I arrived at Rensburg from Sterkstroom on February 8, having marched with Dewar’s and Amphlett’s companies of mounted infantry, via Maraisburg, to Thebus, where I took train to Naauwpoort, and thence to Rensburg. The march, which commenced on the 3rd, was uneventful but very interesting. Much of the country was most difficult, and constantly suggesting reasons for thankfulness that the enemy offered no opposition. The pass at Eland’s River Poort struck me as one of the most formidable places I had ever seen, and was, moreover, marvellously beautiful. For some four miles the road followed the river between precipitous cliffs, whose rugged slopes and heights were sparsely covered with bush of the universal type. Twenty-five resolute men could have held us in check for a week with scarcely any danger to themselves. At our midday outspan, about four miles clear of the poort, we were joined by a sergeant-major and six men of the Army Service Corps, who had been sent after us from Sterkstroom. The adventures of this party are worth narrating. On being despatched from Sterkstroom the sergeant-major was informed that the coloured mule-driver sent with the wagon was perfectly acquainted with the road, and was upon no account to be interfered with. Accordingly, when the wagon was driven in the direction of Molteno instead of vi& Carr Nek, the route employed by the mounted infantry, the sergeant-major raised no objection nor even when, having passed through Molteno, the driver proceeded by the Steynsburg road, which passes close to the Boer positions on the kopjes round Stormberg Junction! The sergeant-major was in blissful ignorance, having never previously been so far north. Providentially, just as a Boer patrol hove in sight from the direction of Stormberg, a Cape Police patrol emerged from one of the various lurking-places of that usefully ubiquitous force. The result naturally was the return of the wagon and its passengers by the way that they had come until a safe road had been reached. Of these seven men, one had a carbine, three carried revolvers, and the remainder were entirely unarmed; so that, in the event of attack by even a very small patrol of the enemy, the result could scarcely have been in doubt. It does not seem desirable to trust so implicitly in coloured drivers as to disregard, even as a matter of form, roughly indicating to the soldiers concerned the general direction in which they are intended to travel.
At Maraisburg, where we arrived on Tuesday, the 6th, the men were entertained at tea by the ladies of the place, and numberless presents of fruit, etc., were made to the officers. Here and elsewhere the British inhabitants were enthusiastically hospitable, and the contrast between these good people and their neighbours of Dutch origin was very striking. For example, for our sins, or rather for those of others, we spent the first night of the march at Pretorius’ farm, fifteen miles from Sterkstroom. On the itinerary provided for Captain Dewar’s guidance, a place five miles further on had been named as the halting-place. Providentially, in one sense, we learned that there was not a drop of water at the selected camping-ground, the drought being indeed so severe that the inhabitants of the farm there, whose name I forget, had been obliged to trek, bag and baggage, in order to save their cattle alive. Accordingly we remained at Pretorius’ farm, to the great pecuniary advantage of the proprietor, who, not content with selling bread to the Government at sixpence per pound, also retailed coffee to the thirsty soldiers, on their arrival, at sixpence per cup’as well as other supplies in proportion.
At Thebus, where we arrived on Wednesday, the 7th inst., we found the ‘1st City,’ or Grahamstown Mounted Rifles, and a portion of the Uitenhage Infantry Volunteers, by both of whom we were hospitably entertained. Colonel Smith-Dorrien, of the Derbyshires, who had marched with us en route to join the 19th Brigade, of which he had been appointed Brigadier, at Orange River, was anxious to go on at once, and so also was I; but there were no horse-boxes at Thebus, nor could any be obtained from elsewhere. Accordingly we decided to risk our horses in sheep-trucks as far as Naauwpoort, and fortunately arrayed there, in course of time, without mishap. At Naauwpoort we obtained a couple of cattle-trucks, to which we transferred the horses, and so proceeded on our respective journeys.
The force remaining at Rensburg, under command of Major-General Clements, was small, and the front occupied extended for some twenty or more miles from the Maddock’s, or New Zealand Hill, about twelve miles east of the camp, along an irregular line ending at Hopkirk’s farm, about twelve miles nearly due north. At first sight this situation may seem precarious, but it must not be forgotten that the Boer positions opposite were equally extended, and at the time no more strongly garrisoned.
The opposing forces were constantly in touch, more especially where the Berkshire Regiment, holding McCracken’s Hill, about two miles east of Coles Eop, were within six hundred yards of the Boers. Here ‘sniping‘ was going on from both sides all day and every day. The General would have no doubt been glad if his front had been better suited to the numbers under his -command, but, for all that, I do not think that he felt, or needed to feel, any serious anxiety. Next morning I went early to Porter’s Hill to see the howitzers tackle a Maxim-Vickers quick-firer, familiarly known as a "Pom-pom.’ Only two howitzers, the centre section of the 37th Field (Howitzer) Battery, under Lieutenant H. R. W. M. Smith, remained, the rest of the battery having gone to Orange River. Yet even amongst this small detachment there was a notable personage, Gunner Walton, who laid the howitzer at Omdurman that was the first to send a shell into the Mahdi’s tomb. At Rensburg Gunner Walton again distinguished himself by his excellent shooting. The target was small, and the range, 4500 yards, was beyond that at which the field howitzer is really reliable. ‘Pom-pom‘ was snugly secured in a stone emplacement, and from what I could make out the detachment belonging to him was provided with ‘ head-cover.’ However, Gunner Walton succeeded in knocking the parapet about in a manner that must have been found extremely disagreeable by those holding the fort; and at 9.21, after an intermittent bombardment since 5.20 a.m., a shell seemed to me, and to other spectators, to have landed plump into the work. After this a few men were seen to clear out in haste; and afterwards, attempts to remove ‘Pom-pom‘ and his ammunition were made from the rear. Our men on the summit of Coles Kop were, however, on the look-out, and every move of the Boers was quickly wired to Lieutenant Smith from that commanding height. Consequently the enemy was at a considerable disadvantage. Out of twenty-nine shells that I observed, four failed to burst; but of the remaining twenty-five only five failed to hit or to go so close as to produce at least a very marked moral effect. At the same time, whilst I was out with the howitzers at Porter’s Hill, a smart affair of outposts was progressing merrily in the direction of Slingersfontein, and a certain amount of shooting was going on in various parts of the line. The correspondent of a Melbourne paper, who did not know the ground, wandered off looking round by bimself, and was shot dead by some hidden enemy. One of the New Zealanders was also wounded. All things considered, the Rensburg camp appeared to be quite a lively place; but this is scarcely to be wondered at when it is remembered that the outposts of the opposing forces were within rifle-range of one another throughout the entire length of so long a line. The disaster to the Suffolk Regiment, which had occurred shortly before, was of course a most regrettable incident in itself, but, under all the circumstances, it seems more than doubtful that with the very limited forces remaining at the disposal of the general officer commanding, so advanced a post could have been retained in our possession. The Suffolk Hill is about two miles north-east of McCracken’s Hill, and, whilst upon the one hand it commands the Boer line of retreat on Colesberg bridge, yet, upon the other, with our force too weak to seriously take the offensive, it would have been merely an isolated post which the Boers would certainly have striven hard to recapture, and which we ourselves should have had immense difficulty in supporting. A very long detour to the north would have been necessary in order to bring up reinforcements to the Suffolk Hill, or to provide the garrison with the needful supplies. Upon the whole, I think that the Suffolk Hill would have been merely a white elephant to us, unless it had been possible to make immediate use of it in order to effect the discomfiture of the enemy’s whole force. An advanced post, the approaches to which, upon both flanks, are not effectually commanded by the main position in rear, is almost always a source of weakness. In the present instance the direct line of approach was commanded, by the enemy, upon both flanks. Clearly, therefore, unless as a stepping-stone to an advance intended to follow instantly upon its capture, so isolated a position could not have been expected to yield any considerable advantages.
‘February 10.’I had just settled down in my tent to write letters this morning after breakfast, when I learned that a convoy to Slingersfontein was about to start by the direct road across the open veldt, instead of by the somewhat circuitous route generally followed. I at once jumped to the erroneous conclusion that the convoy represented a ‘bait,’ and that troops had already been sent out with a view to catching the Boers in the open, in case they should attack it. Accordingly, I ordered my horse and accompanied the convoy, which, however, reached its destination without accident. The direct route had, it turned out, been selected only because it appeared to be quite safe, and, under the circumstances, it was but natural that the shorter route should be chosen. With this convoy marched the howitzers disguised as ox-wagons. The guns and limbers were covered with tarpaulins and drawn by oxen, so that even from a very short distance they had the appearance of loaded wagons. Alongside rode the gunners and drivers ready to throw off the disguise, at any moment, in case of danger. In this, as in other matters. General Clements is following in the footsteps of his predecessor at Rensburg, General French, by providing daily some pretty little surprises for the enemy. The Boers would, no doubt, be keeping a sharp look-out for the howitzers; and had they seen them marching round to Slingers, would have been fully prepared against them; whereas, in the event, the lyddite shells dropping into their laagers was the first intimation they received that the howitzers had changed over from the opposite flank of the British positions. Personally, I did not witness the practice, but I am told that it was most effective.
‘February 11.’Whilst the howitzers were engaged at Slingers, and further fighting was also proceeding in that neighbourhood, I had the good fortune to see a very pretty fight near Hopkirk’s farm, about four miles north of Coles Kop, which is itself some eight miles north of Rensburg. Upon the previous day the enemy had rushed the picquet at the farm, and driven it back over the hill which rises abruptly to the west of Hopkirk’s. At the same time another party of Boers drove in the picquet at Bastard’s Nek, about three miles to the east. The hill at the rear of Hopkirk’s was quickly recaptured by the Australians and a squadron of the Inniskillings, at the cost of three men killed. When I reached the kopje west of Hopkirk’s, the Australians had already dismounted and were skirmishing amongst the boulders against the Boers posted on the hills across the valley to the east of the farm, and the Inniskillings were behind a horseshoe spur under the northern face of the hill, awaiting their opportunity. About a mile in rear, sheltered by the hill, were four guns of the 4th Field Battery, under Major Butcher, just about to move forward into action. At 10.15 a.m. two guns opened fire from the highest point of the kopje against the precincts of the farm, and then against the opposite heights, whilst the remaining two, rather low down the southern slope, took charge of any Boers who might wish to support their comrades further in advance, and meanwhile occupied themselves well by throwing plenty of shrapnel amongst the latter. For two hours the cannonade went on, as well as the skirmishing among the rocks in front, but apparently without much result, and at 12.15 the guns limbered up and retired; the two on the south side being smartly peppered with rifle-fire during their retirement. Hop-kirk’s farm had, however, been re-occupied, the Boers having withdrawn. Things continuing quiet, I then rode off to Kloof Camp, the advanced position so long held by the Berkshire Regiment (left half battalion) near their fighting kopje, McCracken’s Hill, the centre wedge driven by General French into the line of Boer positions. I was anxious to visit McCracken’s Hill itself, but gave up the notion when it was explained to me that nobody had crossed, by day, between Kloof Camp and McCracken’s for over six weeks. Experience had proved that it was ‘ not good enough/ because the Boer sharpshooters on the opposite hill, called 'Anti-McCracken/ had a nasty way of showing their objection to such excursions. The four companies of the Berks interchange, by double companies, between McCracken’s and the Kloof Camp at the expiration of forty-eight-hour tours of duty. The business of the McCrackenites is to shoot at any Boer who shows himself on Anti-McCracken or elsewhere. The enemy returns the natural rejoinder. Both sides are, however, so well under cover, or so quick in changing their positions, that the casualties are very few.
‘February 12. This morning I received a wire granting me permission to proceed to Orange River, which I accordingly did, about an hour and a half later. Glad as I was at the prospect of taking part in Lord Roberts’ march to Bloemfontein, I was quite sorry to leave Rensbuxg, where life had many consolations from a correspondent’s point of view. During my brief stay, only three clear days, with General Clements’ force, I saw some kind of fight upon two out of the three; and although only small affairs, they were interesting to me. I had not previously been in front of a hostile pom-pom or behind a friendly howitzer in action.
‘February 13.’I arrived at Orange River at 3 p.m., feeling very disconsolate. Arendse, Jess, and ‘weagon ‘ unlikely to follow for some days, and my personal kit and belongings very scanty indeed. Fortunately I obtained a tent through the kindness of Major Money, R.A., the officer in charge of transport, and succeeded in making myself fairly comfortable.
‘February 14.’The Warwickshire Regiment took pity upon my forlorn condition and asked me to lunch. They were most kind, and I felt perfectly at home with them from the first’indeed, it seemed almost as if I were back at Sterkstroom with the 5th Fusiliers and Royal Irish Rifles, to whom I can never be sufficiently grateful for their friendly hospitality. Colonel Quale-Jones appeared to have the same delight in talking ‘shop’ that I have myself, and we spent a very long time riding our favourite hobbies, to my great satisfaction, and, I hope, to his also. There was plenty to talk about; and naturally the fortunes of General French in his operations for the relief of Kimberley, which were then in progress, furnished a fruitful subject in addition to the usual discussion of drill and tactics. In the evening I heard of General Clements’ retreat from Rensburg on Arundel, and my feelings with regard to having missed being present at so interesting an operation, can scarcely be expressed. That General Clements should have succeeded in withdrawing his widely dispersed detachments from a front of some twenty-three miles with comparatively slight loss and no really serious misadventure, except that which befell two companies of the Wiltshire Regiment, is really remarkable. Great credit is certainly due to all concerned; the difficulties surmounted were immense.
‘February 15.’This morning I rode out to see the remount depot, which is about two miles from camp, on the southern bank of the Orange River. Prince Francis of Teck and Captain Sykes are the officers in charge, the former apparently presiding over the outdoor work, whilst the latter attends to the correspondence, etc. I was fortunate enough to arrive just as a batch of horses had been brought up for purchase. This was a useful experience, in that it gave me an idea of the general quality of the horses submitted for selection. Sometimes one feels amazed at some wretched brute having been accepted into the Service, but many of the worst of them are Islington prize winners in comparison with some of the rejected. The system at the Orange River Remount Depot appears to be excellent. There are a number of wire-fenced kraals, each intended to accommodate different classes of horses. The first enclosure contains the horses selected for officers, the next is for cavalry, the next for artillery etc., with the ‘sick lines’ bringing up the rear. Mangers have been provided by the Royal Engineers, and run in long lines down the various kraals. This, apart from the convenience and the saving of waste, is a very necessary precaution against sand-colic, which would otherwise be prevalent; the sand being very deep and loose throughout the camp.
‘February 16.’To-day we received early the very welcome news of the occupation of Kimberley by General French, and, later on, the even more important intelligence regarding the retreat of the Boer army from Modder River. This will most certainly be followed by the submission of the Orange Free State within the course of a few days. That the Boers may fight a battle to cover Bloemfontein is not improbable, but it seems more likely that no serious resistance will be offered. Upon the other hand small commandos have already begun to waylay our convoys, and until all these marauders have been dispersed, a good deal of trouble may be given. A huge convoy appears to have been captured yesterday on the Riet River almost under the noses of the army.
"On Saturday, 17th, reports of Cronje being surrounded ‘some said already a prisoner began to arrive, and I became perfectly wild to get on to join the army. At last, on Sunday morning, came a wire from De Aar that Arendse, with the horses and the ‘weagon/ was actually on the road, and might be expected to reach Orange River by train that evening. My preparations were soon made, and, to my infinite delight, not only did Arendse arrive, but I managed to obtain permission to travel, with all my belongings, in a troop-train conveying a battery of artillery to Modder River the same night. This was indeed a stroke of luck, for which I have good reason to thank the Railway Staff Officer, who so kindly fell in with my wishes."
