For his good services as armourer and work drawing ordnance and transport, stores, money, and in charge of commissariat, I particularly recommend O. A. Hart, armourer's mate, H.M.S. Tartar (late), a man thoroughly reliable.
As regards the Officer and six men of H.M.S. Philomel attached to my command, three of whom have since been invalided, I must strongly recommend Mr. W. R. Ledgard, midshipman, who since July 28th I have detached, as ordered by G.O.C. 5th Division, in independent command of one gun, first at Opperman's Kraal, and then at Paardekop; he has carried out this duty with ability and success, and for a young officer I know it has been a trying one.
I also recommend T. Payne, A.B., S.G., H.M.S. Philomel, for good service with the guns.
Expressing my gratification at having had the opportunity to command H.M.S. Tartar's (now Monarch's) Detachment, I have, etc.
APPENDIX III
DIARY OF THE BOER WAR UP TO OCTOBER 25TH, 1900.
1899.
- Oct. 11.—Time fixed by the Boers for compliance with "ultimatum" expired at 5 p.m.
- Oct. 14.—Boers march on Kimberley and Mafeking.
- Oct. 15.—Kimberley isolated.
- Oct. 20.—Boer position on Talana Hill captured by the British under Symons.
- Oct. 21.—White moves out force under French to eject Boers from Elandslaagte. Boers routed.
- Oct. 22.—Yule retires from Dundee on Ladysmith viâ Beith.
- Oct. 23.—Death of General Symons at Dundee.
- Oct. 30.—General sortie from Ladysmith. Naval guns silence Boer siege artillery.
- Surrender of part of two battalions and a Mountain Battery at Nicholson's Nek.
- Oct. 31.—General Sir Redvers Buller lands at Capetown.
- Nov. 1.—Boers invade Cape Colony.
- Nov. 2.—Ladysmith isolated.
- Nov. 9.—General attack on Ladysmith repulsed with heavy loss to Boers.
- Nov. 15.—Armoured train wrecked by Boers near Chieveley. Over 100 British troops captured.
- Nov. 19.—Lord Methuen's column for the relief of Kimberley concentrated at Orange River.
- Nov. 23.—Methuen attacks Boers at Belmont with Guards' Brigade and 9th Brigade. Boers driven from their position.
- Nov. 25.—Methuen attacks Boers in position at Enslin and dislodges them.
- General Sir Redvers Buller arrives in Natal.
- Nov. 28.—Methuen engages 11,000 Boers at Modder River. Battle lasting all day. Boers evacuate position.
- Nov. 30.—Sixth Division for South Africa notified.
- Dec. 1.—Australian and Canadian Contingents leave Capetown for the front.
- Dec. 10.—Gatacre attempts night attack on Stormberg, but is surprised and driven back with heavy loss.
- Dec. 11.—Methuen attacks Boer position at Magersfontein and is repulsed with heavy loss. General Wauchope killed.
- Dec. 15.—Buller advances from Chieveley against Boer positions near Colenso. British Force repulsed on Tugela with 1,100 casualties and loss of 12 guns.
- Mobilization of 7th Division ordered.
- Dec. 18.—Lord Roberts appointed Commander-in-Chief in South Africa, with Lord Kitchener as Chief of Staff.
- Dec. 19.—Regulations issued for employment of Yeomanry and Volunteers in South Africa.
- Dec. 20.—Formation of City of London Volunteer Corps for South Africa announced.
- Jan. 6.—Suffolk Regiment loses heavily near Rensburg, over 100 prisoners taken.
- Boer attack on Ladysmith Repulsed.
- Jan. 10.—Lord Roberts and Lord Kitchener arrive at Capetown.
- Jan. 10.—Forward movement for relief of Ladysmith resumed.
- Jan. 11.—Dundonald seizes pont on Tugela at Potgieter's Drift.
- Jan. 18.—Buller makes Second Attempt to relieve Ladysmith. Dundonald having crossed Tugela engages Boers near Acton Homes.
- Crossing of Tugela by Warren and Lyttelton concluded.
- Jan. 21.—Warren attacks Boers' right flank.
- Jan. 23-4.—Spion Kop captured and held during 24th, but evacuated on the night of Jan. 24-25. General Woodgate fatally wounded.
- Jan. 26-7.—Buller's force recrosses the Tugela.
- Feb. 3.—Macdonald with Highland Brigade marches out from Modder River.
- Feb. 5.—Buller's Third Attempt to relieve Ladysmith commenced. Lyttelton crosses Tugela, and delivers attack on Vaal Krantz, which he captures and occupies.
- Feb. 7.—Vaal Krantz evacuated and British Force withdrawn across the Tugela.
- Feb. 9.—Lord Roberts arrives at Modder River.
- Feb. 11.—French, having been summoned from Southern Frontier, leaves Modder River with Cavalry Division and Horse Artillery.
- Feb. 13.—Lord Roberts at Dekiel's Drift.
- Feb. 15.—Lord Roberts at Jacobsdal.
- Relief of Kimberley.
- Feb. 17.—Rearguard action between Kelly-Kenny and Cronje en route to Bloemfontein.
- Fourth Attempt to relieve Ladysmith.
- Buller presses advance on Monte Christo Hill.
- Feb. 19.—Buller takes Hlangwane Hill.
- Feb. 20.—Boers under Cronje, having laagered near Paardeberg, are bombarded by Lord Roberts.
- Feb. 21.—Fifth Division crosses Tugela.
- Feb. 23.—Buller unsuccessfully attacks Railway Hill.
- Feb. 26.—Buller makes fresh passage of Tugela.
- Feb. 27.—Cronje Surrenders at Paardeberg.
- Pieters Hill, the main Boer position between Ladysmith and the Tugela, carried by Hildyard.
- Feb. 28.—Relief of Ladysmith.
- Clements occupies Colesberg.
- Mar. 5.—Gatacre occupies Stormberg.
- Brabant again defeats and pursues Boers.
- Overtures of peace made by Boer Presidents.
- Mar. 6.—Field Force arrives at Carnarvon to quell rising in North-West.
- Mar. 7.—Lord Roberts routs a large force of Boers at Poplar Grove.
- Mar. 10.—Lord Roberts defeats Boers at Driefontein.
- Mar. 11.—Overtures of peace rejected by Lord Salisbury.
- Mar. 13.—Lord Roberts, without further fighting, takes possession of Bloemfontein. Boers retire on Kroonstad.
- Mar. 27.—Death of General Joubert.
- Mar. 31.—Broadwood attacked at Waterworks. During retirement R.H.A. and convoy entrapped at Koorn Spruit. Six guns lost, 350 casualties.
- April 3.—Detachment of Royal Irish Rifles and Mounted Infantry surrounded near Reddersburg.
- April 7.—Colonel Dalgety isolated near Wepener.
- April 15.—Chermside leaves Reddersburg to relieve Wepener.
- April 25.—Dalgety relieved. Boers retreat northwards, under Botha.
- May 10.—Zand River crossed, Boers rapidly retreating before Lord Roberts's advance.
- May 12.—Lord Roberts enters Kroonstad without opposition, President Steyn having retired to Heilbron, which he proclaims his new capital.
- Attack on Mafeking repulsed, 108 Boer prisoners, including Commandant Eloff, taken.
- May 13.—Mahon with Mafeking Relief Column repulses attack at Koodoosrand.
- May 15.—Buller occupies Dundee and Glencoe, having driven the Boers from the Biggarsberg.
- Plumer, reinforced by Canadians and Queenslanders from Carrington's Division, joins hands with Mahon.
- May 17-18.—Relief of Mafeking.
- May 24.—Advance portion of Lord Roberts's force crosses the Vaal near Parys.
- May 28.—Annexation of Orange Free State under name of Orange River Colony formally proclaimed at Bloemfontein.
- May 30.—Flight of President Kruger from Pretoria.
- May 31.—British Flag Hoisted at Johannesburg.
- Surrender of 500 Yeomanry at Lindley.
- June 2-4.—Futile negotiations between Buller and Christian Botha for armistice.
- June 5.—Occupation of Pretoria.
- June 8.—Hildyard takes Botha's Pass.
- Surrender of 4th Derbyshires at Roodeval.
- June 11.—Stubborn fight at Almond's Nek. Heavy Boer losses.
- June 12.—Boers evacuate Laing's Nek.
- Roberts defeats Botha at Diamond Hill, east of Pretoria.
- June 14.—Boer attack on Zand River repulsed.
- July 4.—Roberts and Buller join hands at Vlakfontein.
- Railway to Natal clear.
- July 11.—Surrender of Scots Greys and Lincolns at Uitval Nek.
- July 21.—Advance eastwards towards Komati Poort begins.
- July 30.—Surrender of Prinsloo and 3,000 Boers to Hunter in Brandwater basin.
- Aug. 16.—Elands River garrison relieved.
- Aug. 25.—Execution of Cordua for conspiracy to kidnap Lord Roberts.
- Aug. 26-7.—Fighting at Dalmanutha.
- Aug. 30.—British occupy Nooitgedacht and release 2,000 prisoners.
- Sept. 6.—Buller occupies Lydenburg.
- Sept. 11.—Kruger, flying from the Transvaal, takes refuge at Lorenzo Marques.
- Sept. 13.—Proclamation issued by Roberts calling on burghers to surrender.
- French occupies Barberton.
- Sept. 25.—British Force occupies Komati Poort. Many Boers cross Portuguese frontier and surrender to Portuguese.
- Oct. 9.—De Wet driven across the Vaal out of Orange River Colony.
- Oct. 19.—Kruger sails from Lorenzo Marques for Marseilles on Dutch man-of-war.
- Oct. 24.—Buller sails from Capetown for England.
- Oct. 25.—Formal Annexation of South African Republic, to be styled Transvaal Colony.