“There was scarcely a soldier left to guard Pretoria, so the order I carried was to run no risks and return to Pretoria as soon as possible. Oh, it was hard when I overtook them and found they could do nothing for these poor fellows who had held out against the tremendous odds throughout that fatal day, and who were now either dead, wounded, or in the hands of the enemy. We all retired, reaching our camp outside Pretoria about 1 A.M. Oh, the sadness and gloom at our mess that night! Few words were spoken. Some of us hoped against hope. We earnestly cherished the hope that Major Scobell would find some way out of this gorge of death. At 5.30 we were up and ready to march. About eight a war correspondent informed us that Major Scobell had escaped, two officers had been killed, and one wounded, and the squadron prisoners. This was a terrible blow to us all. We rejoiced at the escape of our popular and gallant Major, but we mourned deeply the loss of the others. There was brave Lieutenant Conolly, a dashing, ready-for-anything young soldier, a great favourite in our midst. He, poor fellow, had fallen, shot through the brain. His death was instantaneous. There was young Lieutenant Pilkington, one of the most gentle and sweet-tempered fellows I ever met. He had been five months a prisoner in Pretoria, and on being liberated got his desire gratified by being attached to us. We all loved him, and he, too, was among the dead, shot in several places while leading his men against the foe. He had five months before been taken prisoner because he refused to abandon a wounded comrade. Poor fellow! Black indeed was the brief page of this fine young soldier’s campaign. May his friends be comforted by the assurance that we all loved him, and that he died as a true and brave soldier at his terrible post. Captain Maxwell was seriously wounded. I rode by his side for a long bit on our march to that fatal death-trap, and had a very pleasant conversation together. He didn’t like the idea of being left in the Nek. He was, as we all were—for we were all so happy together—dejected at the regiment being divided. I’ll never forget how, with a clap on the back, he said, ‘Good night, Padre.’ Little I thought the next time I would see him would be prostrated by the Boer bullet. When we heard the news, I was anxious to get to the battle-field to lend what hand I could to the wounded and bury our dead.”
On the way the Samaritan, to his intense joy and relief, encountered Major Scobell, who had been captured by the Boers and had escaped by a marvel. From him he learnt the sad story of the battle, and the splendid resistance of the troops till ammunition had been exhausted. He then proceeded to visit Captain Maxwell, who was lying wounded in the hands of the Boers, and afterwards engaged in carrying in the wounded on stretchers, consoling the dying and tending the injured. Finally, after Herculean labours, such sick as remained alive were carried off to Pretoria. All, on this memorable day, behaved like heroes, but prominent among them was Sergeant Rawdon, who worked a Maxim which was supporting the D and F Companies of the Lincolns. While the others retired he stuck to his gun under a concentrated fire from the enemy. As ill-luck would have it his gun jammed, but the gallant fellow, undefeatable, dissected the weapon, recoupled the parts, and resumed firing till the Maxim, pocked with bullet marks, could be removed by volunteers of the D Company!
An officer serving with General French described the sad events of the day: “The Scots Greys were detached from their brigade, and one squadron was sent to accompany a column under Colonel Roberts of the Lincoln Regiment, which proceeded towards Commando Poort on the Crocodile River, north-west of Pretoria.
“The fate of this column was briefly as follows. It encamped in a pass with a poort on its front, consisting of high hills. The tops of these hills were not occupied by our outposts, and at daybreak it was found that the enemy had established himself there. The detachment of Greys and Lincolns, with two guns, found themselves under a heavy fire, which continued throughout the day. Our guns were unable to reply, as the Boers were on high ground close on their front. The guns were abandoned, and the fight was continued till evening, when our force surrendered. Major Scobell, the squadron leader, escaped after having been taken prisoner, and about fifty horses of the Greys were cut loose by the sergeant-major and found their way back to our lines.”
Simultaneously an attack was made by a commando under Grobler on the outposts at Deerdepoort, about 8000 yards north of Wonderboom Fort. The 7th Dragoon Guards were briskly engaged, and Colonel Lowe with great skill tackled the enemy, keeping the Dutchmen in check, and preventing them from making a turning movement towards the extreme left of General Pole-Carew’s position. Some seventeen losses were sustained, however, owing to the fact that the scouts mistook a party of Boers dressed in khaki for the 14th Hussars, and were fired on at a range of 100 yards. Few escaped, but these had managed to warn the regiment of the approach of the enemy.
General Hutton in the meantime was opposing the southern detachment of Boers near Lewpoort. He had four days’ fighting, and finding that he was being outflanked, asked for reinforcements. The 1st Cavalry Brigade left Kameeldrift on the 9th of July, the 8th Hussars taking the place of the Greys. On the 11th the Brigade carried Lewpoort Hill at the gallop—the position for which General Hutton had been fighting before. Only one man was lost in this operation. The Cavalry Brigade then went into camp at Olifantsfontein, on the right of General Hutton’s position at Reitvlei. (The whole force continued to draw its supplies from Springs Station, the terminus of a short mineral line from Johannesburg, where, at the end of June, the Boers had been routed by the Canadians who garrisoned the place.) The Dutchmen moved to some kopjes, and infested the high ground on the east of Bronkhers Spruit. The outposts of the two forces were continually in contact, and sniping was part of the daily programme.
The Cavalry remained at Olifantsfontein till after the 21st of July, while preparing for a general advance towards Middelburg.
The list of casualties on that fatal 11th was a long one:—
Near Deerdepoort: Killed:—7th Dragoon Guards—Second Lieutenant K. K. Mackellar. Wounded—Captain B. E. Church; Lieutenant H. A. Chomeley.
At Nitral’s Nek: Killed:—Royal Scots Greys—Lieutenant Conolly. Royal Dragoons—Second Lieutenant Pilkington. 2nd Lincoln—Lieutenant G. F. Prichard. Wounded:—Lincolnshire Regiment—Captain J. J. Howley, Lieutenant C. J. Rennie, Major E. Herapath.
Made Prisoners:—Lincolnshire Regiment—Colonel H. R. Roberts, wounded; Lieutenant C. G. Lyall, unwounded.
At Kaalboschfontein: Royal Scots Greys—Captain C. J. Mitchell, severely wounded.
Owing to the disaster at Nitral’s Nek, it now became evident that all the British movements within the capital were reported to the Boers—that, in fact, they had organised an elaborate intelligence department, some of their spies attending the markets as innocent farmers, while others figured in khaki in the guise of British officers. Steps were taken to identify soi-disant soldiers attempting to pass through the lines, and to clear out the natives who, either from fear or for pecuniary advantage, were assisting in the transmission of information. Things in Johannesburg were no better. It needed all the acumen of Colonel Mackenzie, Director of Military Intelligence, to cope with the duplicities of the rogues and vagabonds of all nationalities that spent their time in hatching conspiracies. Three hundred and eighty of these were put in prison, while their respective Consuls were communicated with and held responsible for their good behaviour. In the course of these proceedings the whole of a dramatic plot came to light, and the following despatch, concisely describing the nature of the conspiracy, was forwarded by Lord Roberts to the Secretary of State for War:—