WITH SEVEN GENERALS IN THE BOER WAR
A PERSONAL NARRATIVE BY
MAJOR A. W. A. POLLOCK
Late the Prince Alberrt Somersetshire Light Infantry, and a Special Correspondent of the 'Times' in the Boer War
With lllustrations, Maps, and Plans
LONDON SKEFFINGTON & SON, 163 PICCADILLY 1900
PREFACE
This narrative of my personal experiences daring the Boer War covers the period between October 14th, 1899, and July 20th, 1900. It commences with my departure from England in the Dunottar Castle with Sir Redvers Buller and the Headquarters Staff, and concludes with my return home in the same ship, and in the same cabin, after nine months' absence.
It was my good fortune to accompany many different forces during the campaign, and I have endeavoured to describe what I saw of the various operations, together with the impressions conveyed to my mind by these and other events. The Editor of the Times has kindly allowed me to utilize my published and unpublished letters, and some of these have been incorporated with a greater quantity of fresh matter in the composition of the present volume. The part relating to the relief of Mafeking is entirely new, my original letter to the Times having most unluckily failed to reach its destination. This has been a great loss to me, but I have done the best I can to replace it with the aid of my diary and field note-book. It had been my hope to include a really interesting series of illustrations, but out of seven dozen photographs not one was really fit for reproduction. The films were all defective, and nearly all absolutely bad. Consequently the pictures published represent the skill of the Printer's artist rather than the veritable productions of my camera.
For the use of three official maps I am indebted to Sir John Ardagh, to whom I now venture to offer my most sincere thanks.
A. W. A. POLLOCK.
Raglan Barracks, Devonport,
Nov. 20th, 1900.
CONTENTS
I. Southampton to Cape Town
II. Cape Town to Queenstown
III. Queenstown and neighbourhood
IV. Arrival of Sir William Gatacre
V. Boers occupy Stormberg: British concentrate on Putter's Kraal
VI. The Stormberg disaster VII. The Stormberg disater: Personal experiences
VIII. After Stormberg IX. De Montmorency's operations about Dordrecht
X. The action ear Cyperghat, January 3
XI. Chiefly reflections
XII. The Colonial Division and a visit to East London
XIII. A glimpse of Rensburg under Major General Clements
XIV. Paardeburg
XV. The engagement at Poplar Grove
XVI. The action of Abraham's Kraal — Dreifontein and the occupation of Bloemfontein
XVII. Lord Methuen's operations about Boshof
XVIII. Relief of Mafeking — Brigadier Mahon's flying column
XIX. Mafeking, Johannesburg, and home
Appendix I. — Mr Reitz's manifesto
Appendix II. — Bond treason
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS, MAPS, AND PLANS
Autographs of some Celebrities. Frontispiece
Arendse, Jess, Cornelius, and the “Weagon”
Captain the Hon. Raymond H. L. J. De Montmorency
Map of Sterkstroom, Stormberg and District
Map of Stormberg attached to Gen. Gatacre’s Report
Plan which accompanied the Author’s Letter to the Times
The Defender of the Donga
Labuschagne’s Nek (Sketch Map)
Boot and Saddle
Trooper Burn, V.C., and “Baba”
Watering Horses in the Bed of the Maratsani
Brigadier-Gen. Mahon’s Headquarters at Jan Mabissi’s
The General Advance: Pom-pom Teams coming up
A Barricade at Mafeking
Map of Mafeking besieged
The Smallest Defender of Mafeking
The Mafeking Artillery
The Queen’s Birthday Parade
Menu, Queen’s Birthday Dinner
Dinner given by the Special Correspondents to Brigadier-General Mahon and Staff
Guests and Hosts
