JANUARY 1

Lord Kitchener, on the departure of Lord Roberts from the scene of his triumphs, had found himself confronted with a tangled skein of military affairs. The army, through loss by disease and death in the field, was a phantom of the army that was, and in consequence of the prodigious work that had been going forward, a proportionate amount of wastage and disorganisation had set in. The troops were here, there, and everywhere, just where fate had landed them after their chases of De Wet and their scurries to protect threatened posts on the lines of communication. At one point were knots of mounted men and guns in plenty, while at another there was found a mere handful of troops to maintain some important strategic position; here, remote and useless, were gathered batteries of artillery; there, where Boers threatened to pounce at any moment, a scarcely protected gun or two offered invitation to the clustering foe. In fact there had been a species of general post, and, as a natural consequence, brigades loosened from their original positions were often hovering perilously in mid-country with an uncertainty of purpose which was far from reassuring. For this reason it was but possible to act on the defensive till affairs should be righted; though Lord Kitchener’s giant brain bent itself to the load, and in a comparatively short time—a little over two months—things began to get once again into working order. Reinforcements had been demanded from England, and these, together with the force of newly raised Colonials, brought the number of troops about to operate in South Africa to over 500,000 men, half of whom consisted of field artillery, cavalry, and mounted infantry. Arrangements were made on a revised principle to meet the newer form that warfare had assumed. Owing to the necessity to dot bunches of troops in every direction, the old divisional commands were broken up, and brigades, grouped under the central command of a general of division, were fixed in definite positions, each working over a special area to a point where they would overlap or get in touch with other brigades who, working again under their special divisional commander, operated in like manner within their special radius. Thus the country was divided, as in a chess-board, into squares, but still more geometrically subdivided in order that, should necessity require it, the angles forming squares could point together on emergency and form a solid concentration at any place, their action being much as that of a kaleidoscope, which at one time breaks into particles of colour, or at another groups into masses of it, at will. As may be imagined, with this possibility of diverse movement, the position of the enemy, astute and slippery as they were, was hardly enviable. For one turn of the military kaleidoscope might bring them against the hard teeth of the converging brigades, while another might find them inextricably harassed by an army in their rear.

The towns were being garrisoned and stored to act as bases of supply for mounted troops scouring the country, and supply depots were so arranged as to be within two days’ journey of brigades, and thus enable these, if despoiled by the Boers, to hold on till provisions from another depot should reach them. Thus a sense of security began to prevail, while a corresponding sense of doubt and diffidence influenced the conduct of the Dutchmen. Nevertheless they continued active in their attacks on trains, convoys, and isolated posts, the nature of the attacks being invariably of the nature of a surprise. The operations, though involving great loss to the troops, and retarding the settlement of the country, produced no effect on the strategical position, and the position of the British troops in the important towns occupied by them remained impregnable. Ventersdorp, a central point of the Western Transvaal, which for some months had been in the hands of the Boers, was captured by General French, with small loss to himself. The garrisons of Jagersfontein and Fauresmith being withdrawn, the inhabitants seeking protection were removed to Edenburg. Ficksburg and Senekal were in the hands of the British, but in the northern part of the Cape Colony a commando, which was supposed to be surrounded by the British, had succeeded in slipping through the cordon and escaping into the Middelburg district. They captured a small patrol of Nesbitt’s Horse, and held up a train near Sherborne. Finding the town of Middelburg was held by the British, they dispersed and turned west in the direction of Hanover and Richmond, while the main body marched south, bent on a colossal loot and the recruiting of rebels. Engagements, with slight loss on either side, took place on the 1st and 2nd of January west and south of Middelburg. Meanwhile a western commando made for Carnarvon and tore on to Fraserburgh, with De Lisle and Thorneycroft’s columns thundering at their heels, losing horses in the heat of their rush, and living from hand to mouth, as it were, on the country they were harassing, but still succeeding admirably in evading the skill of their pursuers. Fortunately this rolling stone of a commando gathered little moss in the form of rebels, for though they received help in stores and supplies, and the British gained no information, the number of the enemy was little augmented by the invasion. Still, there was no knowing how much more to the south the Boers would penetrate, and how many sympathisers they would enlist, and how much damage they would do, and precautions for moral and material reasons were set on foot to frustrate their machinations.

Therefore the new year opened with a surprise for Cape Town in the form of the following call to arms:—

Prime Minister’s Office,
Cape Town, 31st December 1900.

In view of the fact that armed forces of the enemy have invaded this Colony, and that parties of them have penetrated south of Carnarvon in one direction and south of the town of Middelburg in another, and in view of the necessity for repelling such invasion as promptly as possible, the Government of this Colony has decided to call upon the loyal inhabitants, more especially of certain districts thereof mentioned in the annexed schedule, to aid the efforts which the military forces of her Majesty are making in that direction.

It is contemplated to raise a special force, to be called the Colonial Defence Force, to be utilised for the sole and exclusive purpose of repelling the present invasion, guarding railways and other lines of communication, and maintaining order and tranquillity in districts in which such measures are necessary.

Volunteers are called for to give in their names with a view to enrolment in this force to the Civil Commissioner of the division in which they reside, or to any officer specially appointed for that purpose, and whose appointment has been publicly notified.

Applicants should state:

(a) Whether they can ride and shoot.

(b) Whether they are prepared to serve as mounted men, and if so, whether they can provide their own horses, saddles, and bridles.

(c) Whether they are prepared to serve only in their own district or in any part of the Colony, it being clearly understood that the services of this force will not be utilised anywhere outside the boundaries of this Colony.

Persons whose services are accepted by the Government will receive pay at the rate of 5s. a day, with 2s. 6d. extra to those supplying their own horses, saddles, and bridles. Rations, forage, and arms will be provided.

Pay of officers and non-commissioned officers in proportion.

It is not expected that the term of service will be longer than three months.

The force will be under military control, but officers under the rank of Major will, as far as possible, be elected by the members of the force.

J. Gordon Sprigg.

SCHEDULE.

List of Districts to which this Notice is Specially Applicable.

Cape Town and Cape Division
Paarl
Stellenbosch
Worcester
Prince Albert
Beaufort West
Port Elizabeth
Uitenhage
Jansenville
Aberdeen
Graaf-Reinet
Cradock
Somerset East
Bedford
Fort Beaufort
Albany
Bathurst
Victoria East
Queen’s Town
Cathcart
Stutterheim
King William’s Town
Komgha
East London
Peddie

Any person resident in any other district and desirous of joining the force may send in his name to the nearest Civil Commissioner.

(Government Notice No. 8, 1901.)

Prime Minister’s Office,
Cape Town, 4th January 1901.

COLONIAL DEFENCE FORCE.

With reference to the enrolment of men of the above-mentioned force, the following orders are published for general information.

Sydney Cowper, Secretary.

I.—ARTILLERY.

An Artillery Contingent is being formed in connection with the above force of men who have already had training in Artillery Corps.

Application should be made to Kitchener Anderson, Esq., late Lieutenant, P.A.O.C.A., Artillery Quarters, Drill Hall, Darling Street.

II.—TOWN GUARD.

Enrolment will take place for

(1) Cape Town, at the Town House, Greenmarket Square,
(2) Green and Sea Point,
(3) Woodstock,
(4) Mowbray,
(5) Rondebosch,

—at the respective Municipal Offices.

(6) Claremont,
(7) Newlands,
(8) Kenilworth,
(9) Wynberg,

—at the Office of the Resident Magistrate, Wynberg.

(10) Muizenberg and Kalk Bay, at the Municipal Office.
(11) Simons Town, at the Office of the Resident Magistrate.

III.—GENERAL CONDITIONS.

The force raised will be organised in companies of 100 strong, under the orders of the Colonel Commanding Base.

The officers will be in proportion of one subaltern to every twenty-five men, and one captain to every 100. Officers will be elected by the men. N.C.O.’s will be appointed by the captains of companies. Only one-fourth of the effective strength of the corps will be called out at a time for service, except in case of emergency.

In the event of men being called out for active service, pay and allowances will be in accordance with the provisions of Government Notice No. 943, of the 31st December.

Men called out for drilling purposes only will be allowed five shillings per week, conditionally on their attending not less than two drills per week, of not less than one hour’s duration each.

As far as possible all drills will be held outside of office hours.

The character, formation, and duties of the Town Guard may be judged from the following rules, which enabled every loyal citizen to come forward for the protection of hearth and home:—

(1) Employers may enrol their own men, and obtain enrolment cards from the Town House.

(2) Members of every company are empowered to elect their own officers.

(3) Employers or captains of companies will be empowered to arrange their own times for drills.

(4) Captains will be empowered to detail the rotation for duty.