CHAPTER V.

THE BOER REBELLION.

Accession of Mr. Gladstone to power--His letters to the Boer leader and the loyals--His refusal to rescind the annexation--The Boers encouraged by prominent members of the Radical party--The Bezeidenhout incident--Despatch of troops to Potchefstroom--Mass meeting of the 8th December 1880--Appointment of the Triumvirate and declaration of the republic--Despatch of Boer proclamation to Sir O. Lanyon--His reply--Outbreak of hostilities at Potchefstroom --Defence of the court-house by Major Clarke--The massacre of the detachment of the 94th under Colonel Anstruther--Dr. Ward--The Boer rejoicings--The Transvaal placed under martial law--Abandonment of their homes by the people of Pretoria--Sir Owen Lanyon's admirable defence organisation--Second proclamation issued by the Boers--Its complete falsehood--Life at Pretoria during the siege--Murders of natives by the Boers--Loyal conduct of the native chiefs--Difficulty of preventing them from attacking the Boers--Occupation of Lang's Nek by the Boers--Sir George Colley's departure to Newcastle--The condition of that town--The attack on Lang's Nek--Its desperate nature--Effect of victory on the Boers--The battle at the Ingogo-- Our defeat--Sufferings of the wounded--Major Essex--Advance of the Boers into Natal--Constant alarms--Expected attack on Newcastle-- Its unorganised and indefensible condition--Arrival of the reinforcements and retreat of the Boers to the Nek--Despatch of General Wood to bring up more reinforcements--Majuba Hill--Our disaster, and death of Sir George Colley--Cause of our defeat--A Boer version of the disaster--Sir George Colley's tactics 120-155