Was specially referred to by Lord Methuen for his services at the passage of the Modder River. His command of the 2nd Battalion Coldstream Guards only terminated last year; he had entered that regiment as Ensign in 1869. During the Second Afghan War he acted as A.D.C. to Lord Roberts; and to H.R.H. the Duke of Connaught in the Expedition against Arabi Pasha. He went through the Burmese War of 1886, and for his gallant conduct was awarded the C.B.
Of mounted men there were a hundred or so of Rimington's Scouts, two squadrons of the 9th Lancers, and some companies of mounted infantry. In all they may have totalled 500 men. Yet in the European proportion more like 1,500 cavalry were required, with a couple of batteries of horse artillery. Of horse artillery there was none at all, nor was there a single howitzer with the column. These facts, evident to all, raised in the minds of a few sinister doubts as to the future success of the column, which doubts were only too painfully justified by events. It was clear from the start that no victory could be followed up, and no decisive blow inflicted. Yet here as elsewhere the generals and the men anticipated swift and certain success. The Boers before them were believed to be weak in numbers, ill-organised, and of low fighting capacity. The rapid advance to Kimberley would, it was thought, be scarcely contested.
[Photo by Cribb.
The "Doris," the flagship of Rear-Admiral Harris at the Cape, supplied the commander and some of the men who fought under Lord Methuen, and in the Admiral's cabin Cronje was confined after his surrender.
Nov. 20-21, 1899.] Nearing the Enemy.
The column was, in consequence, to march in the lightest possible order. Baggage and stores were cut down; officers were to have no tents; Lord Methuen himself was to set the example of sleeping in his cloak in the open; the men were loaded as lightly as possible. The regiments marched without bugle or drum, as it was feared that the sound of these instruments would give information of movements to the enemy.
At midnight of the 20th-21st, the column stood to arms, 9,000 strong, waiting the order to advance. Lord Methuen had always been a great believer in night marches and night attacks upon the enemy, and on this campaign seized the first opportunity of putting his ideas into execution. Then for hours the column waited under the star-lit sky. At two the moon rose, but still no order came. The serpent-like array of men, horses and guns waited, silent, immobile—waited impatiently. At last, soon after 2·30, the long-looked-for order arrived. The Guards' Brigade, with the cavalry and artillery, strode off through the scented night; as day was breaking over the kopjes to the east, the Ninth Brigade followed.
Advance to Fincham's Farm.
The first day's march was a short one of nine miles to Fincham's Farm or Witteputts, half way between Orange River and Belmont. Yet, though short, it tried the men severely. As the sun rose the heat grew tropical, and water there was none till Fincham's Farm was reached. The line of route lay across the undulating, thirsty veldt, sand-floored, overgrown with brown scrub, along the foot of perpetual kopjes. Nothing was seen of the enemy, yet the Boer scouts dogged the column and noted its every movement.