, 223 - - Harrison, A.W., 432 - - Harrison, G.W., 435 - - Harrison, Mr. B., 471 - - Harrison, Mrs. A.C.M., 470 - - Harrison, Hathaway, & Co., 464 - - Hart, General, 300, 302 - - Hart Brothers, 475 - - Harvey, Surgeon-General, 23, 29, 64, 402, 468, 476, 478, 481, 483 - - Harvey, C.C., 267, 364, 433 - - Harwood, Major, 473 - - Hashim Ariff, Golam, 466 - - Hassan, Nawab Mehdi, 473 - - Haswar, Talukdar of, 466 - - Hathaway & Co., 465 - - Hatton, Rev. J., 402 - - Haumann, Mr. E.E., 334 - - Havell, Mrs., 477 - - Hayat Khan, Nawab Mahomed, 466 - - Hayes, C.F., 430 - - Hayward, A.T., 364, 384, 429, 460 - - Healy, Sergeant-Major (Victorian Rifles), 194 - - Heidelberg, 230, 233, 350, 353, 356 - - Heilbron, 230, 256, 257, 268, 311 - - Heilgers & Co., 463 - - Hekpoort, 300 - - Helvetia, 345 - - Hemingway, Mr. W.G., 472 - - Henderson, Mr. G.S., 468, 481 - - Henderson & Co., 463 - - Hendley, Mr. G.L., 472 - - Hennesy, Mr. P., 472 - - Henry, Colonel, 106, 150, 154, 161, 177, 209, 227, 230, 240, 243, 251, - 271 - - Henry, Captain, 481 - - Henry, E.R. (Commanding Rand M.R.), 413, 416, 418 - - Henry, J., 267, 384, 428, 490 - - Hensman, Mr. H., 470, 478, 481 - - Herlihy, Mr. F., 468 - - Herron, Mr. H.W.G., 472 - - Hewett, Mr. J.P., 481 - - Hewitt, Sergeant-Major, 166, 384, 404, 405, 432, 459 - - Hewitt, Mr. J.C., 472 - - Hex River Mountains, 114 - - Hickley, H.H.J., 75, 90, 111, 345, 429 - - Hickman, General, 283, 284, 287, 288, 289 - - Higham, Mr. T., 469 - - Highland Brigade, 107 - - Hight, W.W., 371, 435 - - Hill, General, 381 - - Hill, Mr. Justice, 466, 481 - - Hill, Mr. C.P., 470 - - Hill, Mrs., 477 - - Hilliard, Mr. R.W., 471 - - Hills, Mr. C.R., 478 - - Hoare, Miller, & Co., 463 - - Hobday, General, 29, 470, 476 - - Holderness, Mr. T.W., 481 - - Holme, W.H., 267, 345, 431, 455 - - Holmes, Captain, 21, 33, 34, 76, 77, 159, 182, 184, 244, 246, 252, 369, - 384, 402, 427, 457, 461 - - Holmes, J.D.W., 418, 430, 455 - - Holmes, Mr. W.H., 470 - - Homolomo, 324 - - Hong-Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation, Ltd., 464, 466 - - Hookey, Mr. H., 478 - - Hoore, Major, 402 - - Hore, Colonel, 288, 293, 302 - - Horn, Mr. D.B., 469 - - Hornby, Major, R.H.A., 103, 104, 105, 106 - - Horne, Lance-Corporal, 371, 433 - - Horse Artillery, _see_ Royal - - Hossein Ali Mirza, Nawab Walakader Syed, 465 - - Hossein, Nawab Syed Ameer, 466, 481 - - Household Cavalry, 107 - - Houtnek, 145, 150, 175, 176, 177, 181, 190, 208, 311, 425, _see also_ - Ospruit - - Howes, H., 249, 364, 432 - - Howrah, 183, 396 - - Huddleston, Lieutenant, 474 - - Huddleston, C.G., 256, 257, 268, 364, 433, 454 - - Huddleston, Mr. G., 473, 478 - - Huddleston, Mrs., 477 - - Hughes, J.F., 384, 430 - - Hughes, Mr. J.F., 468 - - Hugli, 67, 69, 85 - - Hunter, General, 284 - - Hussain, Mirza Habib, 474 - - Hussars (14th), 350 - - Hussars (18th), 203, 289, 319, 328, 349 - - Hutton, General, 208, 220, 229, 271, 283, 285, 344 - - Hyde, R.W., 436, 485 - - - Iggulden, Captain, 395 - - Iggulden, Mrs., 477 - - Imperial Light Horse, 147, 289, 291, 296, 301, 302, 304, 312, 314, 320, - 323, 324, 334, 337, 338, 349 - - Imperial Yeomanry, 251, 289, 296, 314, 320 - - India General Steam Navigation Co., 25, 64 - - ‘Indian Daily News,’ 39, 83, 120, 168, 254, 257, 271, 483 - - Ingram, Mr. A.D., 478 - - Innes, R.T., 267, 384, 432 - - Innes, S., _see_ Long-Innes - - Irene, 117, 247, 252, 253, 254, 255, 257, 258, 259, 266, 271, 278, 279, - 282, 283, 286, 287, 338, 370, 381, 488 - - Irish Brigade, 312 - - Irving, Mr. G., 470 - - Irwin, J.A., 418, 428 - - Isabellafontein, 117, 208 - - Ismay, Mr. P., 478 - - - Jack, Lance-Corporal, 432 - - Jack, Mr. C.M., 478 - - Jackman, Lance-Corporal, 267, 384, 434 - - Jackson, Rev. Mr., 395 - - Jagersfontein, 123, 141 - - Jamalpur, 183 - - Jamasji & Sons, 465 - - Jameson, J.V., 249, 267, 364, 429 - - Jameson, Mr. J., 473 - - Jardine, Skinner, & Co., 462 - - Jeffries, F.J., 469 - - Jelliott, H.H., 469 - - Jenkins, Lady, 398 - - Jennings, Mr. J.G., 471 - - Jessop & Co., 463 - - Jhainpur Concern, 467 - - Jodhpur, Maharajah of, 462 - - Johannesburg, 233, 234, 236, 238, 239, 240, 244, 245, 246, 247, 248, - 252, 257, 266, 270, 272, 277, 282, 283, 311, 312, 315, 317, 332, - 340, 416, 425 - - John, C.W., 384, 429 - - Johnson, W.E.C., 431 - - Johnston, J.B., 364, 435 - - Johnston, Mr. A.L., 468 - - Johnston, Mr. J.R., 478 - - Johnstone, C.H.M., 384, 385, 431 - - Johnstone, Mr. L., 475, 478 - - Jones, Corporal, 75, 228, 409, 427, 458 - - Jones, B.E., 361, 365, 430 - - Jones, B.R. Lloyd, 346, 413, 414, 416, 417, 418, 430, 455 - - Jones, W. Douglas, 141, 268, 311, 365, 367, 433, 455 - - Jones, Mr. A.E., 474 - - Jones, Mr. C.H., 474 - - Joubert, Lieutenant-Colonel, 469 - - Joubert, Mrs., 477 - - Jourdain, Mr. C.B., 478 - - Jubbulpur, 183 - - Judge, Mr. A.S., 478 - - Judge, Mrs., 477 - - Jumna Prosad, Babu, 466 - - Jurret, Mr., 478 - - - Kaalspruit, 125 - - Kaapmuiden, 335, 336 - - Kaffir River, 124 - - Kalfontein, 117, 254, 255, 257, 258, 259, 271, 273, 283 - - Karree Siding, 126, 136, 141, 142, 161, 174, 208 - - Karroo, Great, 114, 117 - - Kashmir, 25, 475 - - Katalguri, 180 - - Kearsey, S.H., 414, 416, 436, 455 - - Keating, Lance-Corporal, 75, 267, 364, 429 - - Kekewich, Colonel, 303 - - Kellner & Co., 475 - - Kelly, H.R., 413, 414, 416, 417, 418, 428, 455 - - Kenna, Major, 264, 265, 352 - - Kennedy, Captain, 473 - - Kennedy, J.P., 384, 429 - - Kenny, G.E., 364, 430 - - Ker, Mr. A.J., 481 - - Ker, Mrs., 477 - - Kerr, Mr., 402 - - Kettlewell, Bullen, & Co., 463 - - Keyser, Misses, 418, 421 - - Khulsor State, 462 - - Kidderpore Docks, 50, 55, 56, 57, 76 - - Kimberley, 98, 201 - - King, Sir Seymour, 24, 462 - - King, Mr. D., 481 - - King & Co., 464 - - King Edward’s Convalescent Home, 421 - - Kingchurch, L., 344, 346, 347, 349, 350, 433 - - Kingsley, Mr. G., 472 - - Kirk, Mr. H.A., 481 - - Kirwan, Colonel, 181, 467 - - Kirwan, Corporal, 221, 231, 345, 433 - - Kisch, Mr. H.M., 481 - - Kitchen, Rev. Mr., 403 - - Kitchener, Lord, 89, 228, 241, 245, 284, 300, 302, 345, 357, 414, 416 - - Klip Drift, 241 - - Klip River, 234 - - Klipriviersberg, 234, 236, 237, 238, 315 - - Klipsteple, 352 - - Klugh, Mr. H.R., 473 - - Knight, Mr. Paul, 478, 481 - - Knight, Mrs., 477 - - Knight & Sons, 464 - - Knox, Captain, 478 - - Koch, Commandant, 315 - - ‘Koladyne,’ the, 408 - - Komati Poort, 324, 335, 336 - - Komati River, 320 - - Kooch-Behar, Maharajah of, 462 - - Koorn Spruit, 98, 99, 100, 101, 102 - - Kraaipan, 286, 287 - - Krantzpan, 352 - - Kranz Kraal, 143 - - Kroonstad, 86, 139, 161, 201, 220, 221, 222, 223, 225, 227, 229, 230, - 256, 257, 268, 269, 311, 332, 343 - - Kruger, Paul, President, 130, 200, 218, 233, 253, 314 - - Kruger, Piet, 295 - - Kruger Siding, 141 - - Kuma Radha Prosad Roy, 462 - - - Lackersteen, Mr. J., 471 - - Ladybrand, 98, 100 - - Ladysmith, 5, 85, 96, 98, 180, 201 - - Laha, Babu B.M., 474 - - Lall, Babu Jowhary, 472 - - Lall, Babu Nand Kumar, 472 - - Lancashire Mounted Infantry, 139 - - Lance, R.J., Saddler, 428 - - Lang, Mr. J., 469 - - Laurence, Mrs., 402 - - Law, Sir Edward, 402, 481 - - Law, Miss, 402 - - Lawrie, Corporal, 75, 345, 347, 430 - - Lawrie, F.W.C., 418, 428, 455 - - Lawrie, Mr. G.C., 471 - - Lawson, T.E.M., 433 - - Lazarus & Co., 464 - - Le Gallais, Colonel, 118 - - Le Maistre, Mr. G.H., 472 - - Leach, General, 52, 64, 394, 395, 398, 476, 478, 481 - - Leash, Captain, 389 - - Lee, Lance-Corporal, 364, 384, 460 - - Lee, Mr. J.B., 468 - - Leighton, Lord, 369 - - Lemon, W.S., Lance-Corporal, 75, 267, 384, 430 - - Leslie, Major, 389 - - Leslie, Mr. J., 472 - - Leslie, Mr. W., 481 - - Leslie & Co., 475 - - Lichtenburg, 288 - - Life Guards, 180 - - Lilley, Lieutenant (Victorian M.R.), 193 - - Lincoln Regiment, 281 - - Lindsay, Mr. A.M., 478, 481 - - ‘Lindula’ transport, 52, 56, 63, 69, 85, 88, 89 - - ‘Linesman’ quoted, 170 - - Lipton, Ltd., 475 - - Little Modder River, 132 - - Livingstone, D.L., 435 - - Llewhellin, Corporal, 75, 229, 384, 428, 459 - - Lloyd, Mr. A.J., 473 - - Lloyd, Mr. J.B., 473 - - Lloyd, Mr. Trevor, 472 - - Lloyd-Jones, _see_ Jones, B. - - Lloyd’s Patriotic Fund, 382 - - Loch’s Horse, 120, 136, 139, 141, 219, 220, 230, 357 - - Locke & Co., 464 - - Lockhart, General, 11, 24, 52, 64, 462, 476 - - Lockhart, Lady, 477 - - Lockhart, E.I., 413, 414, 417, 418, 433, 455 - - Logan, M.H., 249, 267, 364, 432 - - Long-Innes, S., 367, 429, 455 - - Longman, Sergeant, 364, 384, 434, 460 - - Lourenço Marques, 324 - - Lovegrove, C.W., 235, 384, 436 - - Lovelock, Mr. A.S., 481 - - Lovelock & Lewes, 423, 463 - - Lowe, W., Signaller, 364, 384, 434, 460 - - Lowther, F.L., 436, 487 - - Luard, Sergeant, 345, 347, 430 - - Lucas, S.W.C., 371, 435 - - Luck, Sir George, 180, 402 - - Luckman, Rev. Canon, 403, 423, 476, 481 - - Lumsden, Colonel, 4, 5, 6, 7, 11, 12, 17, 18, 22, 23, 25, 26, 27, 29, - 30, 31, 33, 37, 44, 47, 48, 49, 52, 55, 59, 63, 64, 67, 72, 75, 86, - 91, 110, 111, 117, 118, 119, 120, 125, 132, 135, 142, 154, 161, 166, - 167, 168, 171, 172, 176, 180, 182, 189, 205, 206, 207, 209, 213, - 218, 219, 227, 228, 233, 240, 242, 243, 245, 246, 252, 256, 257, - 259, 265, 278, 279, 283, 284, 289, 293, 316, 332, 333, 337, 343, - 344, 349, 357, 363, 366, 369, 370, 372, 375, 377, 382, 384, 388, - 389, 390, 395, 398, 400, 404, 405, 406, 408, 409, 410, 415, 418, - 419, 421, 422, 424, 427, 451, 454, 456, 461, 462, 483, 489, 490 - - Lumsden, H.C., 159, 160, 161, 173, 178, 194, 425, 429, 487 - - Lungley, R.B., 384, 432 - - Luson, Mr. H., 469 - - Luson, Mrs., 477 - - Lyall, Mr. A.A., 481 - - Lyall, Mr. Frank, 470 - - Lyall, Mr. H., 472 - - Lyall, Marshall, & Co., 463 - - Lydenburg, 345 - - Lytle, A., 257, 384, 432 - - - Macalister, Mrs. L., 474 - - McCaw, Mr. W.J.M., 481 - - MacDonald, General, 107 - - Macdonald, C.R., 365, 428 - - Macdonald, R.N., 157, 160, 162, 173, 178, 194, 207, 384, 429 - - Macdonald, Mr. P.J., 472 - - MacDonnell, Sir A.P., 24, 462 - - McDowell & Co., 464 - - McElhinny, Captain, 472 - - Macgillivray, Lance-Corporal, 75, 157, 160, 173, 190, 194, 207, 354, - 364, 384, 428 - - McGregor, General, 468 - - McGregor, H., 435 - - Macgregor, H., 436 - - Machadodorp, 314, 316, 333, 334, 335, 336, 337, 345, 349, 356, 357, - 366, 450, 451 - - Macintosh, Burn, & Co., 463 - - Mackay, Mr. L., 466 - - McKenzie, Colonel, 416 - - Mackenzie, Bugler, 162, 186, 187, 430 - - Mackenzie, Mr. G.H.L., 471 - - Mackenzie, Mr. R.H., 468 - - Mackenzie, Lyall, & Co., 464 - - McKewan, Mr. W.H., 470 - - Mackinnon, Mr. Allan, 478 - - Mackinnon, Miss, 467 - - Mackinnon, Mackenzie, & Co., 463 - - Maclaine, Lance-Corporal, 332, 364, 365, 425, 431 - - MacLaughlin, Colonel, 181, 402, 404, 481 - - Maclean, Sir F., 398, 402, 466, 478 - - Maclean, Lady, 477 - - Maclean, Mr. F.G., 481 - - Macleod, Mr. H.H., 472 - - McLeod, Mr. Norman, 481 - - McLeod & Co., 463 - - McMinn, C.H., 219, 267, 364, 433, 455 - - McMinn, Mr. C.W., 466 - - McNamara, Sergeant, 75, 157, 161, 173, 244, 268, 428, 461 - - McNeil, Captain, 264 - - Macniell & Co., 180 - - McNiven, Mr. A., 478 - - Maconochie, Mrs., 477 - - Macpherson, Sir W., 466, 478 - - Macpherson, Mr. A.G.H., 478 - - Macpherson, Mr. D.J., 468, 481 - - McVicar, Smith, & Co., 464 - - Madagascar, 85 - - Madan, Mr. J.F., 475 - - Madan, Mr. S.E., 473 - - Maddox, Mr. J.L., 470 - - Madras, Archdeacon of, 244 - - ‘Madras Daily Mail,’ 273, 283 - - Madrasis (2nd), 395 - - Mafeking, 175, 286, 287, 288, 289, 315, 343 - - Magaliesberg, 205, 288, 289, 290, 300, 311 - - Magersfontein, 5, 140, 343 - - Maguire, Mr. H.F., 469 - - Mahomed Khan, Malik, 474 - - Mahon, General, 175, 190, 284, 286, 287, 289, 290, 291, 292, 294, 296, - 300, 303, 304, 305, 312, 314, 316, 317, 320, 324, 333, 334, 337, - 338, 339, 340, 343, 344, 350, 351, 352, 353 - - Maidan, the, 17, 30, 40, 43, 48, 55, 56, 64, 394, 396, 397, 409 - - Main & Co., 464 - - ‘Maine’ hospital ship, 87 - - Mair, Mrs., 477 - - Maitland, General, 8, 11, 22, 64, 402, 476, 478, 481 - - Maitland, Mrs., 477 - - Maitland Camp, 89, 96, 108, 109, 486 - - Major, Mr. T., 473 - - Manindra Chandra Nundy, Maharajah of Cossimbazar, 465 - - Manipur, 44 - - Manjhla, Nawab Syed, 473 - - Mansfield, Colonel, 64, 476 - - Mansfield, Sergeant-Major, 75, 267, 384, 430 - - Mansfield, C.B.H., 429, 455 - - Mansfield, Mrs., 477 - - Manton & Co., 464 - - Manville, F.C., 235, 384, 435 - - Maples, Mr. J.R., 478, 481 - - Mardan, Nawab Mahomed Khan, Chief of, 475 - - Mardan, Kwajah Mahomed Khan of, 462 - - Marrison, Cottle, & Co., 464 - - Marshall, Sergeant, 384, 427, 460 - - Marshall, Mr. E.J., 478, 481 - - Marshall, Sons, & Co., 463 - - Marsham, Sergeant-Major, 75, 161, 162, 173, 267, 311, 409, 428, 455, - 458, 459 - - Marsham, Corporal, 75, 427 - - Martin, Captain, 79 - - Martin, Sergeant-Major (R.A.), 103 - - Martin, A., 267, 332, 364, 436, 455 - - Martin, C.K., 249, 364, 384, 434 - - Martin, Mr. E.S., 47 - - Martin, Mr. H., 478 - - Martyr, Colonel, 99, 106 - - Masson, Lieutenant-Colonel, 466 - - Masson, Mr. W.M., 473 - - Masters, Colonel, 395, 402, 481 - - Matheson, Mr. F., 481 - - Mathewson, Mr. F., 470, 478 - - Mawdsley, Mrs., 477 - - Maxim-gun Contingent, 33, 34, 55, 77, 431 - - Maxwell, General, 151, 154, 159, 176, 207, 209, 251 - - Maxwell, Lieutenant-Colonel, 469 - - Maxwell, C.W., 354, 384, 435 - - Maxwell, Mr. R.W., 468 - - Mayne, Mr. F.G., 471 - - Mazamullah Khan, Mohammed, 25 - - Meade, Lieutenant-Colonel, 395, 402, 481 - - Meakin & Co., 463 - - Meares, A.K., 214, 215, 217, 425, 435 - - Meares, W.K., 215, 217, 364, 384, 435 - - Mearsa, Rajah of, 25 - - Mehomed Bukhtyar Shah, Prince, 466 - - Mehta, Mr. R.D., 470, 481 - - Melville, Mrs., 477 - - Menasseh & Sons, 463 - - Mercer, F.C.W., 183, 431 - - Methuen, Lord, 230, 300, 301, 302 - - Meyer, Mr. W.S., 470 - - Meyer, Alma, Sister, 334 - - Meyer, Messrs., 463 - - Meyers (Boer), 190, 331 - - Middelburg, 310, 311, 317 - - Miley, Colonel, 481 - - Miller, Mrs., 477 - - Milne, Colonel, 180 - - Milner, Sir Alfred, 416 - - Mirzapore Volunteers, 467 - - Mitchell, Sergeant, 277, 364, 434 - - Modder River, 99, 107, 126, 128, 135, 139, 140, 229, 315 - - Modder Valley, 150 - - Moens, Lieutenant, 389 - - Moir, Lieutenant, 389 - - Moir-Byres, E.B., 257, 359, 361, 432 - - Molony, Mr. E., 469 - - Money, Colonel, 26, 27, 64, 476, 478 - - Monteith & Co., 464 - - Montmorency’s Scouts, 296 - - Mookerjee & Sons, 475 - - Mookim Bahadur, Rai Budri Dass, 465 - - Moore, J., 371, 435 - - Moore, Mr. C.H., 467 - - Moore & Co., 464, 467 - - Moorhouse, H.J., 3, 215, 384, 434 - - Morgan, Mrs., 477 - - Morison, D., 354, 355, 371, 410, 415, 435 - - Morley, J.F.E., 436 - - Morris, Corporal, 364, 384, 436, 455 - - Morris, Mr. C., 481 - - Morris, Mrs., 477 - - Morrison, Mr. D. McL., 471, 478 - - Morrison, Mrs. McL., 477 - - Morton, Mr. E.S.L., 474 - - Morton Institution, 467 - - Moses, Mr. S.M., 389 - - Moulvi Syed Ali Ahmed Khan, Khan Bahadur, 465 - - Mozufferpore, 172, 173 - - Muir, Mr. A.K., 479, 481 - - Muir Mills, Cawnpore, 475 - - Mukerji, Babu Behary Lall, 474 - - Mumtaz Ali Khan, Rajah, 465 - - Mumtaz-ud-Dowla Mahomed Fairaz Ali Khan, Nawab, 465 - - Murdoch, _see_ Burn-Murdoch - - Mure, Mr. J.F., 473 - - Murray, Captain, 470 - - Murray, Mr. A.C., 479 - - Murray, Mr. R., 481 - - Murray, Mr. V., 470 - - Murray, Mrs., 477 - - Murray & Co., 475 - - Mursan, Rajah of, 474 - - Murshidabad, Nawab Bahadur of, 462 - - Muskett, R.G.H., 267, 364, 432 - - Mustafa Khan, H., 465 - - Mysore and Coorg Contingent, 19, 38, 332 - - Mysore, Maharani Regent of, 25, 474 - - Mysore Volunteers, 12 - - - Naauwpoort, 112 - - Naini Tal Brewery Co., 465 - - Naldanga, Rajah of, 465 - - Nansen, Rev. Mr., 403 - - Narendra Krishna, Bahadur, Maharajah Sir, 465, 481 - - Natal, 86, 96, 180, 204 - - Natal Carbineers, 85 - - Natal Railway, 241 - - Natal Spruit, 240, 241 - - Nathan, Mr. R., 468 - - Naval Brigade, 112 - - Needham, Mr. J., 479 - - Nelson, Lord, quoted, 51 - - Nelspruit, 318 - - Nepos, Mr. V.E., 474 - - Neville, Lieutenant, 31, 33, 160, 234, 364, 369, 427, 461 - - New Egerton Mills, 475 - - New South Wales Mounted Rifles, 135 - - New Zealand Mounted Infantry, 104, 289, 296, 304, 305, 314, 334, 360, - 363 - - Newman & Co., 464 - - Newton, H.G., 384, 428 - - Nibaron Chunder Dutt, Babu, 465 - - Nicholson, A.J.H., 414, 416, 418, 428 - - Nicholson, T.B., 268, 367, 433, 455 - - Nicholson, Mr. F.A., 481 - - Nicolay, G.D., 416, 418, 429, 455 - - Nicolay, W.H., 384, 385, 433 - - Nicoll, Mr. John, 479, 481 - - Nigel, 356 - - Nightingale, S.G., 364, 435 - - Nimmo, Mr. J.D., 469 - - Niven, Mr. D. Coats, 468 - - Noblett, Captain, 31, 33, 142, 155, 156, 166, 301, 317, 364, 369, 384, - 402, 427, 456, 479 - - Nolan, R.C., 215, 267, 384, 435 - - Nolin Behary Sircat, Babu, 465 - - Nooitgedacht, 205, 207, 327 - - Norman, Mr. A.F., 481 - - Norman, Mrs. Goodwin, 477 - - Norman Brothers, 464 - - Northcote, Lord, 389, 391 - - Northumberland Fusiliers, 311 - - Norton, A.E., 365, 367, 433, 455 - - Norton & Sons, 465 - - Norval’s Pont, 112, 117 - - - O’Donoghue, Colonel, 402 - - O’Reilly, Mr., Mayor of Cape Town, 371, 372, 373, 375 - - Oakley, Sergeant, 39, 371, 434 - - Oakley, Mrs., 477 - - Odling, Mr. C.W., 481 - - Oldfield, Captain, 389 - - Oldham, H.B., 249, 267, 364, 433 - - Oldham, Mr. W.B., 469 - - Oliphantfontein, 254 - - Oliphant’s Nek, 294, 300, 301, 302 - - Oorcha, Maharajah Bahadur of, 465 - - Orange River, 117, 122 - - Ormerod, Major, 479 - - Ormiston, Mr. G.A., 481 - - Ormiston, Mr. J.A., 479 - - Ormond, Mr. E.W., 479 - - Ormond, Mrs., 477 - - Orr, Mr. C.R., 481 - - Orr, Mr. J.C., 479 - - Orr, Mr. J.W., 479 - - Orr, Mrs., 477 - - Orrell, Mr. W., 479 - - Osgood, Mr. E.R., 472 - - Osler F. & C., 464 - - Ospruit, 118, 171, 175, 210, 252, 331, 354, 487, _see also_ Houtnek - - Oswell, Mr. G.D., 472 - - Otley, Rev. Mr., 403 - - Oudh Light Horse, 311 - - Overend, Mr. T.B.G., 470, 481 - - Owen, Colonel, 389 - - Oxford L.I. Mounted Infantry, 143, 220, 230, 267, 276, 283, 284 - - - Paardeberg, 97, 98 - - Page, Mr. J.J., 479 - - Paget, General, 306, 309, 310 - - Paget, Mr. H., 470 - - Paget, Mrs., 477 - - Palmer, Sir Power, 402 - - Palmer, Lady, 402 - - Palmer, Lance-Corporal, 75, 384, 436, 455, 486 - - Pan, 317, 343 - - Parkes, E.B.H., 187, 267, 430 - - Parkinson, Lieutenant-Colonel, 473 - - Parks, H.R., 229, 240, 354, 355, 435, 459 - - Parsons, Mr. W., 472, 481 - - Partridge, P., 311, 365, 432, 455 - - Parys, 230 - - Paterson, Mr. C.A., 472 - - Patterson, General (U.S.A.), 8 - - Patton, Mrs. L.P., 474 - - Paxton, P.H., 384, 435 - - Peace, Siddons, & Gough, 464 - - Pearson, Mrs. 477 - - Peddie, Lance-Corporal, 228, 229, 432, 458 - - Pedler, Mr. A., 470, 481 - - Peninsula and Oriental Steam Navigation Co., Ltd., 463 - - Pepys, Samuel, alluded to, 44, 48 - - Peters, Mr., 182 - - Petersen, J.G., 194, 207, 215, 414, 416, 418, 430, 455 - - Petersen, Mrs., 477 - - Petley, Captain, 402, 408, 481 - - Phelps, Mr. W.H., 481 - - Phelps, Mrs., 477 - - Phelps & Co., 464 - - Philipps, Captain, 64 - - Phillimore, Mr. J.E., 472 - - Phillips, Captain, 29, 476, 479 - - Phillips, Lance-Corporal, 371, 435 - - Phillips, H.G., 321#, 435 - - Pickford, Mr. A., 479 - - Pickford, Mr. G., 479 - - Pienaar’s River, 310 - - Piggott, Chapman, & Co., 463 - - Pilcher, Colonel, 98, 302 - - Pilgrim, Major, 471, 481 - - Pilkington, Major, 239, 240 - - Pitman, Mr. C.E., 470, 476 - - Pittar, Mr. C.E., 469 - - Playfair, Sir Patrick, 5, 7, 8, 11, 23, 24, 26, 27, 29, 63, 64, 67, 75, - 119, 171, 337, 381, 384, 388, 395, 402, 404, 405, 406, 416, 417, - 422, 476, 479, 481 - - Plumer, Colonel, 293 - - Pole-Carew, General, 150, 208, 240, 251, 313 - - Poppe, Mrs., 477 - - Port Natal, 85 - - Potchefstroom, 230 - - Powell, Captain, 33, 156, 160, 179, 181, 189, 246, 268, 333, 384, 402, - 427, 458, 461 - - Power, Sergeant, 75, 323, 384, 435 - - Power, Mr. F., 479 - - Powis, H.B., 166, 384, 433 - - Prain, Major, 472, 481 - - Pratt, Sergeant, 327, 371, 434 - - Pratt, Mr. Justice, 481 - - Pratt, Mrs., 477 - - Prawn, Kissen, Law, & Co., 462 - - Preston, P.C., 166, 189, 229, 244, 245, 409, 433, 458 - - Pretoria, 87, 111, 117, 173, 190, 195, 196, 200, 202-207, 221, 223, - 230, 233, 246, 247, 248, 251, 252, 253, 254, 257-266, 270, 276, 278, - 283, 287, 288, 289, 295, 303, 309, 310, 311, 316, 319, 327, 328, - 331, 332, 333, 335, 336, 337, 343, 349, 356, 357, 358, 365, 366, - 369, 370, 425, 451, 488, 489 - - Pretorius’s Farm, 100, 101 - - Pringle, R., 321#, 364, 436 - - Pringle, Mr. R.B., 468 - - Prinsep, Sir Harry, 402, 466, 481 - - Prinsloo, 311 - - Prophit, Mr. J.M.G., 468, 481 - - Pryce, P.W., 267, 365, 435, 455 - - Puckridge, H.W., 215, 267, 364, 430 - - Pugh, Lieutenant, 31, 33, 155, 167, 168, 189, 214, 217, 228, 240, 241, - 242, 243, 244, 256, 257, 268, 364, 409, 427, 454, 456, 461 - - Pugh, Mr. A.J., 479 - - Pugh, Mr. L.P., 479, 481 - - Pugh, Mr. R.A.C., 479 - - Pugh, Mrs., 38, 63, 64, 72, 477 - - Pugh, Misses, 29, 477 - - Punjab Banking Co., 467 - - Punjab Volunteers, 12 - - - Queen’s Town, 91, 94, 96, 108, 120, 224 - - Queensland Mounted Infantry, 95, 106, 289, 299, 314 - - - Radcliffe, Mr. C., 479 - - Radford, A.D., 162, 244, 430 - - Radhanpore, Nawab of, 389 - - Railway Pioneers, 117, 413, 415 - - Rainier, Captain, 472 - - Raleigh, Mr. T., 402, 481 - - Ralli Brothers, 463 - - Rampini, Mr. Justice, 466, 481 - - Ramsden, Major, 423 - - Ranajit Sinha Bahadur, Rajah of Nashipur, 465 - - Rangoon Examiner of Accounts, 470 - - Rangoon Volunteers, 12, 467 - - Ranken & Co., 475 - - Rankin, Colonel, 481 - - Rawlins, Captain, 473 - - Rawlinson, Mr. A., 479 - - Red House Farm, 142 - - Rees, Mr. J.D., 468, 479 - - Reid, Major, 473 - - Reid, N.J.V., 267, 384, 385, 429 - - Reid, W., 431 - - Reid, Mr. Justice, 466 - - Reid, Mr. J., 471 - - Reid, Mr. R.J., 468 - - Reitfontein, _see_ Diamond Hill - - Reitpan, 317 - - Reitspruit, 317 - - Reitzburg, 230 - - Remington’s Scouts, 103 - - Rendell, Colonel, 182 - - Renny, H.J., 384, 415, 418, 435, 455 - - Renny, Mrs., 477 - - Rensburg, 112 - - Rhenoster River, 311 - - Rhodes, Colonel, 287 - - Rhodes, Major, 290 - - Rhodesian Regiment, 288, 296 - - Rhodesian Volunteers, 288, 293 - - Rice, H.R., 364, 384 - - Richardson, J.H.S., 431 - - Richardson, Mr. E.C., 474 - - Richardson, Mr. H., 472 - - Richardson, Mr. J.H.S., 468 - - Richardson, Mr. T.F., 474 - - Richey, J.F., 364, 384, 436 - - Richmond, Mr. D.S., 474 - - Riddell, Colonel, 389 - - Ridley, Colonel, 120 - - Rietfontein, 127, 128 - - Ritchie, Mr. J.S., 468 - - Rivaz, Mr. C.M., 402, 481 - - River Steam Navigation Company, 25, 64 - - Rivett-Carnac, Mr. G., 468 - - Riviersberg, _see_ Klipriviersberg - - Roberts, Lord, 86, 90, 94, 96, 97, 101, 110, 119, 177, 201, 208, 219, - 221, 223, 227, 229, 230, 233, 240, 248, 251, 253, 260, 262, 268, - 284, 287, 288, 313, 337, 338, 344, 356, 359, 360, 363, 365, 370, - 371, 378, 381, 422, 425 - - Roberts, Lady, 256, 265 - - Roberts, Mr. F.W., 471 - - Roberts’s Horse, 103, 107 - - Robertson, Lieutenant, 389 - - Robertson, D., 345, 346, 347, 434 - - Robertson, Mr. W.T.M., 481 - - Robinson, Mr. F., 468 - - Robinson, Mr. H., 470 - - Robinson, Mr. S.M., 473 - - Robinson, Morrison, & Co., 475 - - Rodachanachi, Mr. A., 479, 481 - - Rodewal, 235, 236, 270 - - Roe, Dr., 258 - - Roe, Mr. C., 473 - - Roe, Mr. F.R., 468 - - Rogers, Captain, 389 - - Romanath Ghose, Babu, 465 - - Roode Kopje, 289, 294 - - Rose, Mr. L.E.D., 479 - - Ross, Colonel, 116, 117, 118, 120, 135, 143, 151, 154, 155, 161, 172, - 183, 190, 219, 230, 240, 242, 243, 252, 266, 268, 271, 274, 276, - 277, 278, 284, 285, 287 - - Ross, Mr. H.M., 481 - - Rotton, Captain, 185 - - Royal Engineers, 254 - - Royal Horse Artillery, 102, 103, 104, 105, 107, 289, 314, 319, 350, 352 - - Royal Irish Rifles, 48, 395 - - Rundle, General, 135, 149, 150 - - Russell, Mr. C.L.S., 479 - - Russell, Mr. E.L.S., 471 - - Russell, Mr. W.H., 474 - - Russell of Dinapore, 475 - - Rust, W., 384, 436 - - Rustenburg, 288, 289, 292, 293, 294, 295, 302, 303, 311, 488 - - Rustfontein, 117 - - Rustomji, Mr. H.M., 395, 481 - - Rutherfoord, Captain, 31, 33, 155, 243, 258, 259, 262, 263, 264, 265, - 268, 409, 427, 454, 456, 461 - - Rutherfoord, Sergeant, 379, 384, 429 - - - Sahai, Babu Gobind, 473 - - Saheb Bahadur Singh, Rao, 465 - - Sale, Mr. Justice, 466 - - Samat-singji, Prince, 389 - - Sandeman, Fort, 467 - - Sanders, E.P., 430 - - Sandhurst, 180 - - Sandhurst, Lord, 24, 462 - - Sanna’s Post, 98, 99, 102, 108, 111 - - Saran Dass, Lalla Ram, 466 - - Sassoon & Co., 464 - - Saunders, J.S., 157, 187, 188, 193, 194, 258, 267, 364, 365, 430 - - Saunders, Mr. J. O’B., 481 - - Savage, Captain, 389 - - Schiller, Mr. F.N., 481 - - Schreiner, Olive, 136 - - Schwartz Kopje, 289 - - Scots Greys, 281, 320, 350, 352 - - Scott, Lieutenant-Colonel, 469 - - Scott, T.H., 321#, 384, 435 - - Scott, Dr., 473 - - Scott, Mr. Ross, 469 - - Scott, Thomson, & Co., 464 - - Seymour, Major (Railway Pioneers), 117 - - Seymour, Mrs., 477 - - Shadwell, Captain, 471 - - Sharp, Lieutenant, 389 - - Shaw, G.J., 435 - - Shaw, H.N., 361, 364, 431 - - Shaw, Mr. F.M., 470 - - Shaw, Wallace, & Co., 463 - - Shorrock, Mr. J.C., 481 - - Short, Mr. A., 479 - - Short, Mr. E.A., 468 - - Showers, General, 180 - - Showers, Major, 31, 33, 55, 64, 67, 83, 84, 85, 95, 120, 123, 126, 152, - 153, 155, 156, 160, 161, 164, 170, 175, 178, 179, 180, 181, 182, - 183, 194, 209, 425, 427, 487 - - Siddons, Rev. J.H., 410 - - Sidey, Lieutenant, 31, 33, 155, 156, 277, 352, 354, 427 - - Silchar, 178 - - Silk, Mrs., 477 - - Simmons, Private (Duke of Cornwall’s Regiment), 194 - - Simon’s Bay, 88 - - Simpson, Mr. F.C., 472 - - Simpson, Mr. F.D., 469 - - Simpson, Mr. J.A., 479 - - Simpson, Mr. J. H, 471 - - Simson, Mr. A.F., 470 - - Sinclair, I.G., 346, 347, 431 - - ‘Sinclair’ steamship, 371 - - Singh, Sir Harnam, 481 - - Singh, Babu Ram Dhari, 473 - - Singh Bahadur, Rai Cameleshwari Prosad, of Monghyr, 465 - - Singh Bahadur, Rai Medni Prosad, 474 - - Singh, Kanwar Rani Lady Harnam, 477 - - Six Mile Spruit, 246, 251, 277, 279 - - Skelton, Lance-Corporal, 71, 75, 249, 267, 364, 430 - - Skinner, Mr. W., 469 - - Skinner, Mrs. J.A.C., 470 - - Sladden, S., 91, 267, 365, 434 - - Smaldeel, 199, 200, 218, 258 - - Smeaton, Mr. D.M., 479, 481 - - Smith, Sergeant, 384, 436 - - Smith, D.C. Percy, 118, 167, 168, 171, 256, 267, (Lieutenant) 276, 365, - 428, 455 - - Smith, G.M., 384, 385, 428 - - Smith, R.J., 434, 455 - - Smith, W.T., 359, 361, 431 - - Smith, Mrs. Assheton, 477 - - Smith, Stanistreet, & Co., 464 - - Smith-Dorrien, _see_ Dorrien - - Smyth, Mr. C.E., 479, 481 - - Smyth & Co., 465 - - Sotish Chunder-Chowdhari, Babu, Zemindar of Bhowanipur, 465 - - Soubarsa, Maharajah Bahadur of, 25, 474 - - Soundy, Major, 389 - - South African Republic Police, 203 - - South Australian Rifles, 219 - - South British Fire and Marine Insurance Co., 464 - - Spankie, Mr. G.T., 466 - - Sparkes, Mrs., 477 - - Spenser, Colonel, 64 - - Spicer, C.W., 384, 431 - - Spink, Mr. T.W., 481 - - Springfield, G.P.O., 365, 428, 455 - - Springfontein, 123 - - Springs, 241, 243, 254, 266, 270, 271, 272, 273, 283, 356, 357, 414, - 415 - - Spytfontein, 122, 123, 126, 136, 142, 143, 161, 182, 189, 331, 365 - - Sri Ram Bahadur, Rai, 481 - - Staff Corps, Indian, 22 - - Stainforth, Mr. G.F., 471 - - Standard Bank of South Africa, 206 - - Stanley, P., 307, 309, 429 - - Stanley, Mr. Justice, 481 - - Stanley, Mrs., 477 - - Staples, Mr. E., 472 - - Stavridi, Mr. A.J., 474 - - Steel (Octavius) & Co., 180, 463 - - Stel, Van der, Commandant, 113 - - Stellenbosch, 113, 334 - - Stephens, T., Sergeant, 135, 160, 265, 384, 408, 485, 485-489 - - Stephens, Mr. St. John, 471 - - Sterkstroom, 121, 125, 294, 303 - - Steuart, Captain, 71, 76 - - Steuart, B.C.A., 267, 365, 432, 455 - - Stevens, Mr. Justice, 466 - - Stevens, Mrs. Foster, 477 - - Stevenson, Captain, 31, 33, 76, 268, 311, 369, 427 - - Stevenson, J.W., 164, 165, 166, 432 - - Stevenson, Mr. A., 474 - - Stevenson, Mr. F., 473 - - Stevenson-Hamilton, O.C.J., 432 - - Stewart, Lance-Sergeant, 75, 76, 90, 111, 142, 361, 371, 429 - - Stewart, Mr. C.D., 479 - - Stewart, Mr. J.R., 475 - - Stewart & Co., 464 - - Stikeman, Mr. W.R., 481 - - Stinkwater, 306 - - Stockwell & Co., 464 - - Stoddart, Captain, 389 - - Stokes, Mr. H., 479 - - Stone, Mrs., 477 - - Stormberg, 5 - - Stowell, Sergeant, 75, 379, 384, 430 - - Strachey, Major, 481 - - Strahan, P., 365, 429, 455 - - Stuart, C.E., 231, 247, 267, 364, 365, 430 - - Stuart, Mr. Harry, 26, 27, 64, 395, 402, 404, 467, 479, 481 - - Stuart, Mr. John (‘Morning Post’), 148 - - Suffolk and Berks, Earl of, 479 - - Suffolk Regiment, 318, 319 - - Surma Valley Light Horse, 12, 44, 81, 91, 156, 179, 180, 181, 182, 332 - - Sutcliffe, Mr. H.W., 471, 479 - - Sutherland, Mr., 402, 469, 479, 481 - - Swaine, Colonel, 402 - - Swartzkop, 278, 306 - - Swaziland, 323 - - Sykes, Mr. R., 471 - - - Table Bay, 88 - - Tagore, Maharajah Sir Jotendro Mohun, 25, 462, 481 - - Tagore, Maharaj Kumar Prodyat Coomar, 474, 482 - - Tagore, Sir Sourindro Mohun, 462, 481 - - Tagore, Babu Kally Kissen, 462 - - Talana, 289 - - Talbot, Sir A.C., 468 - - Tancred, F., 345, 384, 430 - - Tasmanian Volunteers, 219, 296, 360 - - Taylor, Captain, 31, 33, 56, 145, 155, 156, 159, 168, 169, 276, 305, - 335, 346, 354, 355, 382, 384, 391, 402, 409, 427, 446-453 - - Taylor, Mr. J., 469 - - Tellery & Co., 465 - - ‘Terrible,’ H.M.S., 87 - - Thaba ’Nchu, 98, 100, 101, 102, 107, 135, 150, 177, 208 - - Thacker, Spink, & Co., 464 - - Thelwall, E.A., 379, 384, 432 - - Thelwall, H.W., 151, 164, 249, 257, 267, 364, 432 - - Thesiger, Sergeant, 257, 359, 361, 431 - - Thomas, Mr. A.W., 473 - - Thomas, Mr. R.G.D., 479 - - Thomas, Mr. W.L., 479, 482 - - Thomas & Co., 463 - - Thompson, Captain, 473 - - Thompson, F.C., 267, 235, 364, 436 - - Thomson, Mr. J.H., 467 - - Thomson & Co., 464 - - Thornton, A.R., 257, 432 - - Tickell, Mr. R.H., 470 - - ‘Times of India,’ 290, 389 - - Tin Cowry Rai, Babu, 474 - - Todd, Mr. R., 471 - - Todd, Trooper (Roberts’s Horse), 105 - - Tolly’s Nullah, 38 - - Tooley, Trooper (Johannesburg Police), 413, 414, 416, 417 - - Touch, Mr. W., 471 - - Toynbee, Mr. G., 469 - - Tozer, Mr. H.S., 471 - - Traill, Mr. T., 482 - - Traill & Co., 465 - - Transvaal Mounted Police, 268 - - Tremearne, Mr. Shirley, 26, 402, 468, 476, 479, 482 - - Trevor, Sir Arthur, 402, 467, 482 - - Trevor, Miss, 402 - - Triton Insurance Co., 463 - - Tucker, General, 135, 136, 150, 154, 161, 172, 208 - - Tugela, 87 - - Turnbull, W., 364, 432 - - Turner, Corporal, 229, 231, 240, 384, 404, 436, 459 - - Turner, Mr., 402 - - Turner, Mr. C.E., 468 - - Turner, Mr. J.M., 479 - - Turner, Mr. L.C., 469 - - Turner, Mr. M.C., 482 - - Tyler, General, 469 - - Tyler, Mrs., 402 - - Tyrrell, Captain, 479 - - - Uitval Nek, 290, 296 - - ‘Ujina’ transport, 67, 76, 83, 84, 85, 92 - - Upcott, Mr. F.A., 469 - - Upcott, Mr. F.R., 482 - - Urs, Colonel Desraj, 474 - - - Vaal River, 177, 202, 227, 228, 229, 230, 233, 235, 343 - - Ventris, General, 383, 389 - - Vereeniging, 202, 228, 229, 233, 235, 289 - - Verner, Mr. F., 25, 462 - - Verschoyle, Major, 479 - - Verschoyle, Mr. S., 479 - - Vet, 218 - - Vet River, 213, 425 - - Victoria, Queen-Empress, 50, 409 - - Victoria Cross, 147, 163, 171, 279 - - Victoria Mills Co., 475 - - Victorian Mounted Rifles, 139 - - Viljoen, Commandant, 414, 416 - - Viljoen’s Drift, 227, 228, 229, 230, 233 - - Virginia Siding, 219 - - Voltaire referred to, 91 - - Vredefort Road Station, 235 - - - Wace, General, 23, 26, 64, 76, 402, 476, 482, 483 - - Waggon Bridge, 140, 142 - - Walker, Lieutenant-Colonel, 178, 466 - - Walker, Sergeant, 75, 160, 162, 186, 413, 414, 415, 416, 417, 418, 425, - 429 - - Walker, Lance-Corporal, 75, 267, 365, 429 - - Walker, Mr. C.R.S., 466 - - Walker, Mr. E., 473 - - Walker, Mr. G.H.D., 470 - - Wallace, Captain (‘Atlantian’), 382 - - Wallace, Mr. C.L.W., 479 - - Waller, Major, 472 - - Waller, E.H., 364, 436 - - Wallis, Mr. A.H., 482 - - Walsh, Mr. C.A., 472 - - Walton, C.A., 157, 160, 257, 267, 364, 365, 430 - - Walton, C.F., 266, 267, 272, 274, 365, 418, 434, 455 - - Warburton, Lance-Sergeant, 257, 364, 384, 432 - - Ward, Sir Edward, 223 - - Ward, Artemus, quoted, 8 - - Ware, Mr. F.H., 472 - - Ware, Mr. H., 471 - - Warmbaths, 295, 309 - - Warner, Mr. H.B., 471 - - Waterfield, Mr. S., 473 - - Waters, Captain, 379 - - Waterval, 192, 205, 257, 295, 310 - - Waterval Boven, 314, 336, 337 - - Waterval Drift, 96 - - Waterval Onder, 336, 337 - - Watkins, Mrs., 477 - - Watson, Major, 345 - - Watson, G.I., 231, 246, 364, 384, 429 - - Watson, W.G., 429 - - Watson, Mr. T., 472 - - Watts & Co., 464 - - Webbe. I.C., 384, 431 - - Welldon, Bishop, 49, 67, 79, 394, 395, 402, 403, 469, 476 - - Wellington, Duke of, quoted, 51 - - Wellington College, 180 - - Wells, Mr. Martyn, 479 - - Wells, Mr. W.F., 469 - - Wense Tannery, 475 - - Wepener, 108, 135, 150, 177 - - Were, H.D., 166, 169, 240, 433 - - West Riding Mounted Infantry, 143, 220, 230, 244, 245 - - Westmacott, Mr. D., 479 - - Westmacott, Mr. T., 479 - - Westminster, Duke of, 344 - - Wheeler, W.H., 384, 436 - - Whiddett, Mrs. Wallis, 477 - - White, Sir George, 87, 312 - - Whiteaway, Laidlaw, & Co., 463, 475 - - Wickens, Rev. Mr., 403 - - Wicks, Mr. H., 468 - - Wicks, Mrs., 477 - - Wigram, Rev. E.F.C., 473 - - Wilkie, Mr. C.H., 482 - - Wilkins, Mr. Justice, 466, 479 - - Wilkins, Mrs., 477 - - Wilkinson, Captain, 479 - - Wilkinson, Lieutenant, 389, 473 - - Wilkinson, G.E., 364, 435, 455 - - Williams, Captain, 118, 172 - - Williams, Lieutenant, 331 - - Williams, L.G., 157, 160, 162, 173, 178, 194, 207, 268, 429, 455 - - Williams, R.P., 215, 384, 435 - - Williams, Mr. F., 473 - - Williams, Mr. H.C., 469 - - Williamson, Mr. G., 467, 482 - - Williamson, Mr. H.C., 492 - - Williamson, Mr. N., 472 - - Willis, L., 365, 436 - - Wilson, Captain, 402 - - Wilson, Mr. J., 482 - - Winburg, 217, 218 - - Winder, W.R., 345, 384, 385, 432 - - Wolve Hoek, 289 - - Wonderfontein, 317 - - Wood, H.C., 371, 434 - - Woodburn, Sir John, 24, 48, 49, 52, 59, 64, 67, 79, 394, 402, 462, 477 - - Woodburn, Lady, 477 - - Woodman, Mr. H.C., 471 - - Woodroffe, Mr. J.T., 402, 466, 482 - - Woods, A.N., 71, 267, 364, 430, 455 - - Woollright, A.P., 3, 91, 364, 432, 455 - - Woolls-Sampson, Colonel, 337, 339 - - Worcester, 114 - - Wright, F.W., 267, 365, 367, 431, 455 - - Wright, H.S.N., 365, 367, 431, 455 - - Wynne, Colonel, 402, 482 - - Wynne, Mr. T.R., 392 - - Wynne, Mrs., 477 - - - Yeomanry, Imperial, 251 - - Young, Sir W. Mackworth, 24, 462 - - Younghusband, Mr. J.R.E., 471 - - Yule & Co., 463 - - - Z.A.R.P., 203 - - Zain-ul-Abidin, Nawab Syed Mahomed Murshidabad, 465 - - Zand River, 219, 220, 225 - - Zeerust, 288, 293 - - Zilikat’s Nek, 289 - - Zorab, L.K., 267, 384, 385, 428 - - Zoutpans, 295, 306 - - Zurfontein, 254, 266, 271 - - PRINTED BY - - SPOTTISWOODE AND CO. LTD., NEW-STREET SQUARE - - LONDON - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - PART OF - SOUTH AFRICA - showing - the routes taken by - LUMSDEN'S HORSE. -] - - * * * * * - - Reference - to the Figures (in Red) on Map. - - 1. Bloemfontein April 3 to 21 - 2. Glen April 21 - 3. Spytfontein ” 22 - 4. Krang Kraal (Houtnek) ” 29 - 5. Spytfontein ” 30 - 6. Brandfort Rand May 4 - 7. Vet River Station ” 5 - 8. Smaldeel ” 6 - 9. Near Zand River Station ” 8 - 10. Near Ventersburg Road Station ” 9 - 11. Valsch River ” 10 - 12. Kroonstad W. Hills ” 11 - 13. Kroonstad Camp ” 12 - 14. Amerika Siding ” 22 - 15. Honing Spruit ” 22 - 16. Rhenoster Spruit ” 23 - 17. Wolvehoek Station ” 25 - 18. Vereeniging ” 26 - 19. Klip River ” 27 - 20. Natal Spruit ” 28 - 21. Germiston (Elandsfontein Junction) ” 29 - 22. Orange Grove (Johannesburg) ” 31 - 23. Strydom June 3 - 24. Six Mile Spruit ” 4 - 25. Irene (_viâ_ Pretoria) ” 5 - 26. Pretoria July 22 - 27. Crocodile River ” 27 - 28. Wonderboom ” 27 - 29. Dasport Camp ” 28 - 30. Vasser’s Hoek Aug. 1 - 31. Commando Poort (Uitval’s Nek) ” 3 - 32. Sterkstroom ” 4 - 33. Rustenburg ” 5 - 34. Eland’s River ” 6 - 35. Rustenburg ” 6 - 36. Commando Poort ” 8 - 37. Grobelar’s ” 11 - 38. Heck Poort ” 12 - 39. Kaulfontein ” 13 - 40. Buffel’s Hoek ” 16 - 41. Olphant’s Nek ” 17 - 42. Rustenburg ” 17 - 43. Sterkstroom ” 18 - 44. Roode Kopjes ” 19 - 45. Zoutpans ” 21 - 46. Near Haman’s Kraal ” 22 - 47. Zwart Boys’ Location ” 22 - 48. Botha’s Vley ” 23 - 49. Warmbads ” 24 - 50. Outposts on Buis Kop ” 25 - 51. Pienaar’s River Station ” 26 - 52. Waterval (Prisoner’s Camp) ” 27 - 53. Pretoria Racecourse ” 28 - 54. Erstefabriken ” 30 - 55. Mors Kop ” 31 - 56. Bronkhorst Spruit ” 31 - 57. Balmoral Sept. 1 - 58. Elandsfontein (Brug Spruit) ” 1 - 59. Oliphant’s River ” 2 - 60. Middelburg ” 3 - 61. Pan or Reetpan ” 3 - 62. Wonderfontein ” 1 - 63. ” ” (5 mile south of) ” 5 - 64. Carolina ” 8 - 65. Buffel’s Spruit ” 9 - 66. Rendsburg ” 10 - 67. Tafel’s Kop ” 11 - 68. Devil’s Kantor ” 12 - 69. Barberton ” 15 - 70. Machadodorp Oct. 3 - 71. Doorn Kop ” 11 - 72. Carolina ” 13 - 73. Kranspan ” 15 - 74. Klipstepel ” 15 - 75. Bethal ” 19 - 76. Trickardsfontein ” 22 - 77. Wilbank ” 25 - 78. Bultfontein ” 26 - 79. Heidelburg ” 26 - 80. Springs ” 31 - 81. Tweefontein Nov. 1 - 82. Erasmus Dam ” 2 - 83. Pretoria Racecourse ” 3 - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - Footnotes - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - Transcriber’s Note - -Errors in the text have been corrected where they can be reasonably -attributed to the printer or editor, or where the same word appears as -expected elsewhere. Inconsistencies in punctuation, particularly in the -Index, have been resolved. - -In the very long table of cash contributions in Appendix VII, the -‘Carried Forward’ subtotals at the foot and head of each page have been -removed. - -In Appendices II and X, wide tables have been divided into rearranged in -order to be more readily viewable in this media. - -The book was bound with a short errata slip inserted prior to p. 1, -which has been moved to the end of the text, prior to the Index. The -changes have _not_ been made. The error noted on p. 384, line 13, for -‘E.J. Johnstone’ apparently had already been corrected, but shows as -‘C.H.M. Johnstone’ rather than 'Johnstone, C.H.'. The text is given as -printed. - -Footnotes in the text have been renumbered consecutively for -consecutively. They have been gathered at the end of each chapter. -Footnotes in the tabular matter in the Appendices have been sequenced as -letters A through G, and follow the table to which they pertain. - -In the list of men gazetted to the Regular Army on p. 365, 'Norton' -would seem to be A.E. Norton, of the West India Regiment. - -The Index reference for Captain Chamney, indicating p. 379, is -incorrect. This probably refers to p. 349, where the Captain is -mentioned. - -The details of each correction are noted below. - - 8.37 P.[T/J]. Maitland Corrected. - - 12.3 'Her Majesty’s[’]' Government Added. - - 99.1 by the slow prog[r]ess of a convoy. Added. - - 189.15 my scouts, while reconnoit[i]ring under Removed. - Lieutenant Pugh, - - 192.13 he had thought for a mo[n/m]ent of the Corrected. - bitterness - - 273.17 he attemp[t]ed> to return Added. - - 288.24 in the centre, and Brigad[i]er-General Added. - Mahon’s on the right, - - 296.32 for the sake of some amusing incidents Transposed. - and an[ce/ce]dotes - - 301.39 some dozen Australian[s] Added. - - 313.12 Ragged and out at heels from [being _sic_ - having] marched] - - 435.7 Peak Es[s]tate,Yercand, Salem Removed. - - 428.9 Charles Reginald Macdonald ... Removed. - Dowlutpore Concern, Durb[h]unga - - 428.17 Osborne Aldis ... Dulsing S[e/a]rai, Corrected. - Durbunga - - 444.13 Chin, [strappers], helmet, leather _sic_ straps? - - 492.5 Barrackpur, 3[9]6 Restored. - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The History of Lumsden's Horse, by -Henry H. S. 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