[Jan. 4-5, 1900.
Death of Major Harvey.
Boers driven back.
Early on January 4, the Boers under General Schœman made a sudden attempt to get round the British left. They pushed out in the darkness, unperceived by our cavalry, and seized a group of kopjes to the rear of the Suffolks. But when once there they found themselves in a trap. The ground around the kopjes was level and coverless; the 10th Hussars with two guns of O Battery opened on their rear, while a squadron of the 6th Dragoons with the other four guns of the Battery attacked them in front. So hot was the fire that about 500 of the Boers decided that it was time for them to quit. They dashed off across the plain towards Colesberg, shelled by the Horse Artillery, and hotly pursued by the Hussars and Dragoons. A small party, however, took up a position upon a low, boulder-covered hill, whence they opened a fire, which checked the Hussars. Colonel Fisher dismounted his men at once, and boldly carried the hill by rushes on foot, in which operation Major Harvey fell, gallantly leading his men. His sad death is thus described by one of his privates:—"I shall never forget our old Major Harvey. He said: 'Come along, my squadron; there are a few Boers just round the corner,' and we went to shift them. We could only go about a dozen at a time, and the old Major led us. He got shot in the mouth, but was able to say: 'Never mind me, men; let them have it!' But he got two more shots in the head, and dropped dead. Just then we had to lie down, hundreds of bullets dropping around us." The 6th Dragoons got home with their lances.[3] There still remained 200 of the enemy on the hill, who could not be made to move, although a heavy shell fire was directed upon them. On this, the mounted infantry were sent in to clear them out. The infantry pushed in so as to threaten the Boer retreat, when another hundred of the enemy bolted. As the soldiers neared the foot of the kopjes the remnant also hurriedly retired, but could not all get away; twenty-one were captured, and the enemy's total casualties in killed and wounded were placed by General French at ninety. The British loss was only six killed and fifteen wounded.
[3] The front rank of Dragoons carry lances.
[Photo by. Elliott & Fry.
Killed while leading the 1st Suffolks at Rensburg.
[Photo by Knight, Aldershot.