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.
SOUTH AFRICA AND THE
TRANSVAAL WAR