BURNING THE FARM OF A TREACHEROUS BURGHER
Drawing by R. Caton Woodville, from a Sketch by Melton Prior, War Artist
In France the Boer cause met with sympathy, and the late President of the Transvaal on arrival there was fêted. He was the lion of the moment—but political activity went no further than lionising. In Holland the gentle young Queen extended hospitality to a distinguished fellow-countryman; in Germany a straightforward line was taken, the Emperor refused an interview which might mar the hue of his neutrality; while in Russia the Tzar, though seriously ill, maintained his determination not to be lured into the imbroglio. But of these matters the burghers in the Transvaal were kept in ignorance, and they doggedly fought on—wearing themselves out and losing and taking life for a now hopeless cause.
On the 3rd of November Koffyfontein, which had been besieged since the 24th of October, was relieved by Sir Charles Parsons and some of General Settle’s Mounted troops. The dogged way in which a garrison of but fifty miners under a volunteer officer, Captain Robertson of the Kimberley Light Horse, withstood the persistence of the foe, excited the admiration of friends and enemies. The miners in the débris heaps contrived so cleverly to render their position impregnable that all the efforts of the enemy were frustrated. Captain Robertson escaped with his life by a miracle. He, with four natives, made a midnight raid on a Boer hot-bed—a farmhouse a mile and a half from the village. He was met by a man with a Mauser, who fortunately missed him, but in so doing extinguished the light. A hand-to-hand encounter followed, and in complete darkness some thrilling moments were passed—the officer firing ineffectual shots, the Boer being assisted by another of his tribe, who succeeded in disarming Captain Robertson and wounding him, almost stunning him with the butt of a rifle. This gallant officer, with some of his wits still about him, regained his pistol, and transferring it from one hand to the other, shot his assailant dead!
While all this was going forward, Steyn and De Wet became more actively aggressive, and consequently Colonel Le Gallais’s force was sent from Honing Spruit, while De Lisle, with the Colonial Division, marched from Koppies, the first station north of Rhenoster, for the purpose of executing a wide turning movement, and if possible cutting off the retreat of De Wet across the Vaal. Le Gallais, after some disappointments and heavy marching, got at last on the track of the fugitive in the region of Bothaville. Early on the 6th the chase was continued with considerable animation, the 5th Mounted Infantry leading, followed by the 8th Corps under Colonel Ross. Three guns of U Battery, under escort of the 5th, 17th, and 18th Companies of Imperial Yeomanry, moved with the force, while one gun of U Battery, with the 7th Mounted Infantry under Major Welsh, remained to protect the baggage in crossing the drifts. Major Lean, with some sixty of the 5th Mounted Infantry in advance, came to a rise, whence suddenly they viewed the enemy’s laager. Quickly they surprised the Boers with some volleys, and caused a stampede. Hot-foot flew De Wet and Steyn to their Cape cart, mounted it, and were off. The rest flung themselves into their stirrups. It was a case of sauve qui peut, for everything, guns, waggons, and ammunition, were left behind. But soon the Dutchmen found a harbour—a strong position in the neighbourhood of a farmhouse, and from the adjacent dams, a stone-walled enclosure, and even a pigsty, they began to return the fire of the British party. By this time Colonels Le Gallais and Ross had galloped to the fray, and dismounting, took up a position in a farmhouse, whence they could survey the proceedings. This central position was held by some men of the Oxford Light Infantry, while on their right were some Buffs and Royal Irish Mounted Infantry under gallant Engelbach, who was slain, and beyond them came Captain Holland and some Worcester Mounted Infantry, skirted by the Royal Irish under Captain Brush. To left of the farmhouse, near a Kaffir kraal, were the 8th Mounted Infantry and some men of the Oxford Light Infantry under Captain Maurice. Later on, as the Boers were seen to be making an effort to wheel round both flanks, Major Welsh was ordered to place his baggage in safety and to push forwards to the rescue with every available man. Meanwhile the situation was growing more and more serious, as the Boers had got the range of the farmhouse to a nicety, and fired through doors and windows, so that within it now dropped Le Gallais, and Ross, and young Lieutenant Percy-Smith, and several men. Lieutenant Williams fell dead at once, and Captain Colvile had been hit while leading the Oxford Light Infantry earlier in the day. Nevertheless the splendid party holding the front clung tenaciously to their position, though one after another dropped, and groaning and dying littered the ground, already too thinly defended against the 200 active Mausers of the foe. For four long hours of the morning the battle pursued its course, Major Taylor, with U Battery, paying with interest the debts incurred at Koorn Spruit. Gradually—both flanks becoming stronger with the arrival of Major Welsh and his party—an adequate defence against the encroachments of the Boers was attempted, and their attempts at flanking operations repulsed. Then with considerable skill the troops to right and left were manœuvred by De Lisle, so that, while relieving the pressure on the front, the Boer laager was practically enclosed on three sides and finally rendered untenable. The white flag then fluttered within the Dutchman’s stronghold; but it was not to be trusted now, and the Boers were shouted to to leave cover and surrender, which, sulkily, they did. During the persistent fighting Le Gallais, mortally wounded though he was, continued his inquiries as to the progress of the battle. The noble fellow’s last words serve better than all else to show the heroic mould of his dauntless mind: “If I die, tell my mother that I died happy, as we got the guns!”[16] Happily he lived to know that, dearly bought as they were, we were in possession of seven guns lost by the 14th Battery at Colenso, a 12-pounder taken from Q Battery at Sanna’s Post, three Krupp 75 mm., one “pom-pom,” and one 37 mm. quick-firer—not to speak of stores of gun and small-arm ammunition, black powder, dynamite, and other camp supplies, and a “bag” of 100 prisoners. In addition to those already mentioned, Major Welsh, Captains Harris and Mair, and Lieutenant Peebles were wounded.
At the same time tussles innumerable were going forward in various regions. Lord Methuen, near Ottoshoop, was harassing Snyman with success, and the 3rd Royal Rifle corps near Heidelberg repulsed a party of raiders without loss. Phillipolis was occupied by Major MacIntosh (Seaforth Highlanders) with loss in wounded of several gallant Scotsmen and Surgeon Hartley of Lovat’s Scouts, and in the neighbourhood of Lydenburg a party of the 19th Hussars and Manchester Mounted Infantry distinguished themselves mightily, the troopers under Captain Chetwode charging by moonlight into the midst of the enemy, who were finally routed by the artillery and mounted infantry. The redoubtable Plumer also repulsed an attack of 400 men under Delarey, and elsewhere—at Vrede, Reitz, Harrismith, Pienaar’s River—parties of guerillas, driven desperate by famine, were beaten off with more or less ease. While the affair at Bothaville was demonstrating the cool courage and tenacity of our troops, General Smith-Dorrien’s much-embattled braves were again displaying devoted gallantry in the country between Belfast and Komati River. The force consisted of 250 mounted men from the 5th Lancers, Canadian Dragoons, and Mounted Rifles, two guns of the Canadian Royal Horse Artillery, and four of the 84th Battery. With them were 900 of the Suffolks and Shropshires. The Boers hung upon the front, flanks, and rear of the troops from Belfast to Komati River, but here they established themselves in a species of stronghold whence they thought they could not be dislodged. Nevertheless the Suffolks and Canadian Rifles, creeping round their flank, showed them their mistake, and caused them to retire. The next day, reinforced, the Dutchmen returned and endeavoured again to seize their lost ground, but Colonel Evans, with the Canadians and two guns of the 84th Battery, had the legs of them, and after a two-mile race disappointed the nimble ones and established themselves at the goal.
But all this activity was no child’s play. On the 6th the smart force lost six killed and twenty wounded, mostly gallant Shropshires, and on the following day two were killed and twelve wounded of the Royal Canadian Dragoons, whose splendid energy in keeping the enemy off the infantry and convoys was highly extolled by the general. The fighting at one time took place at extremely close quarters, for the Boers, contrary to custom, charged the rearguard to within seventy yards, and were only repulsed by the magnificent dash of the Canadian Dragoons, sixteen of whom fell into the hands of the Boers. These were afterwards released. Three plucky Canadian subalterns were among the wounded—Lieutenants Elmsley, Turner, and Cockburn. Desultory fighting went on in various directions, the Boers near Wepener, Standerton, and elsewhere maintaining persistent activity, which did credit to their tenacity if not to their common sense.
Notwithstanding the failure of the Cordua plot, the towns of Johannesburg and Pretoria continued to seethe with disaffection and intrigue. Anarchists and ruffians of all nations were known to be in league against the authorities, and a strict watch was kept over their movements, with the result that five Italians, four Greeks, and a Frenchman were arrested on the 16th of November. They had prepared a diabolical plot against the life of the Commander-in-Chief—their intention having been to explode a mine in the church to be attended by him on the 18th—a plot which was fortunately discovered before any ill consequences could arise. Minor engagements took place near Frankfort, and Dainsfontein, fine hauls of stock were made at Klersdorp and Heidelberg, near which regions were nests of marauders.
A serious disaster occurred at Dewetsdorp on the 23rd of November, when the garrison, some 400, consisting of 68th Field Battery, detachments of Gloucesters, Highland Light Infantry, and Irish Rifles, the whole under Major Massy, after losing fifteen killed and forty-two wounded, surrendered to the enemy, who numbered about 2500. The Dutchmen, under De Wet, had invested the place on the 18th, and poured a heavy fire on the position occupied by the Highlanders, creeping nightly nearer and nearer, and ceasing neither day nor night in their attack. The water supply was cut off, and the wretched men were scorched by sun and torn by raging thirst. By the 22nd their position was rendered untenable, but through the gallantry of their comrades, the men were able to retire on their main position. But the occupation of their trenches rendered the situation hopeless, and ammunitionless and waterless, surrender was inevitable.[17] A column, 1400, had been sent to the relief but failed to arrive in time. General C. Knox joined this force and entered the town, which he found evacuated, seventy-five sick and wounded being left behind. He promptly pursued the Dutchmen, and caught Steyn and De Wet and their followers near Vaalbank on the 27th, and handled them somewhat roughly, scattering them west and north-west, and capturing two waggons and stampeding 300 horses.
Engagements also took place between Plumer and some 500 malcontents near De Wagen Drift, with the result that the enemy retired in confusion. At Tiger Kloof on the 23rd, when the Scots Guards routed the foe from a strong position, the Imperial Yeomanry did excellent work. Unfortunately Lieutenant Southey, while gallantly leading his men, was shot dead, and Major Hanbury was hit in three places. Near Springs in the Transvaal, on the 25th, General Bruce Hamilton surprised a Boer laager, and on the 27th, at Bullfontein, Colonel White achieved a success, and drove the enemy across the river, mainly through the dash and gallantry of the troops under Colonel Forbes, and the skilful handling of them by the commanding officer. General Settle, a day later, occupied Luckhoff, after fighting for five hours and defeating Herzog’s commando at Kloof.