A West Pointer with the Boers /

by John Y. Fillmore Blake

GENERAL JAN KEMP

French was discouraged. He made no further attempt to capture the farmers, but was determined to do something before he returned, so he made war on the women and children and spread great distress and suffering among them. Some of these women were raped, others dragged out of their homes at night and made witness all their possessions consumed in flames. Many were driven on foot to concentration camps and kicked and cuffed about as so many beasts.

Having made the women suffer as much as possible, he gathered in several thousand cattle and sheep and returned to report what a successful expedition he had completed. At Lake Chrissi, between Ermelo and Carolina, General Botha had the nerve to attack an English camp 2,000 strong. It was a foggy morning, and the noise of the battle stampeded a band of wild horses and they ran into the Krugersdorpers' horses, stampeding them too.

This spoiled the whole affair, for General Botha had the English camp all but taken, but when the burghers saw their saddled horses running away they at once started in pursuit of them. Fortunately they had already captured several hundred horses from the English, for many of their own horses evaded them. Commandant Kemp, one of the most enthusiastic, one of the most energetic, pluckiest and best commandants in the Boer army, was more than disgusted with his men for being so concerned about their horses, but he forgot for the moment that an infantryman is but of little practical use in war. The English, when the Boers retired, lost no time in fleeing to places of safety, and never again showed themselves on the high veldt until the horses, mules and men from America were put into fighting trim, and that was many weeks to come. The two Bothas had proved themselves equal to that almost, if not quite, unequalled De Wet, and such was the impression they made on Lord Kitchener that he requested General Louis Botha to meet and discuss with him some peace terms.

Before going elsewhere, I will tell what happened when last General Botha and Lord Kitchener met in Middleburg at the end of February. For the price of peace, Lord Kitchener told General Botha that after a time he would give the Boers civil government and give this, and that, and one million pounds to build up ten millions' worth of destroyed farms, and so forth. But Lord, or monacle-eyed Joe Chamberlain stepped in, and said "We will do nothing of the kind, and the Boers must make an unconditional surrender." Of course, General Botha smiled at both, and on his return to Ermelo told what had taken place at the conference, exhorted them to fight to the bitter end, and assured them that he would be with them heart, soul and body.

Now I will jump into the Free State and see what the wily De Wet is doing. De Wet, the Stonewall Jackson of South Africa, had all the English of the Free State on the run and, at the end of January, it looked as if he would sweep them from the country. Lord Kitchener resolved to corner and capture him, it mattered not what it might cost, for Lord Roberts and Conan Doyle had declared the war at an end, and if the English people should hear that De Wet was practically in control of the Free State, why, they would be inclined to think that both Roberts and Doyle were liars.

As a side remark, that might be expressing it mildly, but anyhow, Kitchener organized eight or ten columns, all he could get, because the English Government in Washington City had not yet succeeded in landing enough horses or mules for his needs, and sent them to surround and take in the troublesome De Wet. Now General De Wet was on the open veldt near Brandfort, where the English could see him from all directions, and all they had to do was to surround him and take or kill him. As De Wet had about 1500 men, of course it would be a very easy thing for 25,000 trained military men to gobble him in, in quick time. The several columns surrounded him, and despatch men were flying at full speed from column to column bearing instructions that would insure perfect unity of action. General De Wet, when he concluded that the several columns were in good readiness to bury him, saddled up, moved out and attacked the nearest column. He riddled it, put it to flight, and another column which came up quickly was also torn to pieces and scattered in all directions. He took two of their guns, a maxim and a portion of their convoy, a few prisoners whom he released, and went on his way to Cape Colony without consulting with or asking permission of the other columns. I do not know what the officer in command reported on his return, but I suppose he made the usual one, that some one had betrayed him or that his horses and men were so fatigued that he could not make a successful pursuit of De Wet and his fresh horses and men. General De Wet did not stop to hear what kind of a report the English commander did make, because he was anxious to reach Cape Colony, find out what was being done there and replenish his command with horses, and so forth. He had to pass many English commands on the way, but he succeeded in sweeping them aside and reaching the Orange River, where the English had made every preparation not only to prevent his crossing, but also to capture him. Again he outwitted the English, crossed the river, entered Cape Colony, saw Judge Hertzog and other commanders, supplied himself with plenty of horses, had a tough fight with the English, abandoned some of his wagons, and then started back on his way to the Orange River where the English were sure to catch him this time.

MRS. ABRAHAM MALAN
daughter of Commandant General Joubert and her young family.

On arriving near the river he found the crossings in possession of the English commands, but he must cross, for he was anxious to go far to the north in the Free State, where he felt that his presence was necessary. He sent a detachment to a certain point up the river with instructions to show themselves, and in case the English advanced they were to retire, put spurs to their horses and overtake the command while crossing the river. The scheme worked beautifully, for as soon as the English saw the detachment they concluded that it was De Wet's advance guard and they prepared to attack him. The detachment played its part well, by going through the form of signalling to the rear.