S.S. German with 1st Battalion Rifle Brigade leaving Southampton.
Had the mobilisation been completed, as many urged, in May or June, the Boers could not have gained a month's start, since in May and June the grass upon the veldt is too scanty to permit of extensive movements. They could not well open their campaign until October, when the first heavy rains fall. Yet in the end it may be that the Boers were defeated by our own unsuspiciousness. Had our Army Corps been sent out in May or June the Republics would have "climbed down," Britain would have once more gone to sleep, and Mr. Kruger would have waited till we were entangled in hostilities with some great power, and then have struck us with terrible effect.
Rt. Hon. G. J. Goschen. Marquis of Lansdowne.
Marquis of Salisbury. Duke of Devonshire. Rt. Hon. A. J. Balfour.
Oct.-Nov. 1899.] Strength of the Army Corps.
Mobilisation begins.
The order to mobilise was issued on October 7, but the mobilisation did not officially begin till the 9th. There was—indeed there could be—no hurry over the operation, for transports were not ready, but had to be prepared as rapidly as possible. The total force which it was decided to despatch was as follows:—
| Nom. strength. | Fighting strength. | Guns. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Cavalry Division | 5,500 | 4,820 | 12 |
| 3 Infantry Divisions | 30,000 | 26,430 | 54 |
| Corps Troops | 5,000 | 3,450 | 48 |
| Line of Communications and Reserves | 11,000 | 11,000 | — |
| 51,500 | 45,700 | 114 |