Chapter I: Front Matter

A HANDBOOK OF THE BOER WAR

With General Map of South Africa and 18 Sketch Maps and Plans

GALE AND POLDEN LIMITED

LONDON AND ALDERSHOT

1910

BUTLER & TANNER

THE SELWOOD PRINTING WORKS

FROME AND LONDON

CONTENTS

CHAPTER PAGE

I PROLEGOMENA 1

I The Roundheads of South Africa 1

II Patriotism, Duty and Discipline 19

III War considered as a Branch of Sport 26

II THE NATAL WEDGE 36

III DEUS EX MACHINA NO. I 51

IV KIMBERLEY AND THE SIEGE OF RHODES 82

V A TRAGEDY OF ERRORS 96

VI MORE TUGELA TROUBLES 116

VII LADYSMITH AT BAY 138

VIII DEUS EX MACHINA NO. 2 156

IX ALARMS AND EXCURSIONS 193

X BADEN-POWELL AND THE SIEGE OF MAFEKING 212

XI BLOEMFONTEIN TO PRETORIA 229

XII THE NEW COLONY 247

XIII NEC CELER NEC AUDAX 262

XIV THE TAMING OF THE TRANSVAAL 273

XV THE RECURRENCES OF DE WET 294

XVI LORD KITCHENER AT WORK 311

XVII THE MECHANICAL PHASE 345

I Orange River Colony 345

II Eastern Transvaal 354

III Western Transvaal 357

IV Cape Colony 363

XVIII THE END 365

COMMANDERS OF DIVISIONS AND BRIGADES 368

INDEX OF PERSONS AND PLACES 369

SKETCH MAPS AND PLANS[1]

PAGE

Northern Natal 50

Modder River and Magersfontein 59

Stormberg 65

Colenso 70

Spion Kop and Vaalkrantz 98

Spion Kop 104

Final Advance on Ladysmith 128

Siege of Ladysmith 139

Riet and Modder Drifts 161

Paardeberg 172

Poplar Grove and Driefontein 185

Sannah's Post 199

Magaliesberg District 240

Diamond Hill 243

Brandwater Basin 257

Orange Free State 260

Southern Transvaal 292

Noitgedacht Nek 319

General Map of South Africa--at the beginning.

[Footnote 1: The thanks of the Author are due to the Army Council for permission to copy the maps and plans in the Official History of the War, and to L.S. Amery, Esq., for permission to copy the plans in the fifth volume of the _Times_ History of the War.]

PREFATORY NOTE

The author has endeavoured in this Handbook to compile, for the use of students and others, a general account of the various phases of the Boer War of 1899-1902, in which he served for twenty-six months.

With some exceptions, every statement of fact relating to the military operations may be verified in one or more of the following publications--

The "Times" History of the War;

The War Office Official History of the War;

The Minutes of Evidence taken before the Royal Commission of
Inquiry into the War.

To the two Histories, which have been but recently completed, the Author is much indebted. Other authorities have, however, been consulted.

The Sketch Maps and Plans of certain areas and battlefields are only intended to give, by means of a few hachures, contours, and form-lines, a general impression of topographical features.

The Author has from time to time in the course of the narrative indicated what he believes to have been the chief causes of the prolongation of the War:--

The inefficacy of modern Tactics as a means of dealing with
partisan warfare;

The moral reinforcement derived from a confident belief in the
justice of a cause, by which the enemy was continually
encouraged to persevere;

The reluctance of the British leaders to fight costly battles;

The constitutional inability of the British Officer to take War
seriously;

The waste of British horses due to inexpert Horsemastership.

May, 1910.