Chapter VIII

PAGE
AT COLESBERG 174
LORD ROBERTS'S ADVANCE 183
"FIGHTING MAC" AT KOODOESBERG 186

PAGE
APPENDIX 190
THE STORY OF SPION KOP 190
LIST OF STAFF 199

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS--VOL. III.

BIRD'S-EYE VIEW OF THE GROUND COVERED BY GENERAL
BULLER'S OPERATIONS _At Front_

1. _COLOURED PLATES_
PAGE
FIELD-MARSHAL LORD ROBERTS OF KANDAHAR,
V.C. &c. _Frontispiece_
SERGEANT-MAJOR--IMPERIAL LIGHT HORSE 24
ARMY SERVICE CORPS 40
HOUSEHOLD CAVALRY--CAPTAIN, 2ND LIFE GUARDS 80
ROYAL FIELD ARTILLERY (ACTION FRONT) 100
CYCLISTS--LANCASHIRE FUSILIERS 120
PRIVATE, DRUMMERS, PIPER, AND BUGLER--THE BLACK WATCH 134
OFFICERS--CITY OF LONDON IMPERIAL VOLUNTEERS 176

2. _FULL-PAGE PLATES_
PAGE
A PICKET OF 13TH HUSSARS SURPRISED NEAR THE TUGELA RIVER 8
A RECONNAISSANCE IN FORCE WITH GENERAL FRENCH'S
CAVALRY NEAR COLESBERG 56
COLONEL PILCHER'S ATTACK ON SUNNYSIDE KOPJE 64
H.M.S. "POWERFUL" 84
THE GREAT ASSAULT ON LADYSMITH 88
PIETERMARITZBURG FROM THE EAST 92
THE CROSSING OF POTGIETER'S DRIFT, JANUARY 16 96
TAKING THE 4.7 NAVAL GUN ACROSS THE TUGELA 104
GOING OUT TO THE ATTACK ON SPION KOP 112
THE SCENE ON SPION KOP 116
FALLS ON THE TUGELA RIVER 124
ARRIVAL AT CAPE TOWN OF WOUNDED FROM NATAL 132
LADY MINTO PRESENTING COLOURS TO HERCHMER'S HORSE 144
THE CITY IMPERIAL VOLUNTEERS CROSSING WESTMINSTER BRIDGE 168
NEW ZEALANDERS SAVING A PICKET OF THE YORKSHIRE
REGIMENT NEAR SLINGERSFONTEIN 184
"FIGHTING MAC" AND THE HIGHLAND BRIGADE IN ACTION
AT KOODOESBERG 188

3. _FULL-PAGE PORTRAITS_
PAGE
LIEUT.-GENERAL FORESTIER WALKER, K.C.B. 16
MAJOR-GENERAL LORD KITCHENER OF KHARTOUM 32
MAJOR-GENERAL SIR W. F. GATACRE, K.C.B. 48
MAJOR-GENERAL HECTOR A. MACDONALD, C.B. 72
LIEUT.-GENERAL SIR CHARLES WARREN, G.C.M.G. 128
COLONEL W. D. OTTER 136
HON. W. P. SCHREINER, C.M.G. 152
GENERAL BRABANT, C.M.G. 160

4. _MAPS AND ENGRAVINGS IN THE TEXT_
PAGE
MAP--THE SEAT OF WAR 9
SKETCH OF POSITIONS AT MAFEKING 20
OUTPOST AND INTRENCHMENT AT MAFEKING 24
FACSIMILE OF HANDWRITING OF COL. BADEN POWELL 32
PLAN OF KIMBERLEY 40
SPLINTER PROOF SHELTER AT KIMBERLEY 43
MAP OF MOVEMENTS OF GATACRE AND FRENCH 51
MAP OF COLONEL PILCHER'S RAID 62
LORD DUNDONALD'S GALLOPING GUN CARRIAGE 70
MAXIM AUTOMATIC GUN OR POM-POM 75
MAP OF LADYSMITH 87
MOUNTAIN BATTERY 97
SKETCH, &C., OF SPION KOP 107
PLAN OF ENGAGEMENT OF SPION KOP 111
PLAN OF ENGAGEMENT OF VAAL KRANTZ 120
BRITISH 7-POUNDER FIELD GUN 126
SIEGE OF LADYSMITH 128
NAVAL 12-POUNDER FIELD GUN 132
MR. KRUGER'S AUTOGRAPH 134
SOUTH AFRICAN SCOUT 163
12-1/2-POUNDER FIELD GUN (C.I.V.) 172
MAP OF POSITION AT COLESBERG 179
SKETCH OF POSITION AT COLESBERG 181
MAP ILLUSTRATING MOVEMENT TO KOODOESBERG 187

CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE--VOL. III.

DECEMBER 1899.

17.--Field-Marshal Lord Roberts, K.P., G.C.B., V.C., &c., appointed
Commander-in-Chief in South Africa, with Lord Kitchener of
Khartoum as his Chief of the Staff.

War Office issued orders under which the remaining portion of
the Army A Reserve were called up; and large reinforcements
were to proceed to South Africa without delay.

General Gatacre advanced from Sterkstroom to Putters Kraal.

General French established his headquarters at Arundel.

Offers of Second Contingents by the Colonies accepted.

18.--Additional Battalions of Militia embodied. There were now
fifty-four Battalions of Militia embodied.

Sir Charles Warren and the Staff of the Fifth Division left
Cape Town.

Reconnaissance by General French. Sortie from Ladysmith.

19.--Important order issued from the War Office, announcing that
the Government had decided to raise for service in South
Africa a Mounted Infantry force, to be called "The Imperial
Yeomanry." The force to be recruited from the Yeomanry.

21.--Mr. Winston Churchill arrived at Lourenco Marques after an
adventurous journey.

23.--Departure of Lord Roberts from London and Southampton for the
Cape.

24.--Dordrecht occupied by General Gatacre.

Sortie from Mafeking.

Two British officers captured by Boers near Chieveley.

25.--Bluejackets blew up Tugela Road bridge, and cut off Boers with
their guns.

Colonel Dalgety with Mounted Police and Colonial troops held
Dordrecht. (Gatacre's Division.)

26.--Sir Charles Warren arrived at the Natal front.

Boers appeared at Victoria West.

Mafeking force attacked a Boer fort.

27.--Boers unsuccessfully bombarded Ladysmith.

28.--H.M.S. _Magicienne_ captured German liner _Bundesrath_, near
Delagoa Bay, with contraband of war on board.

30.--Skirmish near Dordrecht. Boers defeated with loss. Two British
officers captured through mistaking Boers for New Zealanders.

JANUARY 1900.

1.--Enrolment of the first draft of the City Imperial Volunteers.

Surrender of Kuruman, after a stout resistance, to the Boers.
Twelve officers and 120 police captured.

General French occupied a kopje overlooking Colesberg. Flight
of Boers, leaving their wrecked guns and quantities of stores.

Brilliant manoeuvre by Lieutenant-Colonel Pilcher at
Sunnyside. Captured the entire Boer camp, made forty prisoners,
advanced and occupied Douglas on Vaal River.

Colonel Plumer and Colonel Holdsworth from Rhodesia continued
their march to the relief of Mafeking.

2.--Loyal inhabitants of Douglas escorted to Belmont.

General French still engaged with enemy at Colesberg.

3.--General French reinforced from De Aar. Boers being surrounded;
fighting in the hills.

General Gatacre repulsed Boer attack on position commanding
Molteno.

Colonel Pilcher, for "military reasons," evacuated Douglas.

4.--General Gatacre occupied Molteno; Boers retreated to Stormberg
with loss.

General French manoeuvring to enclose Colesberg; further
fighting.

5.--General Gatacre hotly engaged at Molteno by Boers from
Stormberg; drove them off, inflicting heavy losses.

6.--Great battle at Ladysmith. Boers repulsed on every side with
heavy loss.

General Buller made a demonstration in force to aid General
White.

General French inflicted severe defeat on Boers at Colesberg. A
Company of the 1st Suffolk Regiment captured.

9.--British troops invaded Free State territory near Jacobsdal. The
Queensland and Canadian Volunteers cleared a large belt across
the Free State border.

10.--Lord Roberts and Lord Kitchener arrived at Cape Town.

Forward movement for the relief of Ladysmith from Chieveley
and Frere.

11.--Sir Redvers Buller crossed the Little Tugela, and occupied the
south bank of the Tugela at Potgieter's Drift.

Lord Dundonald and Mounted Brigade crossed the Tugela at
Potgieter's Drift.

General Gatacre made a reconnaissance in force towards
Stormberg.

13.--The City Imperial Volunteers left London for South Africa.

15.--Boers attacked General French and were repulsed at Colesberg.

16.--General Lyttleton and Mounted Brigade crossed the Tugela at
Potgieter's Drift.

17.--Sir Charles Warren crossed, with his Division, at Trichardt's
Drift.

Lord Dundonald had an action with the Boers near Acton Homes.

18.--Tugela bridged and crossed by a Brigade and battery.

20.--Sir Charles Warren moved towards Spion Kop.

Reconnaissance by Lord Dundonald.

21.--Heavy fighting by Clery's force; they attacked the Boers and
captured ridge after ridge for three miles.

22--Sir Charles Warren's entire army engaged.

23.--Spion Kop captured by Sir Charles Warren; General Woodgate
wounded.

25-27.--Abandonment of Spion Kop. Sir Charles Warren's force
withdrew to south of Tugela.

27.--Brigadier-General Brabant, commanding a Brigade of Colonial
forces, joined General Gatacre.

28.--General Kelly-Kenny occupied Thebus.

30.--British force reoccupied Prieska.

FEBRUARY 1900.

3.--Telegraphic communication restored between Mafeking and
Gaberones.

4.--General Macdonald occupied Koodoe's Drift.

5.--General Buller crossed the Tugela at Manger's Drift.

6.--General Buller captured Vaal Krantz Hill.

7.--Vaal Krantz Hill abandoned, and British force withdrew south of
the Tugela.

9.--General Macdonald retired to Modder River.

Lord Roberts arrived at Modder River.

10.--Colonel Hannay's force moved to Ramdam.

12.--General French with Cavalry Division, proceeding to the Relief
of Kimberley, seized Dekiel's Drift.

EDINBURGH AND LONDON: T. C. & E. C. JACK]

SOUTH AFRICA AND THE

TRANSVAAL WAR