CHAPTER VIII

MAFEKING IN MARCH 194 COLONEL PLUMER'S OPERATIONS 204

LIST OF STAFF 213

APPENDIX 215

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS----VOL. IV.

MAP ILLUSTRATING THE MOVEMENTS FOR THE RELIEF OF KIMBERLEY AND THE CAPTURE OF BLOEMFONTEIN _At Front_

1. _COLOURED PLATES_ PAGE THE QUEEN LISTENING TO A DISPATCH FROM THE FRONT _Frontispiece_

THE IMPERIAL YEOMANRY 12

THE ROYAL LANCASTERS 16

WEST YORKSHIRE AND YORKSHIRE REGIMENTS 88

THE INNISKILLING DRAGOONS 104

SOUTH AFRICAN LIGHT HORSE, BRABANT'S HORSE, AND DUKE OF EDINBURGH'S VOLUNTEER RIFLES 120

STRATHCONA'S HORSE 184

THE CAPE TOWN HIGHLANDERS 200

2. _FULL-PAGE PLATES_ PAGE THE DASH FOR KIMBERLEY--THE 10TH HUSSARS CROSSING KLIP DRIFT 32

THE LAST STAND MADE BY THE BOERS BEFORE KIMBERLEY 36

CAPTURE OF A BOER CONVOY BY GENERAL FRENCH'S TROOPS 40

THE BATTLE OF PAARDEBERG 56

CRONJE'S STRONGHOLD 64

CRONJE SURRENDERS TO LORD ROBERTS 72

CRONJE'S FORCE ON THEIR MARCH SOUTH 80

SHELL FROM THE NAVAL BRIGADE DISPERSING BOERS 96

THE FORMAL SURRENDER OF BLOEMFONTEIN 108

SLEEPLESS MAFEKING 112

THE RELIEF OF LADYSMITH--THE LAST RUSH AT HLANGWANE HILL 128

IN BELEAGUERED LADYSMITH--WATCHING FOR BULLER FROM OBSERVATION HILL 152

HINDOO REFUGEES FROM THE TRANSVAAL IN CAMP AT CAPE TOWN 168

CONVEYING WOUNDED TO WYNBERG HOSPITAL CAMP 172

THE BRITISH OCCUPATION OF BLOEMFONTEIN--AN EVENING CONCERT IN MARKET SQUARE BY THE PIPERS OF THE HIGHLAND BRIGADE 176

COLONEL PLUMER'S GALLANT ATTEMPT TO RELIEVE MAFEKING FROM THE NORTH 208

3. _FULL-PAGE PORTRAITS_ PAGE THE MARQUIS OF SALISBURY, K.G. 8

LIEUT.-GENERAL THOMAS KELLY-KENNY, C.B. 24

GENERAL CRONJE 48

MAJOR-GENERAL A. FITZROY HART, C.B. 136

MAJOR-GENERAL H. J. T. HILDYARD, C.B. 144

BRIGADIER-GENERAL THE EARL OF DUNDONALD, C.B. 156

LIEUT.-GENERAL HON. N. G. LYTTELTON, C.B. 160

MR. M. T. STEYN, LATE PRESIDENT ORANGE FREE STATE 192

4. _MAPS AND ENGRAVINGS IN THE TEXT_ PAGE SHELL PICKED UP IN KIMBERLEY STREETS 15

"LONG CECIL" MADE AT DE BEERS MINES 21

PLACARD ERECTED BY MR. RHODES 27

TYPICAL UNDERGROUND DWELLING AT KIMBERLEY 36

10TH HUSSARS WITH NORDENFELDT GUN 46

PLAN OF PAARDEBERG 57

GUNS CAPTURED AT PAARDEBERG 68

BOER TRENCHES AT PAARDEBERG 78

MARKET SQUARE, MAFEKING 85

GUN MADE IN MAFEKING 87

DIRECTING AN ARMY FROM A MILITARY BALLOON 102

FACSIMILE OF "THE MAFEKING MAIL" 114

SCENE OF FIGHTING AT MONTE CRISTO 125

BALLOON MAP--BATTLE OF PIETERS AND RELIEF OF LADYSMITH 135

SIGNAL APPARATUS OF H.M.S. "FORTE" 146

KING'S POST, LADYSMITH 151

MAP OF OPERATIONS ON ORANGE RIVER 165

SIGNAL STATION AT BLOEMFONTEIN 182

NATIVE CHURCH, MAFEKING 199

MAP SHOWING ADVANCE TO MAFEKING 205

LOBATSI RAILWAY STATION 212

CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE----VOL. IV.

FEBRUARY 1900.

12-13.--General French, following up Hannay's movement, crossed Riet River, and next day with a strong force marched twenty-five miles into the Free State, seized Klip Drift on the Modder River, occupied the hills to the north, and captured three of the enemy's laagers, with supplies.

13-14.--6th (Kelly-Kenny's) Division on north bank of the Riet River at Waterfall Drift.

14.--Lord Roberts advanced to Dekiel's Drift.

15.--General French reached and relieved Kimberley, captured Boer laager and supplies, and forced the enemy to withdraw.

The Boers evacuated Majersfontein and Spyfontein, retreating to Koodoosrand Drift.

16.--General Kelly-Kenny, in pursuit of Cronje retiring east with 10,000 men on Bloemfontein, captured 78 waggons with stores, 2 waggons with Mauser rifles, and 8 waggons with shell belonging to Cronje's column.

Capture of Cingolo Hill by Sir Redvers Buller's force.

Lord Roberts occupied Jacobsdal.

Flight of Cronje's force and occupation of Majersfontein by the Guards.

17.--Cronje's force overtaken and surrounded at Paardeberg. General Brabant engaged the enemy near Dordrecht.

Successful reconnaissance by Colonel Henderson from Arundel.

18.--Severe fighting at Paardeberg, where Cronje was being gradually surrounded.

Capture of Monte Cristo. General Lyttelton's Division, by a brilliant converging movement, drove the Boers across the river.

19.--Capture of Hlangwane by the Fusilier Brigade. The Boers evacuated the hill, and left a large camp behind them.

Bombardment of Cronje's position began. Boer reinforcements driven back.

Cronje asked for armistice, but Lord Kitchener demanded his surrender; Cronje refused, and was then bombarded heavily.

Reoccupation of Dordrecht. General Brabant entered the town in the morning, the Boers taking to flight.

20.--General Hart occupied Colenso.

Lord Roberts defeated Boer reinforcements at Paardeberg.

21.--5th Division crossed the Tugela at Colenso.

23.--Advance on Ladysmith continued. The Boers' position at Grobler's Kloof attacked.

The cordon round Cronje began to close in.

Captain Hon. R. H. L. J. de Montmorency, V.C. (21st Hussars), killed while doing magnificent work with his Scouts near Stormberg.

26.--Finding the passage of the river near Colenso commanded by strong entrenchments, Sir Redvers Buller sent his guns and baggage back to the south side of the Tugela, and found a new crossing.

26-27.--Colesberg and Rensberg, having been evacuated by the Boers, were occupied by General Clements, while Jamestown was occupied by General Brabant.

27 (on anniversary of Majuba, 1881).--Cronje, with 44 commandants and other officers of all grades, and over 3500 men, surrendered unconditionally to Lord Roberts.

Sir Redvers Buller's force captured the Boer position at Pieters. This action opened the road to Ladysmith. Boers retired north to Ladysmith.

28.--Relief of Ladysmith after 120 day's investment.

MARCH 1900.

1.--Lord Roberts and Lord Kitchener visited Kimberley and attended a meeting in the Town Hall.

2.--Cronje and his staff, having been moved to Simonstown under a guard of City Imperial Volunteers, were put on board H.M.S. _Doris_, and sent to St. Helena.

3.--General Buller formally entered Ladysmith.

Skirmish near Osfontein. General French came in contact with a Boer force, who tried to get away, but were held to their position by the British force.

4-5.--General Brabant advanced from Dordrecht against Labuschagne, and was completely successful.

5.--General Gatacre occupied Stormberg without opposition.

7.--Lord Roberts dispersed Boers near Poplar Grove.

General Gatacre reached Burghersdorp.

8.--General Clements occupied Norval's Pont.

10.--The Boers dispersed near Driefontein, fifteen miles east of Poplar Grove.

11.--Presidents Kruger and Steyn received reply from the Prime Minister refusing to entertain their absurd overtures for peace.

12.--General French (with cavalry, R.H.A., and Mounted Infantry) arrived before Bloemfontein, and captured two hills which command the railway and town.

General French captured the railway near Bloemfontein.

General Gatacre approached Bethulie.

13.--Lord Roberts occupied Bloemfontein. His despatch ran:--"The British flag now flies over the Presidency vacated last evening by Mr. Steyn, late President of the Orange Free State. The inhabitants gave the troops a cordial welcome."

14.--General Pretyman, C.B., appointed Military Governor of Bloemfontein.

15.--General Gatacre occupied Bethulie.

Boers attacked Colonel Plumer's camp and were repulsed.

16.--Fighting at Fourteen Streams.

19.--Lord Kitchener occupied Prieska, and received the submission of rebels.

20.--Rouxville occupied by Major Cumming.

21.--Smithfield occupied by British troops.

23.--Party of English officers shot near Bloemfontein.

27.--General Clements occupied Fauresmith, and arrested the landrost.

Death of General Joubert.

29.--Action at Karree Siding. Boer position taken.

Wepener occupied by Brabant's Horse under Colonel Dalgety.

30.--Colonel Broadwood with Cavalry Brigade and two batteries Royal Horse Artillery at Thabanchu retired on waterworks pressed by the enemy.

31.--Loss of convoy and six guns at Koorn Spruit.

Action at Ramathlabama for the relief of Mafeking, and Colonel Plumer's small force repulsed by the Boers.

SOUTH AFRICA AND THE TRANSVAAL WAR