South Africa and the Transvaal War, Vol. 6 (of 8) / From the Occupation of Pretoria to Mr. Kruger's Departure from South Africa, with a Summarised Account of the Guerilla War to March 1901

by Louis Creswicke

THE WESTERN TRANSVAAL

The district round Krugersdorp was greatly disaffected, and contests between British and Boers occurred almost daily. On the 29th of August a smart tussle took place near Modderfontein between a column under Colonel Bradley (North Staffordshire Regiment) and a band of desperadoes, who were driven off with some loss. Three men of the North Staffordshire Regiment were killed, and among the wounded were Lieutenant Wyatt and five men. Meanwhile the Colonial Division—a portion of it—with the 3rd Cavalry Brigade, was marching and fighting from Zeerust viâ Krugersdorp to Kroonstad, losing in all sixty of their number. General Little, commanding the Brigade, was wounded, and was succeeded by Colonel Dalgety. Nearer Pretoria, at a place called Rooikop, Colonel Plumer had a brush with the enemy, resulting in the discomfiture of the latter, who dispersed, minus 100 rifles, 40,000 rounds of ammunition, 350 head of cattle, some waggon-loads of supplies, and seven of their number, who were taken prisoners. Captain Brooke, R.A.M.C., was wounded, as was Lieutenant Wylly and three Tasmanians.

The history of captures and surrenders, of marauding excursions and surprises, of sniping and derailing of trains, of Boer treachery and Boer shiftiness continued. The exciting episodes it would be impossible to chronicle in detail, but a fair idea of the strain on the already hard-worn troops may be gauged by looking at a table of guerilla incidents which followed at each other’s heels in the course of the first week in September. On the 1st the rails were torn up near the Klip River; a supply train was overturned and captured, and the engine wrecked by dynamite. On the following day the line below Kroonstad was wrecked and a train containing stores captured, while another portion of the line—at America Siding—was cut. South of Heidelberg the line was cut on the 3rd, and injuries to the Heidelberg rails occasioned the upset of a train. On the 4th the line was cut near Honing Spruit, on the 5th near Krugersdorp, on the 6th near Balmoral, when an engine was blown up and five trucks were derailed. To finish the seven days’ work the enemy on the 7th blew up the rail near Roodeval.

At this time strong columns under Generals Clements and Hart had set to work to scour the country between Krugersdorp and Johannesburg, and clear it of bands of marauders. The former skirmished near Kekepoort and elsewhere with Delarey, the latter operated south-west of Krugersdorp. Small parties of Boers were being driven hither and thither, and were usually hurried off with such rapidity that they left supplies and waggons behind them. General Knox, sweeping north-west of Kroonstad, had the satisfaction of capturing two of De Wet’s despatch riders, bearing interesting letters for that officer, and thus returning a suitable quid pro quo for the attack on the British mails made by the Dutchman in June. Lord Methuen’s force, which had been halting at Mafeking, completed its re-equipment and started for Lichtenburg. Some little opposition was met with en route. On the 11th the Boers, who had assembled near the Malopo, were dispersed. Thirty prisoners were captured, twenty-two waggons, and forty thousand rounds of ammunition. In the fray Captain Bryce (Australian Bushmen) was severely wounded. On the 12th there was more fighting, near Ottoshoof. Captain S. G. Hubbe (South Australian Bushmen) was killed; Lieutenant White (6th Imperial Bushmen) was severely wounded and taken prisoner.

While these engagements were taking place, General Clements gave battle to Delarey’s band and drove them from two positions, with the loss of two men killed and fourteen wounded. Later, on the 16th, he caught the raiders again near Hexpoort and again fought them, losing a gallant young fellow, Lieutenant Stanley of the Imperial Yeomanry, and one or two men wounded. Elsewhere the clearing process continued, and tussles were part of the daily programme. General Paget was operating around the north-west of Pretoria, at Warmbaths and Pienaar’s River; and General Barton, outside the Krugersdorp line, protected the west flank of Johannesburg. General Hart was actively employed in the neighbourhood of Potchefstroom, which place he occupied on the 11th, in the smartest manner possible. He was getting tired of cannonadings and fusilladings, futile and fatiguing, which resulted only in the dispersion of the enemy, who had a knack of reappearing on the warpath directly his back was turned. There had been many days of hopeful advance; “Little Bobs,” the naval gun, had searched kopjes innumerable; Marshall’s Horse and the Imperials and others had boldly assaulted them, but at the end of it all, they had arrived only to find—a vacuum! This was depressing and wearisome, so the General gave rein to his penchant for night attacks, and reaped the reward of what looked like temerity.

The force, leaving Welverdiend Station on the 8th, made forced marches of thirty-six and thirty-eight miles in fifteen hours for the infantry, and forty-four for cavalry, and surprised the Boers so completely that the town was captured, and also some eighty prisoners, with comparatively little fighting. Unfortunately young Maddocks, a most promising and popular officer of the 2nd Somersetshire Light Infantry, lost his life.

Incessant attacks on the railway lines, too numerous to be recorded, continued, of course throwing an enormous strain on the staff of the military railways, who had verily to sleep with one eye open, unknowing when and where the Boer would perpetrate fresh outrages. On the 12th, the guerillas destroyed a bridge on the Krugersdorp line, and elsewhere they made futile but annoying efforts to dislocate traffic. Lord Methuen at this time was moving steadily on across the Western Transvaal, occasionally varying his route by animated chases after Boer convoys. In one of these he was splendidly successful, and his booty included a 15-pounder lost at Colenso, 26 waggons, 8000 cattle, 4000 sheep, and about 20,000 rounds of small arm ammunition. Thus enriched he moved on the following day, the 20th, to Rietpan, forty-five miles east of Vryburg station. Here he chased more Boers, and increased his “bag” by 634 cattle, 3000 sheep, 29 horses, and 24 donkeys.

On the 26th Rustenburg was reoccupied by General Broadwood without loss. With Generals Clements and Ridley he spent his time in clearing the surrounding country, capturing waggons, rifles, and small arm ammunition, and occasionally—Boers. These, as a rule, dispersed like a flock of rooks at the sound of British pursuit, but twenty-four Dutchmen were captured and sent into Rustenburg. There, on the 4th of October, arrived Lord Methuen, who had fought two engagements on the 28th of September—one commanded by himself, the other by General Douglas—routing Lemmers’s force and taking fourteen of them prisoners. Seven were killed. Two of the British were also lost, and among the wounded were Captain Lord Loch (Grenadier Guards), Lieutenant Parker (R.A.M.C.), and Lieutenant Noel Money (Imperial Yeomanry).

General Hart meanwhile continued to spend his energies in identical activities in the districts of Potchefstroom and Krugersdorp, to which latter place he returned on the last day of September. He came not empty-handed. His “bag,” like those of Generals Paget and Methuen, was big almost to inconvenience. His prizes ran as follows: 2720 head of cattle, 3281 sheep and goats, and large quantities of mealies, potatoes, oats, bran, and hay, 90 horses, 28 ponies, 11 mules, and 67 carts and waggons. Of prisoners there were ninety-six. This was the result of a thirty-three days’ march, during which the column had covered 310 miles and skirmished or fought on twenty-nine occasions. Of the British “braves” only three were killed. Twenty-four were wounded and three missing.

General Barton had his share of fighting, and on the 11th of October, in a somewhat serious contest with the enemy, the Welsh Fusiliers, led by Sir Robert Colleton, greatly distinguished themselves. Unhappily they lost Second Lieutenant Williams-Ellis, a gallant boy of only twenty years of age. Captain Gabbett was dangerously wounded, and Second Lieutenant Kyrke sustained a severe injury to the head. Captain Trenchard (Royal Scots Fusiliers) was also seriously wounded, as were eleven men of the Welsh Fusiliers.