Chapter VIII: Part 8

Alluding to Sergeant Graham, he adds, “This individual deserves honourable mention, having greatly distinguished himself during the memorable defence of Hougomont. At a later period of the day, when in the ranks along the garden wall facing the wood, and when the struggle was most severe in that quarter, he asked Lieutenant-Colonel Macdonell’s permission to fall out. The Colonel, knowing the character of the man, expressed his surprise at the request made at such a moment. Graham explained that his brother lay wounded in one of the buildings then on fire, that he wished to remove him to a place of safety, and that he would then lose no time in rejoining the ranks. The request was granted: Graham succeeded in snatching his brother from the horrible fate which menaced him, laid him in a ditch in rear of the enclosures, and, true to his word, was again at his post.”

Finding Hougomont so stubbornly defended, the French artillery opened upon the house, which was quickly in a blaze. The Guards however, about 2000 men, with 1100 German troops, maintained the post to the end of the day, against the repeated attacks of nearly 30,000 men. The loss of the enemy was fearful, the killed and wounded lying in heaps round the chateau, in the woods, and in every avenue leading to it. The division of General Foy alone lost 3000 men, and the total loss of the French in their attacks upon this position, was not far short of 10,000 killed and wounded.

This attack upon the right of the British centre was accompanied by a heavy cannonade upon the whole line, which was destined to support the repeated attacks of cavalry and infantry, occasionally mixed, but sometimes separate, that were made upon it. In one of these the French carried the farmhouse of La Haye Sainte, as the detachment of the light battalion of the German Legion, which held it, had expended all its ammunition, and the enemy occupied the only communication there was with them. Repeated charges were made by the French cavalry upon the infantry, but these attacks were uniformly unsuccessful, and they afforded opportunities to the British cavalry to charge, in one of which Lord Edward Somerset’s brigade, consisting of the Life Guards, Royal Horse Guards, and 1st. Dragoon Guards, highly distinguished itself, with that of Major-General Sir William Ponsonby, having taken many prisoners and an eagle.

Soon after four o’clock a grand onslaught was made on the British front by the whole of the French cavalry; cuirassiers, lancers, and chasseurs à cheval of the Imperial Guard, consisting of about forty squadrons, supported by a tremendous fire of artillery. As they advanced, every discharge of the British guns, double shotted, fearfully shattered their ranks; but they rushed on, with shouts of “Vive l’Empereur!” to the very faces of the infantry squares, inside of which the gunners were lying down for shelter, and swept round the flanks, till they recoiled in disorder and confusion before the close and destructive fire under which men and horses fell in heaps.

These attacks continued to be repeated until about seven o’clock in the evening, and the Prussians were fast approaching Planchenoit, on the right rear of the enemy, with about 30,000 men and sixty-four guns, when Napoleon made a last desperate effort with his Imperial Guard in two columns, supported by the fire of artillery, to force the left centre, near the farm of La Haye Sainte. Led by Ney, the veterans of Jena and Wagram, in spite of a decimating fire of case and grape shot, advanced to within fifty yards of Halkett’s brigade, and the Foot Guards, who were lying down to avoid the cannonade which covered the onset of Napoleon’s chosen troops. On the word being given, the Guards in a line four deep, sprang to their feet, and poured in such a destructive volley that the front of the column of the Imperial Guard seemed to melt away. Their officers vainly strove to rally them, when the British with a ringing cheer charged, and the enemy were driven down the hill in wild confusion. The second column of the Imperial Guard, rent and torn by close discharges of case shot, and assailed with volleys of musketry in front and flank, also broke, turned, and fled, only two rear battalions retaining their ranks.

Having observed that the enemy retired from this attack in great confusion, and that the march of General Bulow’s corps upon Planchenoit and La Belle Alliance had begun to take effect, the fire of his cannon being perceived, and as Marshal Prince Blucher had joined in person with a corps of his army to the left of the British line by Ohain, the Duke immediately advanced the whole line of infantry, supported by the cavalry and artillery. The Anglo-allied army formed line, and with one impetuous charge decided the fortune of the day. The enemy was forced from his position on the heights, and fled in the utmost confusion. The pursuit was continued until long after dark, and then, in consequence of the fatigue of the British troops, which had been engaged during twelve hours, Marshal Blucher was left to follow the enemy, from whom he captured sixty pieces of cannon, belonging to the Imperial Guard, together with several carriages, baggage, etc., belonging to Napoleon. About one hundred and fifty pieces of cannon, with their ammunition, had been taken by the British, together with two eagles.

Sir Thomas Picton,[67] the hero of so many Peninsula actions, fell, and Major-General the Honourable Sir William Ponsonby. The Earl of Uxbridge, after having passed unscathed throughout the day, lost his right leg by nearly the last shot fired, and His Royal Highness the Prince of Orange was wounded. Lieutenant-General Sir Charles Baron Alten, Major-Generals Sir Colin Halkett, Sir Edward Barnes, (Adjutant-General,) Fred: Adam, Sir James Kempt, and Cooke, and Colonel Sir William De Lancey[68] (Deputy-Quartermaster-General,) were wounded. Lieutenant-Colonel Lord Fitz Roy Somerset (the late Lord Raglan) had his right arm amputated.

Vain would it be to select regiments on this glorious occasion. “It gives me the greatest satisfaction (so wrote the Duke to Earl Bathurst,) to assure your Lordship, that the army, never, upon any occasion, conducted itself better. The division of Guards, under Major-General Cooke, who is severely wounded; Major-General Maitland, and Major-General Byng, set an example which was followed by all; and there is no officer nor description of troops, that did not behave well.”

At Waterloo the Anglo-allied army consisted of sixty-seven thousand six hundred and sixty-one men, and one hundred and fifty-six guns;[69] and the French had seventy-one thousand nine hundred and forty-seven men, and two hundred and forty-six guns, composed of fifteen thousand seven hundred and sixty-five cavalry, seven thousand two hundred and thirty-two artillery, and forty-eight thousand nine hundred and fifty infantry.

Both Houses of Parliament voted their thanks to the army with the greatest enthusiasm, “for its distinguished valour at Waterloo;” and the following regiments engaged, also the battalions to which they are now linked, but which took no part in the battle, bear the word “WATERLOO” on their colours and appointments, in commemoration of their distinguished services on the 18th. of June, 1815, namely, 1st. and 2nd. Life Guards, Royal Horse Guards, 1st. Dragoon Guards, 1st., 2nd., 6th., 7th., 10th., 11th., 12th., 13th., 15th., and 16th. Light Dragoons, Grenadier Guards, Coldstream Guards, Scots Fusilier Guards, 1st., 4th., 14th., 23rd., 27th., 28th., 30th., 32nd., 33rd., 40th., 42nd., 44th., 51st., 52nd., 69th., 71st., 73rd., 79th., and 92nd., Foot, Rifle Brigade, and Royal Artillery. Every subaltern officer and soldier present in this battle, or in either of the actions immediately preceding it, received permission to count two years additional service.

The oft-mooted question as to the share taken in this momentous contest by the Prussians, and to their presence on the field in gaining the victory, must be met by the Duke’s opinion, as expressed in his despatch:—“I should not do justice to my own feelings, or to Marshal Blucher and the Prussian army, if I did not attribute the successful result of this arduous day to the cordial and timely assistance I received from them. The operation of General Bulow upon the enemy’s flank was a most decisive one; and, even if I had not found myself in a situation to make the attack which produced the final result, it would have forced the enemy to retire if his attacks should have failed, and would have prevented him from taking advantage of them if they should unfortunately have succeeded.” There are, however, even now, some prejudiced people, who exclaim, like Solomon Probity, in “The Chimney Corner,” “Don’t tell me! it was Blucher as won Waterloo.”

The meeting of the Duke and Blucher at La Belle Alliance after the battle is apocryphal. In the concluding volume of the Wellington Dispatches, (page 332,) there is a letter to Mr. Mudford, in which occurs the following passage in reference to this and other mis-statements:—“Of these a remarkable instance is to be found in the report of a meeting between Marshal Blucher and me at La Belle Alliance; and some have gone so far as to have seen the chair on which I sat down in that farmhouse. It happens that the meeting took place after ten at night, at the village of Genappe; and anybody who attempts to describe with truth the operations of the different armies will see that it could not be otherwise. In truth, I was not off my horse till I returned to Waterloo, between eleven and twelve at night.”

The following anecdote is illustrative of the effect produced by the irresistible attack of the Life Guards:[70]—Immediately after the first charge, while the Life Guards were pursuing the French, three of their cuirassiers turned down a narrow lane, with a view of escaping that way, and they were pursued by Private John Johnson, of the 2nd. regiment. There proved to be no thoroughfare at the end of the road, when Johnson, though alone, attacked the three, and, after a slight resistance, they surrendered themselves prisoners. Several instances of distinguished bravery displayed by individuals of the Life Guards, have been recorded; amongst others, Corporal Shaw and Private Godley, of the 2nd. regiment. The former for his great prowess, and the number of cuirassiers he slew; and the latter for a distinguished act of bravery, namely, when his horse was killed, himself wounded, and his helmet knocked off, bareheaded as he was, he attacked a cuirassier, slew him, and mounted his horse. Shaw was killed in the first charge. Godley lived several years after, and a stone was erected to his memory by his comrades in the burial ground of St. John’s Wood, London, with appropriate devices and inscription. During the engagement the Duke of Wellington came to the head of the 1st. regiment of Life Guards, and thanked the squadrons for their gallant behaviour.

Colonel Ferrier, of the 1st. Life Guards, before he fell had eleven times led his regiment to the charge. Several of these charges were made after his head was laid open by a sabre cut, and his body had been pierced by a lance.

During the heat of the conflict Captain Alexander Kennedy Clark (now Lieutenant-General A. K. Clark Kennedy, C.B.) commanding the centre squadron of the 1st. Royal Dragoons, having led his men about two hundred yards beyond the second hedge on the British left, perceived, in the midst of a crowd of infantry, the eagle of the French 105th. regiment, with which the bearer was endeavouring to escape to the rear. Against this body of men Captain Clark instantly led his squadron at full speed, and, plunging into the midst of the crowd, overtook, and slew the French officer who carried the eagle. Several men of the Royal Dragoons coming up at the moment of its capture, Captain Clark gave the eagle to Corporal Stiles, and ordered him to carry it to the rear. The corporal was afterwards rewarded with an ensigncy in the 6th. West India Regiment.

Another eagle, that of the French 45th. regiment, was captured by Sergeant Charles Ewart, of the 2nd. Royal North British Dragoons. This gained for the gallant sergeant an ensigncy in the 3rd. Royal Veteran Battalion.

The following is a remarkable instance of preservation:—Lieutenant George Doherty, of the 13th. Light Dragoons, besides being severely wounded in the head, was struck by a ball, which was stopped and flattened by the interposition of his watch. He had taken out his watch to remark the time, when the regiment was ordered to advance, and not being able to return it, he put it into the breast of his jacket, and thus, providentially, his life was saved.

In one of the charges made by the 28th. regiment at Waterloo, a flag belonging to the 25th. French regiment was taken by Private John O’Brien, of the eighth company, who the moment after received a severe wound, which ultimately occasioned the loss of his leg. The trophy, however, was preserved, and sent to Major-General Sir James Kempt, who commanded the division, when the regiment arrived at Paris.

In the “Letters of Colonel Sir Augustus Simon Frazer, K.C.B.,” commanding the Royal Horse Artillery in the army under the Duke of Wellington, edited by Major-General Edward Sabine, from which the above has been extracted, is this allusion to Waterloo:—“Never was there a more bloody affair, never so hot a fire. Bonaparte put in practice every device of war. He tried us with artillery, with cavalry, and, last of all, with infantry. The efforts of each were gigantic, but the admirable talents of our Duke, seconded by such troops as he commands, baffled every attempt.”

There is some difference of opinion as to the exact time the battle commenced. In the “Life of Lord Hill,” by the Rev. Edwin Sidney, A.M., occurs the following:—“In reading the various accounts of this battle, it is curious to observe the discrepancies as to the time it commenced. Lord Hill has, however, settled this point. On arriving in London the autumn after the conflict, he passed his first evening at the house of his friend Lord Teignmouth. ‘Can you tell me,’ said Lord Teignmouth, ‘at what time the action commenced?’ Lord Hill replied, ‘I took two watches into action with me. On consulting my stop-watch after the battle was over, I found that the first gun was fired at ten minutes before twelve.’”

Captain Moorsom, in his “History of the 52nd. Light Infantry,” gives the following characteristic account of the commencement of the action:—“The night was wet and disagreeable, as usual before—the Duke of Wellington’s battles. As the morning broke, between four and five o’clock, Captain Diggle’s company of the 52nd., and two or three companies of the 95th. Rifles, were sent into the enclosures of the village of Merbe Braine, with their front towards Braine-le-Leud. At twenty minutes past eleven a cannon-shot was fired. Diggle, a cool old officer of the Peninsula, took out his watch, turned to his subaltern Gawler, who was another of the same Peninsula mould, and quietly remarked, ‘There it goes.’ The leaders, in fact, had then opened the ball.”

In the “Life of Lord Hill,” before quoted, occurs the following account of the final struggle:—“Sir Digby Mackworth, who was on the staff of Lord Hill, has kindly communicated what he witnessed of his General’s efforts at the grand crisis of the day. ‘He placed himself,’ Sir Digby states, ‘at the head of his Light Brigade, 52nd., 71st., and 95th., and charged the flank of the Imperial Guard, as they were advancing against our Guards. The Light Brigade was lying under the brow of the hill, and gave and received volleys within half-pistol-shot distance. Here Lord Hill’s horse was shot under him, and, as he ascertained the next morning, was shot in five places. The general was rolled over and severely bruised, but in the _mêlée_ this was unknown to us for about half an hour. We knew not what was become of him; we feared he had been killed; and none can tell you the heart-felt joy which we felt when he rejoined us, not seriously hurt.’ When the tremendous day was over, Lord Hill and his staff again re-occupied the little cottage they left in the morning. His two gallant brothers, Sir Robert Hill and Colonel Clement Hill, had been removed wounded to Brussels; the party was, nevertheless, nine in number. A soup made by Lord Hill’s servant, from two fowls, was all their refreshment, after hours of desperate fighting without a morsel of food. Lord Hill himself was bruised and full of pain. All night long, the groans and shrieks of sufferers were the chief sounds that met their ears. It was to them all a night of the greatest misery. The men whom the nations of Europe were about to welcome with acclamations, and to entertain in palaces, could only exchange sigh for sigh with each other in a wretched cottage. Such is war even to the winners. May a gracious God soon make it to cease in all the earth!”

The Waterloo Medal
]

The casualties amongst the officers of the British army, (including the King’s German Legion,) amounted to one hundred and thirty-nine killed, five hundred and eighty-five wounded, and fifteen missing. The Hanoverian troops had twenty officers, and three hundred and eight men killed, seventy-seven officers and one thousand two hundred and forty-four men wounded. The Brunswick troops had seven officers and one hundred and forty-seven men killed, and twenty-six officers and four hundred and thirty men wounded. The Nassau contingent had five officers and two hundred and forty-nine men killed, and nineteen officers and three hundred and seventy men wounded. Numerous as these casualties were, those of the French far exceeded them, amounting, according to the most correct calculations, to about thirty thousand.

THE WATERLOO MEDAL.

A medal was struck for this victory, which was conferred on all present in the three actions of the 16th., 17th., and 18th. of June, 1815. In a letter from the Duke of Wellington to the Duke of York, dated Orville, 28th. June, 1815, His Grace wrote, “I would likewise beg leave to suggest to your Royal Highness the expediency of giving to the non-commissioned officers and soldiers engaged in the Battle of Waterloo a medal. I am convinced it would have the best effect in the army; and if that battle should settle our concerns, they will well deserve it.” In a letter from His Grace to Earl Bathurst, Secretary of State for the War Department, on the 17th. of September, this passage occurs:—“I have long intended to write to you about the medal for Waterloo. I recommended that we should all have the same medal, hung to the same ribbon as that now used with the medals.”

The Waterloo Medal has on the obverse the laureated head of the Prince Regent, inscribed GEORGE P. REGENT; on the reverse is Victory, seated on a pedestal, holding the palm in the right hand, and the olive branch in the left. Above the figure of Victory is the name of the illustrious commander WELLINGTON, and under it the word WATERLOO, with the date of the battle, June 18th., 1815. This figure evidently owes its origin to the ancient Greek coin represented in the accompanying engraving. A specimen of the coin is preserved in the British Museum. The name, rank, and regiment of the officer or soldier were engraved round the edge[71] of the medal, which was to be suspended from the button-hole of the uniform to the ribbon authorized for the military medals, namely, crimson with blue edges. In the “London Gazette,” of the 23rd. of April, 1816, was published the following official notification:—

MEMORANDUM.

“Horse Guards, March 10th., 1816.

“The Prince Regent has been graciously pleased, in the name and on the
behalf of His Majesty, to command, that in commemoration of the
brilliant and decisive victory of Waterloo, a medal should be
conferred on every officer, non-commissioned officer, and soldier of
the British Army, present upon that memorable occasion.

“His Royal Highness has further been pleased to command, that the
ribbon issued with the medal, shall never be worn but with the medal
suspended to it.

“By command of His Royal Highness the Prince Regent;

FREDERICK, Commander-in-Chief.
H. TORRENS, Major-General and Military Secretary.”

COIN OF ELIS, about 450, B.C.
]

The distinction for Waterloo became the more valuable, from the fact that there was only one ribbon and one medal for all ranks of the army, from the Commander of the Forces to the youngest drummer.

The 35th., 54th., 59th., and 91st. regiments forming the brigade of Sir Charles Colville, which was detached, were granted the medal, but these regiments do not bear “Waterloo” on their colours.

The Prince Regent also ordered that medals should be given to the Brunswickers who survived the actions of the 16th., 17th., and 18th. of June. This medal, of bronze, was made from the captured guns. Obverse, bust of Duke Frederick William, who fell at Quatre Bras, with the legend, “Friedrich Wilhelm Herzog.” Reverse, the date 1815, within a wreath of oak and laurel; legend, “Braunschweig Seinen Kriegern—Quatre Bras and Waterloo,” the ribbon yellow, with a light blue border.

The Hanoverian troops present at Waterloo, received a silver medal. Obverse, laureated head of the Prince Regent, with the legend, “George Prinz Regent, 1815.” Reverse, “Waterloo, June 18th.,” above which is a military trophy, below, laurel branches; legend, “Hannoverscher Tapferkeit.” Ribbon, red with blue border.

To the soldiers of the Duchy of Nassau, a small silver medal was awarded, worn with a dark blue ribbon, yellow edge.

THE CAPE OR SOUTH AFRICA MEDAL.

On the 22nd. of November, 1854, a general order was issued, announcing that the Queen had been pleased to command that a medal should be prepared, “to commemorate the success of her Majesty’s Forces in the wars in which they were engaged against the Kaffirs, in the years 1834–5, 1846–7, and in the period between the 24th. of December, 1850, and the 6th. of February, 1853; one of which was to be conferred on every surviving officer, non-commissioned officer, and soldier of the regular forces, including the officers of the staff, and the officers and men of the Royal Artillery, Royal Engineers, and Sappers and Miners, who actually served in the field against the enemy in South Africa, at the periods alluded to, excluding those who may have been dismissed for subsequent misconduct, or who have deserted and are absent.”

The obverse has the Queen’s head, with the inscription VICTORIA REGINA. On the reverse is the lion crouching under a shrub, above which are the words SOUTH AFRICA, and beneath the year “1853.” The ribbon is orange, with dark blue stripes. No clasp was granted with this medal for any of the actions fought during the campaigns between 1834, and 1853. The same medal, or rather one similar, with the substitution of crossed assegais and a shield in the exergue, instead of the date 1853 (ribbon the same), was given for the campaigns in Kaffraria, Basutoland, and Zululand; against the Galekas and Gaikas 1877–78, the Griquas 1878, Basutos 1879, Zulus 1879, and Sekukuni 1878–79. The dates of the campaigns are given on the only clasp issued.

CAMPAIGNS IN SOUTH AFRICA.
1834–5.

The aggressions of the Kaffir tribes, which were divided into three nations, the Amapondas, the Tambookies, and the Amakosa, about this time assumed a formidable and an atrocious character before unknown. The colonial boundary extended, on one side, to the Keiskamma; but a chief named Macomo had been permitted to reside within the British territory. Owing to some outrages committed by him and his followers on the Tambookies, he was deprived of the lands he held by sufferance in the British territory. His expulsion, however, was not strictly enforced until 1833, when he was removed beyond the boundary, and he became violently incensed against the government. The predatory habits of the Kaffirs also led to disputes when the British were searching for stolen property, and the lenity observed towards the aggressors, emboldened them to become more violent in their attacks. Towards the end of 1834, multitudes of Kaffirs rushed into the colony, and commenced the work of murder, rapine, and devastation by fire amongst the settlers. The ruins of once flourishing farms spoke of savage vengeance. Graham’s Town was barricaded, and the houses turned into fortifications. Troops were ordered to the frontier, and preparations were made to carry hostilities into the heart of Kaffirland, to visit with necessary chastisement these aggressions, and to take measures to prevent the recurrence of similar outrages.

The forces which were assembled for operations beyond the eastern frontier, were distributed into four divisions. The first division, (with which were the head-quarters of the Commander-in-Chief, Major-General Sir Benjamin D’Urban, K.C.B.,) was commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Peddie, K.H., of the 72nd. Highlanders, and consisted of two guns Royal Artillery, a detachment of Cape Mounted Riflemen, 72nd. Highlanders, first battalion Provisional Infantry, and the Swellendam Burgher Force. The second was commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Somerset, K.H., and was composed of two guns Royal Artillery, Cape Mounted Riflemen, (head-quarter division,) the George, Uitenhage, and the Albany Burgher Forces. The third, commanded by Major Cox, of the 75th. regiment, consisted of two guns Royal Artillery, detachment Cape Mounted Riflemen, second battalion Provisional Infantry, detachment Swellendam Burgher Force, Beaufort Burgher Force, and the Kat River Legion. The fourth, under Field Commandant Van Wyk, consisted of the Somerset Burgher Force.

Colonel Smith, C.B., (afterwards the celebrated Sir Harry Smith, of Aliwal,) was appointed second in command, continuing at the same time in the performance of his duties as Chief of the Staff to the United Regular and Burgher Forces; on the 26th. of March, 1835, he led a well-directed inroad into the enemy’s country; the Buffalo Mountains were penetrated, and the combined and successive operations in Kaffirland were eminently successful, numerous heads of cattle, the great wealth of the enemy, being captured.

On the 24th. of April, 1835, it was declared that the troops were in a state of hostility with the Kaffir tribes of the Chief Hintza, but it was decided that no kraals or huts should be burnt, and that the gardens and cornfields should be foraged in a regular manner.[72] The operations of the troops were so successful that Hintza sued for peace, which was concluded personally with that chief by the end of the month.

To give some idea of the difficulties inseparable from these campaigns, it may be sufficient to state that in the expedition beyond the mouth of the Bashee, Colonel Smith, with his force, composed of detachments of the 72nd., Cape Mounted Riflemen, and some colonial levies, in seven days marched two hundred and eighteen miles, overcame all opposition, crossed and re-crossed this large river, of very difficult banks, and brought off from its further side three thousand head of cattle, which had been plundered from the colony, besides rescuing from destruction a thousand of the Fingo race, who would have fallen a sacrifice to the Kaffirs.

The difficult and laborious service of conducting the British missionaries and traders, with their families and effects, (previously brought in from the Bashee by Captain Warden,) the Fingo nation, amounting to more than ten thousand souls, from the eastern side of the Kei, into the colonial border, was accomplished by Colonel Somerset, with the second division.

It is a singular fact that the tribes were found to possess many guns, but without ammunition, and strenuous exertions were used to prevent gunpowder being conveyed beyond the boundary of the eastern frontier by importers and retail dealers.

Major William Cox, of the 75th. regiment, made a very successful series of operations in the mountains of the Chumie, Amatola, and Keiskamma range during the end of July, and beginning of August, 1835, which resulted in an interview with Macomo and other chiefs, when a provisional cessation of hostilities was agreed upon.[73]

During September some effectual excursions were made by Lieutenants Moultrie and Bingham, of the 75th., which caused them to be thanked in orders by the Commander-in-Chief at the Cape, (Major-General Sir Benjamin D’Urban, K.C.B.,) who also therein praised the cool and soldier-like conduct of Private Thomas Quin, of that regiment, on the 15th. of that month.

Peace was not finally concluded until the following year. On the 8th. of August, 1836, a despatch was received at the Cape, from the Secretary of State for the Colonies, communicating to the troops employed in the Kaffir war, that “It affords His Majesty high gratification to observe that in this new form of warfare, His Majesty’s forces have exhibited their characteristic courage, discipline, and cheerful endurance of fatigue and of privations.”—(Signed) GLENELG.

The 27th., 72nd., 75th., and Cape Mounted Riflemen, were the regiments employed during this campaign.

SECOND KAFFIR WAR, 1846–1847.

From the numerous outrages upon life and property that had for some time been perpetrated by the Gaika Kaffirs on the settlers located along the frontier, the Government declared war against them in the beginning of April, 1846.

The force with which it was proposed to invade Kaffirland was organised into two divisions; one was placed under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Robert Richardson, (now Major-General Richardson-Robertson,) of the 7th. Dragoon Guards, and consisted of the following detail:—Three troops of the 7th. Dragoon Guards, part of the reserve battalion of the 91st. regiment, two guns of the Royal Artillery, and one company of the Cape Mounted Riflemen. The second division was placed under the command of Colonel H. Somerset, of the Cape Mounted Riflemen, and consisted of one troop of the 7th. Dragoon Guards, two guns of the Royal Artillery, two companies of the 91st., and the head-quarters of the Cape Mounted Riflemen. The total strength of the British force, including cavalry, infantry, and artillery, did not amount to more than seven hundred men; whilst it was to be expected that the whole of the Gaika Kaffirs would join in resisting the invasion of their country. There were supposed to be upon good authority nearly sixty thousand fighting men, a considerable portion being armed with muskets.

Captain Bambrick, of the 7th. Dragoon Guards, fell early in the operations, namely, on the 16th. of April, 1846. This officer in the eager pursuit of the Kaffirs, was decoyed into an almost impenetrable jungle, where a shower of balls was discharged at his party, and he was killed. Captain Rawstorne and Lieutenant H. D. Cochrane, of the 91st. regiment, were wounded, the latter dangerously. Of so entangled a nature was the bush, that several of the swords of the men were torn out of the scabbards by its thorny branches. Captain Sandes, of the Cape Mounted Riflemen, was killed three days afterwards.

Sir Peregrine Maitland arrived from Port Victoria in April, and a general order, dated Block Drift, 20th. April, 1846, was issued, in which he congratulated Colonel Somerset and the officers and troops under his orders, on the chastisement of the enemy, which closed the operations of the 18th. of April. The movement on Block Drift had been successfully effected by the combined force with little loss, in the presence of an enemy of many times its numerical amount, through a harassing country, and against persevering attempts to impede its march.

The Kaffirs were no longer the same foe as on former occasions, when they were chiefly armed with native weapons, but at this period they had become more formidable, from a great increase of numbers, a considerable mounted force, and especially through possessing firearms, an acquisition particularly adapted to their entangled country.

Colonel Somerset, with the second division, after a series of successful movements, discovered and fell in with the enemy in two considerable bodies, on the 8th. of June, in the neighbourhood of the Gaika and Gwanga streams, when he attacked and routed them, killing two hundred, and capturing one hundred firelocks, twenty horses, and large quantities of assagais, besides securing two prisoners. This was effected with a loss of two men killed, and three officers and sixteen men wounded.

It being considered desirable to amalgamate the troops and Burgher forces, which were assembling, they were formed into two divisions, the first under the orders of Colonel Hare, C.B., and the second under Colonel Somerset, K.H.

Immediately after the troops moving to Block Drift, the Kaffirs entered the colonies in large bodies, and committed great destruction of life and property. To impede the operations of the British, the enemy burnt the grass everywhere along the line of march, and from the long and unusual drought, it became so dry that they readily effected their object. Active operations were however brought to a successful termination in October, the Chief Sandilli, together with his brother, and eighty of his followers, having surrendered. The closing services were rendered the more arduous by the constant inclemency of the weather to which the troops were exposed. The columns of attack against Sandilli were commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Buller, of the first battalion of the Rifle Brigade, and by Lieutenant-Colonel Campbell, of the reserve battalion of the 91st. regiment.

Lieutenant-General Sir Harry Smith, Bart., G.C.B., who had highly distinguished himself in India, and had previously seen so much service at the Cape, was appointed Governor, High Commissioner, and Commander-in-Chief of the forces in the Colony, the duties of which he assumed on the 17th. of December, 1847.

During this long and protracted desultory warfare great fatigue and exertions had been undergone with the characteristic heroism of the British soldier, and the humanity and forbearance displayed by him towards the fickle, treacherous, and revengeful enemy, were as conspicuous as his bravery.

The following corps shared in this campaign:—7th. Dragoon Guards, Royal Artillery, Engineers, and Sappers and Miners, 6th., 27th., 45th., 73rd., 90th., and 91st. regiments; the Rifle Brigade (1st. battalion,) and Cape Mounted Riflemen.

THIRD KAFFIR WAR, 1850–1853.

Some years of peace resulted, but the Kaffir tribes stifling their resentment for a time, at length determined to venture again on hostilities. Sir Harry Smith hearing of their designs, immediately summoned a meeting of the chiefs, which was attended by several, but Sandilli, who was regarded as their king, did not appear, whereupon he was outlawed; this occasioned a general rising, and operations for the purpose of securing Sandilli were at once commenced in the Keiskamma River by Colonel Mackinnon, who left Fort Cox on the 24th. of December, 1850, with a force of six hundred men, composed of three hundred and twenty-one of the 6th. and 73rd. regiments, one hundred and seventy-four of the Cape Mounted Riflemen, and about one hundred of the Kaffir Police. The Kaffirs attacked these troops in the Keiskamma defile, and it was with difficulty that he succeeded in reaching Fort Cox. Sir Harry Smith’s position at Fort Cox, too, had become critical, being hemmed in by numbers of the enemy; while Colonel Somerset, in his endeavour to succour him from Fort Hare, had been driven back on the 29th., after a hard contest, in which the small body of regular troops made a gallant but unavailing resistance. Lieutenants Melvin and Gordon, (adjutant,) of the 91st. regiment, were killed in action on the 29th. of December.

The Governor at the head of a flying escort, escaped from Fort Cox, and arrived at King William’s Town, at which place his head-quarters became established. Flushed by the advantages which the knowledge of their native fastnesses afforded the Kaffirs, and which made them almost a match for disciplined troops, they ravaged the country, and committed great depredations. It would be wearisome to detail all the skirmishes that occurred; the only warfare that could be adopted against an enemy who avoided concentration, or to encounter his opponents in open fight, was to continually harass them in their strongholds; but the force at the Cape was numerically insufficient for the contest. In these campaigns the great object was to carry on operations rapidly, and at a distant point, which made the fatigue excessive.

On the morning of the 3rd. of January, 1851, Fort White was attacked in force by the Kaffirs, in four bodies, but they were driven back, with great loss, by the garrison under Captain Mansergh, of the 6th. Foot.

A sharp action was fought, on the 21st. of January, between about six thousand Kaffirs, who hemmed in Fort Hare and the adjacent Fingo village of Alice, and the troops which garrisoned that post, under Major Somerset. The Fingoes were formerly held in subjection by the Kaffirs; but being relieved by the war of 1836, they afterwards proved friendly to the British, and behaved with great determination.

The troops, serving upon the frontier and in British Kaffraria, were in February, 1851, formed into two divisions designated the first and second. The first was under Major-General Somerset, and the second under Colonel Mackinnon; and combined operations were carried out by these officers, in order to clear the Chumie Hoek of the enemy.

About the end of May an insurrection broke out amongst the Hottentots in Lower Albany, and Major-General Somerset proceeded from Graham’s Town with a portion of the 74th. Highland Regiment, which had recently arrived at the Cape. A desperate encounter took place on the 3rd. of June, and two days afterwards the stronghold of the insurgents were surrounded.

Major-General Somerset commenced his operations in the Amatola Mountains on the 26th. of June, 1851. The gallant attack made by the 74th., under Lieutenant-Colonel Fordyce, upon the enemy’s position on the 28th. of that month, which was carried, received special commendation.

Colonel Mackinnon had proceeded from King William’s Town on the 24th. of June, with a force of two thousand and fifty-five men, composed of three hundred and thirty-seven of the 6th. Foot, four hundred and twenty of the 73rd., forty-seven of the Royal Marines, one hundred and twenty of the Cape Mounted Riflemen, and the rest consisting of colonial levies. During the course of his operations the troops under Major-General Somerset were seen scouring the ridges between the Amatola and Wolf Valley. These combined movements harassed the enemy at all points and were fully successful. In September, a force proceeded under Colonel Mackinnon to the Fish River Bush. The 2nd. Foot, on the 9th. of that month, sustained in these fastnesses a severe loss, Captain Oldham, four sergeants, and nineteen men being killed in action, and four corporals and nineteen privates wounded. During the month, this regiment, commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Burns, which had just arrived at the seat of war, lost five sergeants and thirty-two men killed and died of wounds.[74]

From the 14th. of October to the 8th. of November, 1851, the troops were employed in the operations in the Waterkloof. The plan comprised a series of attacks on the mountain fastnesses of the Kromme range, Waterkloof, Fuller’s Hock, and other heights, wherein Macomo determined to await the approach of the British. The scouring of the various ravines was carried out, the inclemency of the weather adding to the natural difficulties of the place. During these operations Lieutenant-Colonel Fordyce, the beloved commanding officer of the 74th., was killed on the 6th. of November.[75] The regiment also lost Lieutenants Carey and Gordon and many men, among them some who were taken prisoners, and who were subjected by the Kaffirs to the most horrible tortures.

Lieutenant-Colonel Eyre effected the passage of the Kei in December, 1851. Here occurred the first instance during the war of the enemy throwing obstacles in fords, and constructing breastworks; the Kaffirs ingeniously heaped large stones together in the river, and erected a number of stone breastworks, one above the other, forming a somewhat formidable flank defence against musketry. The troops were six weeks in the field without a single blanket, and without tents. Lieutenant-Colonel Pole, of the 12th. Lancers, Lieutenant-Colonel Napier, Major Somerset, and Captain Bramly, of the Cape Mounted Riflemen, were specially noticed in general orders. Other operations followed, and the Kaffir chiefs of the Gaikas and Seyolo sued for peace, but declining to comply with the proffered terms, the troops, in seven columns, were directed to penetrate the Amatolas, and the country of Seyolo and other chiefs, on the left bank of the Keiskamma.

In March Major-General Somerset conducted operations in the Waterkloof, and Lieutenant-Colonel (now Major-General Sir John) Michel carried the Iron Mountain with the bayonet, despite a spirited opposition. Lieutenant-Colonel Perceval and Major Armstrong, in two divisions, on the 10th., attacked the strong position of the Chief Stock in the Fish River Bush, and after a sharp conflict, drove the enemy from every point.

Reinforcements had been sent from England to the Cape, but, owing to the wreck of the “Birkenhead,” nine officers and three hundred and forty-nine men, out of fifteen officers and four hundred and seventy-six men (the total number embarked) perished.[76]

Attacks were also carried out by Lieutenant-Colonels Eyre and Perceval, (Macomo’s den being carried by the former,) the result of which was that the Kaffirs were driven from all their strongholds in the Amatolos. Lieutenant-Colonel Eyre’s pursuit of the enemy with his herds across the Kei, was pronounced by Sir Harry Smith to be one of the most enterprising and successful forays of the campaign, in which Major Armstrong, of the Cape Mounted Riflemen, and Captains Cureton and Oakes, of the 12th. Lancers, greatly distinguished themselves.

Lieutenant-General the Honourable Sir George Cathcart relieved Sir Harry Smith in the command at the Cape, in April, in which month five hundred Minié muskets were placed at the disposal of the troops in South Africa; these were equally distributed at six per company; the six best marksmen, being men of trust and intelligence, in each company were selected, and were termed “marksmen.”

Major-General York, (now Lieutenant-General Sir Charles Yorke, G.C.B., and recently Military Secretary at the Horse Guards,) a Peninsula and Waterloo veteran, commanding the second division of the army acting in British Kaffraria, having obtained reliable information as to the movements and position of the permanent Laager of the rebel Hottentots, who associated with the hostile Kaffirs, had committed great outrages, made his arrangements at the moment when they were all at home, for a combined attack on the Buffalo Mountains, with a portion of the 43rd. and 73rd. regiments, and other troops of the brigade of Lieutenant-Colonel Eyre. This disposable force proceeded from the post occupied by the latter in the centre of the Amatolas. A similar movement was made by a force consisting of parts of the 6th. and 60th. regiments, and certain levies, under Lieutenant-Colonel Michel, issuing from King William’s Town. On the morning of the 20th. of June, the columns, one from the north, and the other from the south, approached Murray’s Krantz nearly simultaneously. The intricacies and difficulties inseparable from the rugged and densely wooded forests were surmounted; and although the enemy attempted a stand on several occasions, yet they were driven headlong over the Krantz with severe loss.

Forays still continued. Lieutenant-General Sir George Cathcart, in July, moved with three columns upon the Waterkloof; the enemy appeared in considerable numbers, but offered only a faint resistance.

In August, when Major-General Somerset was placed on the staff in India, Colonel (now Major-General) Sir George Buller was appointed to the command of the first division, and that of the first battalion of the Rifle Brigade devolved on Major (now Sir Alfred) Horsford.

A force of four guns and three thousand troops were collected in September, for the purpose of finally clearing the Waterkloof and adjacent fastnesses. Each night the troops bivouacked on the ground of their operations, and the following day pursued the arduous task of searching for, and clearing the forests and krantzes of, the enemy.

This protracted struggle was now drawing to a termination; in November the troops marched into the Orange River territory, and on the 20th of December were engaged with the Basutos, under their chief Moshesh, at the Berea. The contest lasted from early in the morning until eight o’clock at night, when the enemy, with a force of about six thousand well-armed horsemen, under considerable organization, were defeated and driven from the field; after repeatedly assailing the troops at every point, with such severe loss, as to be compelled to sue for peace.

Hostilities shortly afterwards terminated, peace being proclaimed on the 12th. of March, 1853; the result of these exertions was the final clearance of the Waterkloof, Fish River, and all the other strongholds of the Kaffirs within the colony; the surrender of the chiefs Sandilli, Macomo, and the Gaika people, who had been expelled from all their former territories, including the Amatolas,—that troublesome race being removed to the banks of the Kei. The Basutos, Tambookies, and other tribes were completely subdued, and the Hottentot rebellion was extinguished.

In the words of Sir George Cathcart,—“The Field of Glory opened to them in a Kaffir war and Hottentot rebellion, is possibly not so favourable and exciting as that which regular warfare with an open enemy in the field affords, yet the unremitting exertions called for in hunting well-armed yet skulking savages through the bush, and driving them from their innumerable strongholds, are perhaps more arduous than those required in regular warfare, and call more constantly for individual exertion and intelligence.”

Lieutenant-General the Honourable George Cathcart, and Major-General Henry Somerset, C.B., were appointed Knights Commanders of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath; and Lieutenant-Colonels William Eyre, of the 73rd. regiment, John Michel, of the 6th. Foot, Charles Cooke Yarborough, 91st. regiment, John Maxwell Perceval, of the 12th. Foot, and George Thomas Conolly Napier, late Lieutenant-Colonel of the Cape Mounted Riflemen, to be Companions of the above Order. Colonel Eyre was also appointed aide-de-camp to the Queen, with the rank of Colonel in the army.

During this campaign the troops employed were the 12th. Lancers, Royal Artillery, Royal Engineers, and Sappers and Miners, 2nd., 6th., 12th., 43rd., 45th., Royal Marines, 60th., (2nd. battalion,) 73rd., 74th., 91st., Rifle Brigade, (1st. battalion,) and the Cape Mounted Riflemen.

CAMPAIGN AGAINST THE GALEKAS AND GAIKAS,
1877–78.

Kaffraria and Basutoland lie to the eastward of Cape Colony. The Fingoes and Gaikas occupy the portion called British Kaffraria, or sometimes the Ciskei, and the Galekas, Griquas, Pondos, and other tribes, the Transkei, or Kaffraria proper. The Fingoes, whose name signifies “dogs,” had always been persecuted by the other tribes, and had been since 1835, under British protection. They are a peaceable race, wealthy in cattle, and in time of war are staunch allies, fighting always on the British side. The Galekas led by their chief Kreli, and the Gaikas under their chief Sandilli, mortal enemies of the Fingoes, who were formerly their slaves, and envying their prosperity resolved on attacking them, in hope of an easy conquest and plenty of plunder. The old Cape Mounted Rifles having been disbanded in July, 1877, the only Colonial force was the Frontier Mounted Police, little more than three hundred strong, with three field pieces, commanded by Charles Griffiths, an old British officer. On September 25th., 1877, a body of about five thousand Galekas, crossed the frontier, and fiercely attacked the Fingoes (about one thousand five hundred strong) and a small party of the Mounted Police, at a place called Guadana; but after a sharp contest, were repulsed with loss. A few days after, about eight thousand Galekas attacked the fortified station of Ibeka, held by Commandant Griffiths, with a handful of men, three seven-pounders, and about two thousand Fingoes. After a series of determined assaults, from ten in the morning till five in the afternoon, the enemy disheartened by their enormous losses gave up the contest and retreated. General Sir Arthur Cunningham, commander-in-chief of the forces in South Africa, a Crimean veteran, now assumed the chief command. Detachments of the 24th. and 88th. regiments were sent to the front, volunteers were enrolled for active service, and Commandant Griffiths, with three thousand Europeans, and five thousand Fingoes led by European officers, were ordered to invade Kreli’s country. Griffiths with two guns advanced, and after an action in which the Galekas lost one thousand five hundred men, captured and burnt Kreli’s kraal, but was compelled to fall back for want of supplies. The enemy were well armed with muskets and assagies, and fought with much determination. After a smart skirmish at Umzintzani, in December, the General resolved to cross the river Kei with all available force. The 88th. Connaught Rangers were ordered to the front, fifty men of the 24th. regiment were mounted as cavalry, and their band were utilized as gunners. On December 26th., the column started, the centre under Colonel Glynn, the right under Major Hopton, the left under Captain Upcher of the 24th. Each column had a gun or two, and to each was attached a small Naval Brigade, from H. M. S. “Active” and “Florence,” some of the Mounted Police, and one thousand Fingoes. Information being received that the Galekas now joined by the Gaikas of Sandilli, were concentrating in strength near the Kei river, Colonel Glynn, joined the Quintana Column, commanded by Major Owen of the 88th. at a place called Nynnuxa, and immediately advanced against the enemy. Colonel Glynn took command, Major Owen leading his column, which was in the first line, and Captain Upcher the second. In the centre were the guns, under Lieutenant Kell, and a rocket party of blue jackets under Lieutenant Maine, R.E. After a very sharp action, the enemy terrified by the execution done among them by the rockets, and the Martini-Henry rifles, (this being almost the first time they were used) broke and fled, leaving four chiefs of rank among the slain. The enemy then collected in great numbers in the Chickaba Valley, which is about thirteen miles long, and covered with a dense bush, so thick in some places as to render any movement all but impossible. On January 14th., 1878, two columns, the right under Colonel Lambert, and the left under Major Brown, both of the 88th. regiment, left Komgha, to attack Chickaba. The enemy for a time showed a bold front, but were shelled and driven out of the valley, and a vast number of their sheep and cattle taken. Soon after, another large body of Galekas and Gaikas, about four thousand, under Kreli and Sandilli, were repulsed with great loss in an attack upon Quintana, by the column of Colonel Glynn. The enemy fought bravely, and withstood and returned a heavy fire of rifles, rockets, and case shot for twenty minutes, at a distance of five hundred yards, but after this defeat they never again appeared in bodies in the field. On the day of the victory at Quintana, another was gained by Commandant Griffiths over a chief called Gongabele, who occupied the most difficult position in the country, and one which the Kaffirs had held during the last war, in spite of all efforts made to dispossess them. This position was carried, and the enemy routed, with the loss of five only of the attacking party. Soon after this, the 90th. Perthshire regiment with a field battery arrived from England, and on February 25th, Sir Arthur Cunningham was superseded in the command of the Army by General Thesiger, better known as Lord Chelmsford, as he succeeded to the title on the death of his father a few months later. Sandilli with a large number of his tribe assembled in the Perie Bush on the Amatola Mountains, in February, 1878, was defeated by a column under the command of Colonel (now Sir Evelyn Wood), who also made another successful attack upon the enemy at Intaba Indodo, April 30th. In these affairs Major Buller of the 60th. Rifles (now General Sir Redvers Buller V.C.), much distinguished himself. After a few more skirmishes, the war was ended, Sandilli[77] was killed, and Kreli had previously surrendered. On June 28th., 1878, an amnesty was proclaimed for all except the sons of the first-named chief; and the Gaikas were removed to new settlements beyond the River Kei.

CAMPAIGN AGAINST THE GRIQUAS, 1878.

While the war was still raging in Kaffraria, disturbances arose in Griqualand West, to the northward of the Orange river. The Griquas are a mixed race, descended from the Dutch Colonists, and the original Hottentot inhabitants. About seventeen years before, they had emigrated from Cape Colony to the territory named from them Griqualand, of which Colonel Owen Lanyon, of the 2nd. West India Regiment was Governor, at the time the revolt against British Authority broke out. This insurrection was suppressed by the Colonial forces alone, after several sharp engagements, with a hardy foe, armed with muskets, and skilled in their use. On June 11th. their stronghold was attacked, and carried after a contest of six hours, by a force under Inspector Nisbett; and a large number of cattle, sheep, and horses were captured. In June and July several skirmishes took place, in all but one of which the Griquas were worsted, with heavy loss in men, and cattle. On July 20th., 1878, they again suffered a severe defeat, soon after which an Amnesty was proclaimed, and the war ended.

THE BASUTO WAR, 1879–80.