Wheel of the carriage of a 12-pounder gun collapsed, whereupon the sailors lifted it from its carriage and hauled it to the top of a kopje, a distance of two miles.
[Feb. 15, 1900.
Cavalry opposed.
On the morning of the 15th Lord Kitchener and General Kelly-Kenny rode round the cavalry camps. The field batteries and two naval guns replaced and set free the Horse Artillery. One of the naval 12-pounders was stationed upon a kopje overlooking the drift, after an incident which well illustrated the resourcefulness of our bluejackets. "On moving the gun," says a correspondent, "one of the wheels collapsed; but the sailors lifted the gun from its carriage, and hauled it a distance of two miles to the top of the kopje. It was a great performance, and well deserved the thanks which Lord Kitchener conveyed to them." The tired infantry went on outpost duty instead of the cavalrymen, and after breakfast the three cavalry brigades and the seven horse batteries drew up and moved out with definite orders to reach Kimberley that night. The sight, as the endless line of cavalry rode off across the veldt, about 9 a.m., was a very fine one. On the left was Broadwood with his Hussars, Lancers, and heavy Household Cavalry; in the centre was General Porter, just arrived, with his Dragoons; on the left Gordon with the Lancers' gay pennons and the more sombre squadrons of Roberts' Horse. Scarcely had the line left the river—heading directly to the east with the object of deceiving the enemy, and leading them to suppose that the object of the ride was Bloemfontein rather than Kimberley—when a Boer gun opened fire on the British left, sending several shells among the cavalry. At once two batteries of Horse Artillery went rattling to the front, deployed, and returned the fire. The three field batteries from Klip Drift also pushed out to support General French. The Horse Artillery suffered considerable loss, thirteen officers and men being killed or wounded. The cavalry extended to the right, when from kopjes on the left front as well as the left flank and left rear came a heavy fire from what was evidently a large force of Boers; on the right front upon a kopje the enemy also showed in some strength. It was now that General French had an opportunity to show his skill and generalship. Without any hesitation he gave General Gordon orders to charge with his men and clear a nek between the kopjes. The nek was about 2,500 yards wide, smooth, and level. At the same time the Horse Artillery was ordered to scourge the kopjes with shrapnel.
BRIG.-GENERAL J. R. P. GORDON.
Joined the 15th (King's) Hussars as 2nd Lieutenant in 1879, when he was 18 years of age, and served in the Afghan War of 1880; Lieutenant and Adjutant in 1881; served in the Boer War of that year, the Bechuanaland Expedition of 1884-5, in Burma 1887, Lagos 1892, and Ashanti 1895-6; Captain 1888, Major 1895, Lieut.-Colonel 1897; appointed to the command of the 3rd Brigade of the Cavalry Division in South Africa, with local rank of Brigadier-General, Feb. 1900.
[Photo by H. B. White, Cape Town.
The 16th Lancers, who did such excellent work on February 15, were dispatched from India to South Africa on the application of Lord Roberts. On their arrival at Cape Town a request was made that the regiment should march through the town. The request was granted, and the fine regiment, whose list of battle honours is surpassed by no other cavalry regiment, and equalled only by one, was received with the wildest enthusiasm.