Artillery boys surprised – A great race - Murder of two young Boers under the impression they were members of the Irish Brigade – The only naval battle of the war
In October, Major Wolmorans, Major Pretorius, myself, Lieutenant Johannes Malan, sixty-three artillery boys and one Irish boy, Mike Ryan, started for the Pietersburg railway line to take in a train. To get there we had to pass through the blockhouses on the Pretoria-Delagoa railway line. We camped about six miles from this line, and when it was dark we saddled up and went on our way. The blockhouses were so numerous that we would have to pass close by them, but as they were not dangerous institutions, we thought little about them. The armored trains by Balmoral Station were our great danger, for they were equipped with men, cannon, maxims, and large search-lights.
At a point about 1000 yards from the line, we halted and Major Pretorius rode ahead to investigate. We were just about one and one-half miles from Balmoral, and great caution was necessary. Major Pretorius, when nearly 100 yards from the line, discovered the armored train, all in darkness, just where we were to cross. He quietly slipped back to report and all had to turn back to the camp we had left. The moon was nearly full, and this bothered us, for we wished to cross early in the evening, and as the moon came so soon, we were liable to be discovered. We remained in our old camp that night, and went to another burnt farm house, about a mile distant, where we stayed during the following night. It was well that we did so, for on the morning afterwards, our old camp was surrounded, and the English maxims cut down nearly all the trees about the ruins. On hearing the maxims, we mounted our horses and rode to the top of a ridge to find out the trouble. The English, on seeing us, fled in haste to Balmoral Station, whence they had come.
We waited about for two more nights, and then decided to move out and cross the line right by the station. We started very early, in order to be ahead of the moon. We reached the line and just as we were crossing it, the moon begun to peep above the horizon. We could plainly see the Tommies sitting by their fires, smoking their pipes and enjoying themselves. We were not out of danger, by any means, for should we be discovered, the armored train would run up and easily sweep us off with the maxims.
Half a mile in front of us was a bad creek to cross, and there we expected trouble. On reaching it, we found it well protected with barbed wire, but this was soon cut, and we were safe on the north side of the line. We did not go far before we unsaddled, slept a few hours, and then rode on towards Rhinoster Kop. On the night of the second day, we camped in the bush about twenty miles northeast of Pretoria, and not far from the Pietersburg railway line. On reconnoitring, the line was found so well guarded with armed Kaffirs that it was thought unwise to try to take in a train.
Major Wolmorans then turned his attention to some cattle near the Hatherly Distillery, which is on the Pretoria-Delagoa railway line. He went in with about thirty men, spent the night in rain, and received a sweeping fire from an armored train which was near at hand. No one knows how any one escaped, but not one was touched. On their return next morning, they presented a very sorry looking appearance. We went back a few miles and camped at Zusters Hoek.
This little escapade stirred up the English and three columns promptly showed up. Commandant Groenewald with 200 men, and Jack Hindon with sixty men joined with us and drove one of the columns back close to Pretoria. They then returned to their camps near Rhinoster Kop and we were again alone and camped at Zusters Hoek. The other two English columns were still near Balmoral.
On the following day, we could see the English scouts on a hill about five miles away, between us and Pretoria. Major Pretorius and I were sure that an attack was intended that night, and we tried to get Major Wolmorans to move away. But he wouldn't. We told him that we were going to a good kopje a short distance off, in the early morning, because we did not care to be surrounded and captured. He said all right; so at daylight we went to the kopje, but the English did not come. They were still on that same hill.
We remained where we were during the day, and Major Wolmorans remained where he was. Night came and the men went to Major Wolmorans and asked him to move to the kopje where Major Pretorius and I were. He told them that there was no danger, and that he would stay where he was.
At daylight the following morning we were aroused by the singing of maxims in the direction of Major Wolmoran's camp. About 700 cavalry had him three-quarters surrounded, all firing, as well as four maxims which clattered continually. The artillery boys ran for their horses, some saddled, others had no time, and some couldn't get their horses at all. Here they came towards us in the wildest disorder, Major Wohnorans with them. The English, whooping and yelling, followed in hot pursuit, and a race under whip and spur for four miles followed. The English lost, and all the artillery boys escaped except twenty-six, who were captured in the camp. This long race caused the remaining thirty-seven men to scatter so that it was a week before they all got together. Half of them were without blankets, saddles and cooking utensils, and be assured they were a dilapidated, disgusted looking lot of men. Major Wolmorans, too, had lost all he had, and Major Pretorius and I had lost nothing.
We now set out to return to the high veldt, where we arrived early hi November, because we had no trouble whatever passing blockhouses and railway lines. Among our captured was Mick Ryan and a little Frenchman by the name of Regal, and I felt sure they would be shot. Strange to say, two men, supposed to be Ryan and Regal, were shot on October 29th, three days after the capture. The two unfortunates were young burghers who talked English. I must here state that towards the end of the war, all those who spoke English and were captured were almost sure to be shot.
The Australians and Canadians murdered many men after they had surrendered, and I have heard them boast about it in Pretoria after peace was made. They were the most thorough bred ruffians that ever put their feet on South African soil, and had the Boers known during the war what they learned after the war, about the many innocent men murdered in cold blood, I am sure that at least half of the Canadian and Australian contingents would have been shot, for at least that many had been captured. The Boers always treated them as soldiers and gentlemen, and on releasing them would always wish them better luck next time.
Near Pietersburg lived some Boers, two or three, and they were supposed to have money. Of course, they were "Hands-uppers," having voluntarily gone in and surrendered their guns. With them was a German missionary and one English soldier, a visitor. Major Morand and Lieutenant Hancock^ two Australian officers, went to this farm with the intent of robbing the Boers, not knowing that there was an English soldier there. On making their demand, the Boers protested and were at once shot down. The German missionary showed himself, and of course Major Morand had to shoot him, too. In the house was also this English soldier, and to close his mouth they shot him, too. A Kaffir was at the place, and told the officers at Pietersburg. Major Morand and Lieutenant Hancock knew nothing about the Kaffir, for they had not seen him, so they proceeded to rob the house and their dead victims. On returning to Pietersburg, both were arrested and charged with murder. They were tried and shot "for murdering Boers," nothing being said about a German missionary and English soldier. The fact is, they were both shot for murdering the English soldier, and for no other reason. Had not the proper authorities shot them, the soldiers would have taken the law in their hands and done the work. It does seem that the English can do nothing without resorting to deception or lying, and in this they easily excel the whole civilized world. Any British officer or soldier who could prove that he had murdered more Boers than any other man in the army, would be certain to receive the Victoria Cross.
In the Free State everything was very quiet, so I will pass into the Colony. October is a particularly conspicuous month, because it witnessed the only naval battle of the war. This took place at Saldanha Bay, a few miles above Cape Town, on the east coast. The Boers had passed through Cape Colony and landed at this beautiful bay, where they took seven English officers prisoners. Not far out in the bay an English boat was anchored, and the Boers thought they would seize it. They collected all the row-boats about the place, took their rifles and in one long line advanced to make the capture. When near enough, they demanded its surrender. The captain refused, and the Boers opened fire. The captain became frightened, and put up the white flag. Just as the victorious Boer sailors were about to take possession, they discovered an English gun-boat coming to the rescue, so they had to paddle for all they were worth to reach the shore again before this gun-boat could get within range. They succeeded and were safe, but the gun-boat stopped short of rifle range, so the battle was over. The Boers remained here for a day, then released the seven officers, and went prowling about the Colony as they pleased. The inhabitants supplied them with food, horses, clothing and everything they could possibly wish.
When the news of the naval battle reached Cape Town, of course the English went crazy with excitement, for they fully expected to see the Boers in their midst every moment. Lord Kitchener became alarmed, too, and proclaimed all Cape Colony under martial law. That naval battle caused much trouble, for now martial law was supreme throughout the Colony, and young men and women were everywhere arrested and imprisoned from one to six months for assisting the Boers, while the inhabitants of the Colony had to submit to having their horses forcibly taken from them, or to witness then: being shot by the English troops. All their food stuffs, sheep, cattle, etc., were taken from them, and they were all left high and dry with seven days' food in the house. All their forage and grain was carried away or burnt, and had it been possible, their crops would have been destroyed, too.
Yes, that naval battle put things in an awful mess in Cape Colony, and had Generals Botha, De Wet and de la Rey been there with their forces, 75,000 rebels would have joined them and their two little Republics, and Cape Colony would to-day be free and independent. Generals Smuts and Kritsinger and all their commandants were daily fighting in some of the districts, and the very fact that martial law was now made to cover the entire Colony, showed conclusively that Lord Kitchener and the British Government were both much alarmed, and looked upon the situation as so critical as to demand every attention.
In the Western Transvaal, General de la Rey found Colonel Van Donlop and his column in his way, so he attacked them, put them to rout, took fifteen of their wagons heavily loaded, and went on his way to the Magielesberg, where several columns had lately tried to corner the cute General Kemp. This Colonel Van Donlop was not out to fight men, but to maltreat women and children. He was burning their homes, and all their possessions, and leaving them to starve to death on the veldt because they would not make their men come in and surrender.
