CHAPTER VII.
ANOTHER COMBINED ATTACK—SMALL RESULTS—CAPTURE OF MUNDELL’S PEAK—THANKED A SECOND TIME IN GENERAL ORDERS—EXAMPLE OF TENACITY OF LIFE—BUILDING FORTS—THE DESCENT INTO THE WATER-KLOOF—REPROACHES—DISREGARDED ADVICE—AN ATTACK AND THE CONSEQUENCES—IN DANGER AND UNABLE TO PROCURE ASSISTANCE—RELIEVED FROM ALL INTERFERENCE BY OTHER COMMANDING OFFICERS—RECEIVE WRITTEN THANKS OF GENERAL COMMANDING—RECEIVE ADDITIONAL COMMAND OF NEW COMPANY OF FINGOES—I ASSERT MY RIGHT OVER PRISONERS—JOHNY FINGO—A SKIRMISH—SAVAGE INDIFFERENCE TO PHYSICAL PAIN—NIGHT FIGHTING—TREACHERY.
Another attack on a still grander scale than the last was now decided on at headquarters; and the Commander-in-chief, General Cathcart, with several thousand troops, guns, &c., were accordingly assembled on the heights overlooking the kloof. It was, however, a somewhat tame affair. We merely marched round the heights, and only attacked a small Kaffir village on the edge of a promontory, called Mundell’s Peak, that advanced like a wedge into the middle of the above-named kloof and almost divided it in two.
This operation fell to my share, and was, I think, effectually done in fair military style. In the general orders issued relating to the events of the day, it stated:—
“In the attack and carrying of Mundell’s Peak, the gallantry and spirited conduct of Lakeman’s corps and its commander, it is gratifying to the Commander of the Forces to take this opportunity to notice.
(Signed) “A. J. Cloëte,
Quartermaster-General.”
During this day I observed a tenacity of life which seemed incredible. A soldier of the Rifle Brigade, in looking over the edge of the kloof, was shot through the head. I was on horseback close to him at the time; I dismounted, propped him up with his pack, picked up the cap which had been knocked off by the shot, and placed it with my handkerchief over his face. The body was shortly afterwards put on a stretcher and taken to Post Reteif, several miles off, then commanded by Captain Bruce (King Bruce they called him), a gallant and hospitable soldier. On the evening of the same day I saw the man there, still breathing, with a hole in his head through which you might have passed a ramrod, and he only died towards the next morning.
After this imposing parade of troops, the main force marched back again to Fort Beaufort; but the Commander-in-chief decided that two forts were to be constructed on the heights, about a mile to the rear of where I was stationed. Colonel ——, R. E., was intrusted with the building of the same; and he placed them in such a curious fashion that they could not be defended without firing into one another—that is to say, the enemy, had he wished it, might have quietly encamped between the two and defied either to fire a shot. I pointed out this fact to the gallant colonel; but he assured me he had taken into consideration that the Kaffirs had not sufficient sense to discover this undoubted weakness in his plan.
The heights having thus become free, I next proceeded to feel the way down into the Water-kloof itself. There was no greater difficulty in this than in what I had already done; in short, the Kaffirs had got such a wholesome dread of my corps, that the trouble was to get near them. Before a month had elapsed in this sort of work, I had traversed the kloof from one end to the other; and the few sable gentlemen who still held to this home of theirs had taken refuge on the rocks on the opposite ridge, or what we used to call the Dead Man’s Home, owing to the bones of some of our men remaining unburied there. One morning, in returning from an expedition in the Water-kloof, where I had captured the few remaining cattle left to the enemy, Brigadier-General N——t, who commanded the defenceless forts constructed by Colonel ——, sent for me; and at his request I gave all the information I possessed concerning the Water-kloof, stating, among other matters, what I had done on the previous night. He said he was afraid I was doing more harm than good by this night work; it was an irregular and unmilitary mode of proceeding; that he had thought the matter over, and intended to clear the place out that day in a really effectual manner.
I warned him that the enemy was driven to desperation, and capable of mad freaks of revenge that would certainly entail serious loss if attacked during the day; and as a proof of their present state, they had that morning followed me almost into camp, and once or twice I felt convinced by their bearing they were half inclined to attack it. Now, if left to themselves for a few days longer, half starved and discouraged, they would probably leave of their own accord that part of the country. The General, however, pooh-poohed my reasoning, and shortly afterwards marched out with all his forces, composed of the 60th Rifles, the 74th, the 91st, a battery of artillery, rocket-tubes, &c.—in fact, a most formidable body of men, and equal, if properly handled, to beat easily the same number of the best troops in Europe. They proceeded towards Mundell’s Peak, and I went to lie down as was my wont after passing a night out.
In the afternoon I was awakened by the sound of big guns and heavy musketry close at hand. On looking out, I saw, about a mile off, in the open, General N——t engaged with the enemy. I could easily make out that he was somewhat severely pressed, so calling for men to follow me, I made as quickly as I could to the front. I met on the way Captain S——n of the Rifles, with a party of men, axes in hand, falling back to the rear. Captain S——n cried out that I had better look to myself. He himself had been told off to cut a road into the kloof, but they had been driven back, and N——t was beaten. I, however, still went on; and gathering as I went some of the men who were retreating, came up to the line of fire, and faced the pursuing Kaffirs. When I had a sufficient number in hand to give an impetus to the movement, with a rattling cheer we went at the Kaffirs, who at once fell back, and eventually we pursued them almost to Mundell’s Peak. Here our real difficulties began. I had to return to the camp, but there were no supports to fall back upon; for none of the regulars, except those with me, had followed my onward movement. To increase the difficulties, there were several wounded to carry and no stretchers to lay them on. In this dilemma I sent Lieutenant H——d to ask General N——t for the required support. He did not return. I then sent Sergeant Herridge, who, after great delay, owing to the difficulty in finding the General, whom he at length discovered breakfasting, returned with the message that he had no time nor men to spare, and I must return the best way I could. Thank God, we did get back, but had a narrow squeak for it. On the first movement I made to retire, the Kaffirs hurried to our left flank, near the edge of the kloof, to cut us off. I followed in the same direction, and that so closely that I drove the greater part of them over it; and so that effort of theirs became fruitless. While doing this others had run forward on my right flank, which was out in the open; but here also the Minie rifle did its task right well, and beat them back. Thus alternately struggling on both flanks, I got at last to some rocks about a mile from the camp. Here I halted until Lieutenant H——d, whom I now saw approaching with the men (who had, on my sudden departure, been left behind), came and relieved me of all further fears. It was now, on questioning Lieutenant H——d as to his delay—questions which were not very audible, owing to the firing still going on—that he interpreted some words amiss, and the next day, much to my regret, resigned. After some still further delay, owing to the desperate attempts the Kaffirs made to turn our position, we eventually returned safely to camp, bringing all our wounded with us. After this affair I did not conceal my opinion of General N——t’s conduct towards me that day; and D——e, a fine young fellow of the 74th (the “British bull-dog” they called him), thought it incumbent upon himself to ask for an explanation on the part of the regulars. This, R——y of the Artillery—a thorough officer and gentleman, be it said—kindly gave him for me. He appeared satisfied, and thus the matter ended. In the report I made of this affair, I stated matters as they virtually occurred; and a few days after, an order arrived in camp from headquarters, stating that no officer of any rank whatever was to interfere with my movements, but, on the contrary, to give me whatever help I asked for; and Colonel S——t, secretary to the Commander-in-chief, sent me the following, enclosed with a kind letter:—