[CONTENTS OF VOL. I.]

PAGES
Chapter I.—THE EXPLOSION. Oct. 11, 1899. And events previous thereto.
The Boer Ultimatum—Intrigues against British supremacy—Great Britain's interest in the Dutch Republics—Common interests of the white peoples—Early history of Cape Colony—Unpopularity of the Dutch East India Company—British capture Capetown—"The Great Trek"—England recognises the Republics—Their attitude towards us—Sir Bartle Frere—Majuba—The Outlanders—The Jameson raid—Kruger—His character—Sir Alfred Milner—The Bloemfontein conference—Transvaal refuses England's demands—War[3]-16
Chapter II.—THE OVERRUNNING OF NORTHERN NATAL. Oct. 11-Oct. 27, 1899.
Hurried Preparations for War—The Reserves Mobilised—Enthusiasm of the British Public—Strength of the Forces in Natal and Cape Colony—Strength of the Enemy—The Attack Delayed—Disposition of the Boer Forces—Positions of the British at Dundee and Ladysmith—Battle of Dundee—Symons wounded—Storming of Talana Hill—The Treacherous White Flag—Yule's March—Battle of Elandslaagte—British and Boer Losses—"Remember Majuba!"—Action at Rietfontein—The Boer Tactics—White decides to hold Ladysmith[17]-34
Chapter III.—THE INVESTMENT OF LADYSMITH, MAFEKING, AND KIMBERLEY. Oct. 27-Nov. 1899.
The Boers seize the heights dominating Ladysmith—The Battle of Farquhar's Farm—White withdraws to save the town—The guns brought off—Dramatic advent of the Bluejackets—Loss of Carleton's column—Neglect of precautions at Ladysmith—The town beleaguered—Condition of affairs on the Western Frontier—Doubtful attitude of the Schreiner Ministry—First act of war—Attempts to capture Mafeking—The Boers seize Vryburg—Kimberley isolated—Bombardment commenced—Stormberg district abandoned by the British—Attitude of the Cape Dutch[35]-56
Chapter IV.—THE DISPATCH OF THE ARMY CORPS. Oct. 25-Dec. 9, 1899.
Dilatoriness of the Government—Full notice to the enemy—Mobilisation begins—Small proportion of cavalry—Loyal action of the Colonies—The greatest Expeditionary Force ever sent over seas—Embarkation of the troops—Food supplies—The voyage out—The plan of campaign—Character of the country—New tactics required—Despatch of the Fifth and Sixth Divisions[57]-69
Chapter V.—THE BEGINNING OF THE ADVANCE IN NATAL AND CAPE COLONY. Oct. 30-Dec. 14, 1899.
Natal threatened—Armoured trains—Ladysmith bombarded—Assault on the town—The Boers at Chieveley— Armoured train wrecked near Chieveley—Endeavours to clear the obstruction—Capture of Mr. Winston Churchill—The Estcourt garrison in danger—Shelling of Mooi River Camp—Boer advance checked at Nottingham Road—The Willow Grange fight—Arrival of Lord Dundonald and General Buller—Comparison of the opposing armies—The forward movement begins—Boer position at Colenso—Buller determines to attack[70]-89
Chapter VI.—THE FIRST BATTLE OF COLENSO. Dec. 15, 1899.
The battle begins—Bombardment of Fort Wylie—Artillery pushed forward—The Boers open fire—The guns abandoned—General Hart's position—The Dublin Fusiliers attempt to ford the Tugela—Their retirement ordered—Failure to carry Hlangwane—Advance of Hildyard's Brigade—General withdrawal ordered—Death of Lieutenant Roberts—Guns and men captured by the Boers—Retirement effected in good order—Our losses—Scarcity of water—Bravery of the Army Medical Corps—Impressions of an eye-witness—Armistice—A day of blunders[90]-109
Chapter VII.—THE BATTLE OF STORMBERG. Nov. 2-Dec. 10, 1899.
Mistakes of the Boer Generals—British withdraw from Naauwpoort and Stormberg—General Gatacre takes command—Advance of the Boers—Omnibus Horses for the Artillery—Conditions of successful attack—Gatacre moves upon Stormberg—The forces detrain at Molteno—The wrong road taken—The column surprised—The fight—Fatigue of the British troops—A gun abandoned—Order to retreat given—The dead and wounded left—Narrow escape of the armoured train—The return to Molteno—British losses—Disastrous results—The Boers seize Colesberg—British re-occupy Naauwpoort—Arrival of General French[110]-129
Chapter VIII.—LORD METHUEN'S ADVANCE. Nov. 10-23, 1899.
Lord Methuen takes charge of the Western Campaign—Reconnaissance towards Belmont—Heavy loss of officers—Lord Methuen reinforced—Advance to Fincham's Farm—British victory at Belmont—Chaplain Hill's bravery—Contraventions of usages of war—Boers retreat—Frontal attack criticized—Lord Methuen congratulates the troops[130]-144
Chapter IX.—LORD METHUEN'S ADVANCE—continued. Nov. 23-Dec. 2, 1899.
March to Swinks Pan—Advance of Ninth Brigade—Battle of Enslin—Bombardment of the Boer position—Reinforcements sent for—The Bluejackets and Marines take the kopje—British losses—The Queen congratulates the Naval Brigade—Boer losses—Lack of water at Enslin—Lord Methuen's address to the troops—March to Klokfontein—Lord Methuen's available forces—The Boers in force at the Modder River—Disposition of troops—Scene of the battle—Boer preparations—Battle of the Modder—The torture of thirst—Sleep during battle—Arrival of an additional Field Battery—Attempts to cross the river—Retreat of the Boers—Comparison of British and Boer losses—British artillery fire—Characteristics of the fighting—The Boers fire on the Red Cross—Conduct of the Free Staters impugned—Kruger's remonstrances [145]-171
Chapter X.—THE BATTLE OF MAGERSFONTEIN. Nov. 29-Dec. 12, 1899.
New bridge over the Modder—Lord Methuen reinforced—British communications threatened—Position of Magersfontein—Boer defences—Boer methods—Difficulty of relieving Kimberley—Skirmishing—Lord Methuen's plans—Choice of Sunday—Disposition of troops—Attack on Magersfontein kopjes—General Wauchope's premonitions—Night march—Boers open fire—Demoralisation of Highland regiments—Accounts of the fighting—General Wauchope's death—Collapse of Highland Brigade—Artillery support—Reinforcements—Heroism on the field—Protest against Lord Methuen's orders—Artillery cover Highlanders' retreat—Incidents of the battle—British retirement to Modder River—British losses—Cronje's account—Criticism of Lord Methuen's tactics—Burial of General Wauchope[172]-204
Chapter XI.—THE NATION UNDER DEFEAT. Dec. 12, 1899-Jan. 1900.
Critical position of Great Britain—Her prestige in danger—Crass ignorance of military affairs—German system—Responsibility of Statesmen and Generals—Government unprepared—Necessity of reorganisation—Former national crises—Measures taken for defense—Change of Generals—Lord Roberts' military career—Lord Kitchener in the Sudan—Embarkation for South Africa—General Hector Macdonald—Offers of the Colonies—Australian and Canadian contingents—Mr. Seddon's loyal speech—Volunteers from Asiatic dependencies—London's contribution—Imperial Yeomanry—Gloomy outlook[205]-234
Chapter XII.—THE FLANK MOVEMENT IN NATAL. Dec. 15, 1899-Jan. 16, 1900.
Further preparations for the relief of Ladysmith—Burial of Lieutenant Roberts—Destruction of Colenso road-bridge—Picket surprised by Boers—Fifth Division reaches Natal—Want of howitzers—Arrival of a balloon and traction engines—Christmas in camp—Disposition of relief force—Boer positions—Mr. Winston Churchill escapes—Boer attack on Cæsar's Camp—Messages from Ladysmith—Relief force attacks Colenso—Advances on Springfield and Hussar Hill—Fail to draw the Boers—Further message from Ladysmith—Storm ends a desultory movement—The flag still flying in Ladysmith—Heroes in rags—Mud everywhere—Composition of the relief force—The army moves—Hampered by baggage—Difficulties of the march—Dundonald seizes Zwart Kop—The pont intact—The Boers entrenching—General Buller's plan of attack—The crossing of Potgieter's Drift[235]-262
Chapter XIII.—SPION KOP. Jan. 16-27, 1900.
Warren's Divisions cross the Tugela—The enemy entrenching—The artillery and transport cross—A long delay—Spion Kop bombarded—Lyttelton's feigned attack—The cavalry seize Acton Homes—Desultory movements before Spion Kop—Change of plan—Advance on the left ordered—Capture of Three-tree Hill and Bastion Hill—Death of Major Childe—Assault ordered and countermanded—Lyttelton's advance—Warren telegraphs for howitzers—Rumoured relief of Ladysmith—Another day of little progress—Pathetic humour—Assault ordered and postponed—Another council of war—Warren reinforced—The storming force—Ascent of Spion Kop—A Boer picket surprised—The storming force halts too soon—Tardy reinforcements—Botha determines to recapture the hill—Positions of the opposing forces—The Boers bombard the British position—Woodgate wounded—Thorneycroft put in command—A frightful struggle—Lack of artillery support—Boer attempts to rush the position—The King's Royal Rifles storm a ridge—Desperate straits—Confusion of commands—Thorneycroft determines to withdraw—Scene on the hill after the battle—Losses in the action—The retreat—Causes of the defeat[263]-307
Chapter XIV.—VAAL KRANTZ. Jan. 30-Feb. 7, 1900.
Substantial reinforcements—Guns taken to summit of Zwart Kop—Plan of attack on Vaal Krantz—Lie of the land—Another crossing of the Tugela—Demonstration towards Brakfontein—Bombardment of Vaal Krantz—Infantry storm the height—Difficulty of holding the position—Disappearing guns—Renewed attacks—Council of war—Evacuation of the ridge—Losses—Disappointment in Britain[308]-319
Chapter XV.—COLESBERG AND THE WEST. Dec. 1899-Feb. 10, 1900.
General French's position—Engagements near Arundel and Rensburg—The Boers fall back on Colesberg—British camp moved to Rensburg—Fighting round Coles Kop—French's mobility—Loss of a commissariat train—Both sides reinforced—General Schœman repulsed—Death of Major Harvey—Boers driven back—Disaster to the Suffolks—Occupation of Slingersfontein—Guns and supplies hauled up Coles Kop—Small actions near Colesberg—Boer attack near Slingersfontein—Guarding the railway junctions—Gradual withdrawal of British forces—A ride for life—Accuracy of Australian shooting—Coles Kop and Slingersfontein evacuated—British retire to Arundel—Seizure of German steamers—Lord Roberts conciliates the Colonials—Reorganisation of transport—Roberts and Kitchener leave Capetown—Lord Methuen keeps the enemy busy—Demonstrations towards Koodoesberg Drift—Roberts in camp—Preparations for the great blow—Composition of the Grand Army[320]-345
Chapter XVI.—THE GRAND ARMY RELIEVES KIMBERLEY. Feb. 10-16, 1900.
Lord Roberts addresses the officers—Cavalry leaders—Advance to Ramdam—French at Waterval Drift—De Kiel's Drift secured—Sunset on the veldt—Cronje's optimism—The cavalry push forward—Heat and thirst—Veldt on fire—Rondeval and Klip Drifts seized—Advance of the infantry—Halt at the Modder—Cavalry opposed—Lancers clear a nek—In touch with Kimberley—Capture of Alexandersfontein—Entry into Kimberley—Bivouac in a Boer camp—C.I.V.s' baptism of fire—Seizure of Jacobsdal—Convoy attacked by De Wet—Waggons abandoned—Cronje's retreat—The Boers carry off their big gun—Orders to head Cronje[346]-364

[SOUTH AFRICA]

WITH THE FLAG TO PRETORIA.

"He is out on active service,
Wiping something off a slate."—Kipling.