Sir John French: An Authentic Biography

by Cecil Chisholm

Major-General Sir Nevil Macready, the Adjutant-General, has also been confronted with most onerous and difficult tasks in connection with disciplinary arrangements and the preparation of casualty lists. He has been indefatigable in his exertions to meet the difficult situations which arose.

I have not yet been able to complete the list of officers whose names I desire to bring to your Lordship's notice for services rendered during the period under review; and, as I understand it is of importance that this despatch should no longer be delayed, I propose to forward this list, separately, as soon as I can.

I have the honour to be,
Your Lordship's most obedient Servant,
(Signed) J.D.P. French, Field-Marshal,
Commander-in-Chief,
British Forces in the Field.

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INDEX

• Abu Klea, battle of, [17].
• Asquith, H.H., [103].
  
• Baden-Powell, Lieut.-General Sir Robert, [26].
• Barrow, Col. Percy, [12], [18], [19], [23].
• Beresford, Lord Charles:
  • Knocked senseless, [15].
• Bernhardi, General von, [33], [127].
• Bewicke Copley, General—Admiration of French, [24].
• Bloemfontein, [75], [85], [86].
• Botha, General, [56].
• Buller, Sir Redvers:
  • Relief for the Expedition, [18].
  • Desperate measure, A, [19].
  • Checking the enemy's advance, [20].
  • Tribute to French, [21].
  • His knowledge of French's value, [34].
  • Oppressed by misgivings, [53].
  • Preparing to relieve Ladysmith, [54].
  • Disaster at Colenso, [56].
• Butcher Major E.E.A.: Ingenious solution of a difficulty, [62], [63].
  
• Carleton, Colonel, [46], [47], [48], [49].
• Cavalry:
  • Test against camels, [12].
  • Distinguishing themselves, [14].
  • Buller's belief in, [21].
  • Enemy's respect for, [22].
  • Cavalry regiments in India, [25].
  • French's, Sir, J., idea of the function of, [26].
  • Opinion of the late Sir Robert Russell, [27].
  • British cavalry reform, [28].
  • Worrying the enemy at Colesberg, [55].
  • Race for De Kiel's Drift, The, [70].
  • Popular idea of cavalry, [106].
  • Use and abuse of, [108].
  • Lesson of the Boer War, [109].
  • French's, Sir J., confidence in, [114].
  • Mounted arm in modern warfare, The, [115].
• Chisholme, Colonel Scott, [36], [38].
• Colenso, [50], [56].
• Colesberg, [33], [55], [59], [62], [64], [84], [127], [134].
• Cromer, Lord, [11].
• Cronje, General, [56], [68], [69], [73], [73], [79], [80], [81], [82].
• Curragh, The, [7], [104].
  
• Delarey, General, [65], [83], [84].
• Despard, Mrs., [2], [136].
• De Wet, General, [65], [83], [84], [129].
• Doyle, Sir Arthur Conan, [99].
• "Dumpies," The, [5].
  
• Eccles, Miss, [2].
• Elandslaagte, [40], [41], [52], [135].
• Ewart, Sir J.S., [101], [103].
  
• Fisher, Colonel, [59].
• French, General Sir John:
  • Boyhood, [3].
  • War game, The, [3].
  • 8th Hussars, Gazetted to the, [5].
  • Naval career, Early, [4].
  • Sportsman, As a, [6], [7].
  • Nickname, His, [6].
  • Strategy, Interest in, [8].
  • Marriage, [8].
  • Egypt, Ordered to, [9].
  • Scouting in the desert, [14], [15].
  • Wood, Sir E., First meeting with, [20].
  • Mentioned in Dispatches, [21].
  • Promotion, [23].
  • Reorganisation of cavalry regiments in India, [25].
  • An enforced retirement, [25].
  • Function of cavalry, His idea of the, [26].
  • Effect of his cavalry theory, [27].
  • Appointment at the War Office, [28].
  • Temperament, His, [29].
  • Notable success, A, [30].
  • Promotion to Major-General, [31].
  • Public ignorance of his work, [33].
  • Sketch by Major Arthur Griffiths, [34].
  • Arrival at Ladysmith, [35].
  • Result of a cavalry charge, [36].
  • Difficult enterprise, A, [37].
  • His opportunity, [38].
  • His first victory, [39].
  • Impression of him on the battlefield, An, [40].
  • Secret of his ability, [41].
  • Won a reputation among the Boers, [43].
  • An American journalist's description, [44].
  • Out-manœuvring the Boers, [49].
  • Leaving Ladysmith, [50].
  • Confounding the critics, [53].
  • Object at Colesberg, [54].
  • Cavalry attack, A, [55].
  • Cheering Christmas greeting, A, [57].
  • Cavalry tactics, His, [58].
  • Brilliant venture, A, [59].
  • Disaster to the Suffolks, The, [60].
  • His remarkable caution, [64].
  • Problem—modern warfare, mastered, A, [65].
  • Ability for doing the right thing, [66].
  • Promise to relieve Kimberley, [67].
  • Greatness of the undertaking, [68], [69].
  • Congratulated by Lords Roberts and Kitchener, [71].
  • Boers routed, [73].
  • French v. The Impossible, [76].
  • Kimberley relieved, [78].
  • Cutting off Cronje's retreat, [80].
  • Escape of De Wet, [84].
  • Narrow escape from death, [82].
  • Sitting for his portrait, [86].
  • Command of the forces in Eastern Transvaal, [89].
  • Imitating the Boers, [91].
  • Releasing Schoeman from jail, [92].
  • Command of the operations in Cape Colony, [93].
  • His modesty, [94].
  • "Shirt-sleeved General, The," [95].
  • Artilleryman's tribute, An, [96].
  • Return from South Africa, [97].
  • Appointed Inspector-General of the forces, [98].
  • His love of efficiency, [99].
  • Appointed Chief of the Imperial General Staff, [99].
  • Gough incident, The, [100], [101].
  • His resignation, [103].
  • Student and an innovator, [107].
  • Objection to extremist views, [110].
  • His value in the present crisis, [118].
  • Man as he is, The, [123].
  • Worship of Napoleon, His, [124], [125].
  • Secret of his popularity, [126].
  • Literary ability, [130].
  • How he regards war, [133].
• French, Lady, [8].
• French, Commander J.T.W., [2].
• Freyne, Lord de, [2].
  
• Gatacre, General:
  • Boer invasion of Cape Colony, [54].
  • Reverse at Stormberg, [56].
• Gordon, General, [11].
• Griffiths, Major Arthur, [34].
• Grimwood, Colonel, [47].
• Gough, Brigadier-General, [101], [102].
  
• Haig, Lieut.-General Sir Douglas, [26], [83], [119].
• Hamilton, Sir Ian, [37].
• Hussars, 19th, [1], [5], [12], [16], [17], [18], [19], [21], [22].
  
• Joffre, General, [2], [119], [137].
• Joubert, General, [49].
  
• Khartoum:
  • Besieged, [11].
  • Effort to relieve, [12].
  • Fall of, [18].
  • Release of the Madhi's followers, [19].
• Kitchener, Lord, [5], [9], [29], [66], [71], [74]. [79], [93], [97], [122], [139].
• Kimberley, [53], [54], [68], [75], [77], [78], [100], [101].
• Kruger, President, [84].
  
• Ladysmith, [35], [38], [41], [42], [45], [46], [48], [49], [50], [53], [54], [69].
• Lambton, Captain Hedworth, [48].
• Laycock, Capt. J., [74].
• Lombard's Cop, [49].
• Luck, Sir George:
  • Opinion of cavalry regiments in India, [25].
  • Instituting cavalry reforms at home, [27].
    
• Mahdi, The, [10], [11], [12], [15].
• Mafeking, [53].
• Magersfontein, [56], [75], [79].
• Methuen, Lord, [53], [67], [75].
• Milbanke, Sir John, [50].
• Modder River, [69].
• "Modern Marlborough, The," [120].
• Moltke, Count von, [21].
• Morning Post, The, [27].
  
• Nile Expedition, [9].
  
• Paget, General, [101].
• Porter, Colonel, [56].
• Pretoria, [88], [92].
  
• Relieving Expedition, [18].
• Rhodes, Cecil, [67], [68].
• Roberts, Earl, [66], [67], [71], [83], [86], [87], [88], [93].
  
• Seely, Colonel, [101], [102].
• Selby-Lowndes, Richard William, [8].
• Schoeman, General, [56], [58], [92].
• Smith-Dorrien, General Sir Horace, [119].
• Stead, W.T., [11].
• Stewart, General Sir Herbert:
  • Testing the camels, [12].
  • Compelling the guides, [13].
  • Outnumbered by Dervishes, [15].
  • Hasty protection, [17].
  • Last words, His, [18].
• Steyn, President, [84].
• Stormberg, [56].
  
• Talbot, General, [29], [30].
  
• Warde, Colonel Charles E., [7].
• Watson, Lieut.-Colonel A.J., [60], [61], [134].
• Wauchope, Major-General, [54].
• White, Sir George:
  • French's, Sir. J. colleague in South Africa, [25].
  • Peril at Ladysmith, His, [35].
  • Orders to French, His, [36].
  • Chivalrous reply, A, [38].
  • Attempt to distract the enemy, [41].
  • Difficult retreat, A, [42].
  • Two successful engagements, [45].
  • An optimistic plan, [46].
  • Seriousness of British position, [49].
  • Surrounded in Ladysmith, [53].
• Wilford, Colonel, [42].
• Wolseley, Lord:
  • Khartoum, Orders to relieve, [11].
  • Flying column, Dispatch of, [12].
  • Wood, Sir Evelyn, [4].
  • First meeting with French, [20].
  • Discovery of French's value, [24].
    
• Yule, General:
  • Retreat from Dundee, [41].
  • His force saved, [42], [45].

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Typographical errors corrected in text: