MAJOR-GENERAL IAN HAMILTON
Photo by Johnston & Hoffmann, Simla

Before starting off Lord Roberts made elaborate arrangements for simultaneous movement in other parts of the theatre of war. Wepener relieved, Hart’s Brigade was sent to join Barton’s at Kimberley. At that place there was therefore the complete Tenth Division under General Hunter, and Lord Methuen’s redistributed division comprising the brigades under Generals Douglas and Paget. Elsewhere, wheel was arranged to move within wheel.

Lord Roberts’s programme seemed simple enough—on paper. He, with a portion of his army, the Seventh and Eleventh Divisions, intended to advance with speed and on the broadest front possible, hugging the railway line (astride which the Boer positions were sure to be found), till he should have reached the capital of the Transvaal and struck a blow which should destroy the arrogant hopes of President Kruger and demonstrate to the Boers the futility of further resistance. At the same time, on the east of the line, a strong detachment was to keep an eye on the hovering hordes of Dutchmen which still lingered there, while further still, Sir Redvers Buller was to advance along the railway from Ladysmith, and if possible to join hands with the main army later on during the operations. Simultaneously, on the west, the relief of Mafeking was to be attempted by a flying column, while both Hunter’s and Methuen’s divisions in support acted in concert, and further held themselves in readiness to advance and join in the general operations should occasion demand.

The main army, consisting of the Seventh and Eleventh Divisions, was to march, as said, on the broadest possible front; the left wing—the cavalry under General French—to proceed in advance over the open country; while the right wing, also in advance, commanded by General Ian Hamilton, was to perform a sweeping movement throughout the Boer-haunted regions along the Winburg, Ventersburg, and Kroonstadt roads, and threaten in turn the defensive positions of the foe, forcing them everywhere to choose between investment or retreat.

The troops acting in concert with Lord Roberts in his second great advance were distributed as follows:—

Commanding-in-chief—FIELD-MARSHAL LORD ROBERTS.

SEVENTH DIVISION. Lieutenant-General G. Tucker. 14th Brigade (Major-General J. G. Maxwell). 2nd Norfolk. 2nd Lincoln. 1st King’s Own Scottish Borderers. 2nd Hants. 15th Brigade (Major-General A. G. Wavell). 2nd Cheshire. 1st East Lancashire. 2nd South Wales Borderers. 2nd North Stafford. 18th, 62nd, 75th Field Batteries. 9th Company Royal Engineers.
NINTH DIVISION. Lieutenant-General Sir H. E. Colville. (Temporarily broken up.) 3rd Brigade (Major-General H. A. MacDonald). 1st Argyll and Sutherland. 2nd Seaforth Highlanders. 2nd Royal Highlanders (Black Watch).
ELEVENTH DIVISION. Lieutenant-General R. Pole-Carew. 1st Brigade (Major-General Inigo R. Jones). 3rd Grenadier Guards. 1st Coldstream Guards. 2nd Coldstream Guards. 1st Scots Guards. 18th Brigade (Major-General T. E. Stephenson). 1st Essex. 1st Yorkshire. 1st Welsh. 2nd Royal Warwickshire. 83rd, 84th, and 85th Field Batteries.
CAVALRY DIVISION. Lieutenant-General J. D. P. French. 1st Brigade (Brigadier-General T. C. Porter). 6th Dragoon Guards. 6th Dragoons. 2nd Dragoons. 2nd Brigade (Brigadier-General R. G. Broadwood). 10th Hussars. 12th Lancers. Household Cavalry. 3rd Brigade (Brigadier-General J. R. P. Gordon). 9th Lancers. 16th Lancers. 17th Lancers. 4th Brigade (Major-General J. B. B. Dickson). 7th Dragoon Guards. 8th Hussars. 14th Hussars. G, J, O, P, Q, R, T, U Batteries Horse Artillery.
MOUNTED INFANTRY DIVISION. Lieutenant-General Ian Hamilton. 1st Brigade (Major-General E. T. H. Hutton). 1st Corps (Colonel E. A. H. Alderson). 1st Canadian Mounted Rifles. 2nd Canadian Mounted Rifles. Lord Strathcona’s Corps. One Battalion Imperial Mounted Infantry. 2nd Corps (Colonel de Lisle). New South Wales Mounted Infantry. West Australian Mounted Infantry. 3rd Corps (Colonel T. D. Pilcher). Queensland Mounted Infantry. New Zealand Mounted Infantry. One Battalion Imperial Mounted Infantry. 4th Corps (Colonel Henry). Victorian Mounted Infantry. South Australian Mounted Infantry. Tasmanian Mounted Infantry. One Battalion Imperial Mounted Infantry. 2nd Brigade (Major-General Ridley). South African Irregulars Mounted Infantry. Several Batteries Artillery.
INFANTRY DIVISION. (Temporarily attached to Mounted Infantry Division.) Major-General H. L. Smith-Dorrien. 19th Brigade (Colonel J. Spens). 2nd Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry. 2nd Shropshire Light Infantry. 1st Gordon Highlanders. Canadian Regiment. 21st Brigade (Major-General Bruce Hamilton). 1st Derbyshire. 1st Royal Sussex. 1st Cameron Highlanders. City Imperial Volunteers.
EIGHTH DIVISION. Lieutenant-General Sir H. M. L. Rundle. 16th Brigade (Major-General B. B. D. Campbell). 2nd Grenadier Guards. 2nd Scots Guards. 2nd East Yorks. 1st Leinster. 17th Brigade (Major-General J. E. Boyes). 1st Worcester. 2nd Royal West Kent. 1st South Stafford. 2nd Manchester. Brigade Division Royal Field Artillery. 5th Company Royal Engineers.
THIRD DIVISION. Lieutenant-General Sir H. G. Chermside. 22nd Brigade (Major-General R. E. Allen). 2nd Royal Irish Rifles. 2nd Northumberland Fusiliers. 1st Royal Scots. 2nd Berkshire. 23rd Brigade (Major-General W. G. Knox). (Composition not known.) 74th, 77th, and 79th Field Batteries.
COLONIAL DIVISION. Major-General Brabant. Cape Mounted Rifles. Kaffrarian Mounted Rifles. Montmorency’s Scouts (200). Brabant’s Horse (1200). Border Horse. Frontier Mounted Rifles. Queenstown Volunteers. Cape Garrison Artillery. Two naval 12-pounders.
SIXTH DIVISION. Lieutenant-General T. Kelly-Kenny. 12th Brigade (Major-General Clements). 2nd Worcestershire. 2nd Bedfordshire. 2nd Wiltshire. 1st Royal Irish Regiment. 13th Brigade (Major-General C. E. Knox). 2nd East Kent. 1st Oxfordshire Light Infantry. 1st West Riding. 2nd Gloucester. 76th, 81st, and 82nd Field Batteries. 38th Company Royal Engineers.
OTHER TROOPS WITH LORD ROBERTS. (Brigades not known.) Highland Light Infantry. 1st Suffolk. Roberts’s Horse. Kitchener’s Horse. Marshall’s Horse (Grahamstown Volunteers). 1st Battalion Imperial Yeomanry. 4th Battalion Imperial Yeomanry. 7th Battalion Imperial Yeomanry. 8th Battalion Imperial Yeomanry. 11th Battalion Imperial Yeomanry. C.I.V. Mounted Infantry. Ceylon Mounted Infantry. Lumsden’s Horse. Lord Loch’s Horse. 43rd, 65th, 86th, and 87th Howitzer Batteries. 2nd, 5th, 8th, 9th, 17th, 38th, 39th, 68th, and 88th Field Batteries. Eight naval 4.7-in. guns. Part of Siege Train.