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LETTER 5

Bloemfontein
April 23, 1900

My Dear Lord Minton,

I address you thus out of respect to our relative positions, but I feel that in doing so I am hardly expressing the cordial feeling I have towards Your Excellency for your letter of the 14th Mar. which recalls so much kindness & sympathy.

It is always pleasant to feel that ones presence is missed. In the present ease I have always a feeling of keen regret. All you tell me of the iniquities perpetrated by Dr, Borden makes me doubly sad. That scoundrel Major Bliss reported himself to me last week for duty with the 2nd Battn. Can. Mtd. Rifles. He had nothing to show except a Militia Order and I told him before my Chief Staff Officer that I was astonished at the Canadian Gov't having selected him in view of his conduct in the Yukon, of which I was perfectly aware. He wisely maintained a discrete silence. I also saw in the paper that Major Biggar had arrived and I found Lt. Gordon from Montreal here the other day. Both political jobs! The latter stands accused of making use of Company money when in command of a Company of the Royal Can. Regt., at Fredericton four years ago, and in being so in debt to his Color Sergeant now retired to the extent of several hundred pounds. This story all came out just before I left and the papers were sent to him for explanation but he never replied, and being a friend of Dr. Borden's he is now sent out of the country for a whitewash I suppose.

I am amused but not surprised at your account of my unsophisticated friend “Foster”. The idea of him as a Commander of Irregular Horse is too funny! He is however quite thrown away upon the present regime. He was intended to assist me in organizing something in the shape of an Army out of the Canadian Militia, and I was in doing so just the man. As a Staff Officer in the hands of an unscrupulous man like Borden he is of little use, as he is a weak and ingenuous! You have diagnosed him exactly. I am glad that you have selected Bell for A.D.C., he has returned from Cape Town to England, as he requires good food, and care before he could be fit for any work. He will be wise if he accepts & joins your staff. He has done good work with the Canadians but I gather that he kept much to himself, and Otter and he did not appreciate one another as I hear. I doubt if you will get Lawrence Drummond back, he must be due for Second in Command. He will be the greatest loss to Paul Methuen, who relies much upon his good judgment.

The Canadians are just now up B. Sq. under Williams of the 1st Battn. Can. Mtd. Rifles arrived on the 22nd just in time for me to send them on after Alderson whose Corps I detached for duty S.S.E. With Pole-Carew's Division, A Sqn. & Head Qtrs., under Lessard arrived yesterday, and I have today sent them North to take over the Outpost Duty from the Inniskillings.

You will have heard the result of the Operations East of this, I am left in command of the M.I. Division left here and at Karree Siding while Ian Hamilton amuses himself with two Corps of the other Brigade and two Battn's of mine.

I am simply delighted with my command, but we M.I. are as usual treated as hewers of wood and drawers of water for the Cavalry and every one else. The first into action and the last out!

As for our Cavalry they have so far done little enough in the Campaign and are likely to do still less. They have lost nearly all their original horses and are being remounted upon Argentine ponies, which have no breeding, no pace and have no qualifications to be Cavalry re-mounts.

The Campaign is now one of transport and supply. The men are gradually re-clothed and re-fitted, horses are our great want and these are expected from Basutoland, as soon as the road through De Wet's Dorp is open.

Our supplies are coming up only very slow but we are not likely to move without at lease six weeks supply for 80,000 men and proportionate number of horses. Girouard tells me that he cannot repair the railway between this and the Vaal in less than five weeks, which means that we cannot be on the left bank of the River before the end of May.

There is a great want of bonhomie at the Hd. Qtrs. Staff. The little Chief has the knack of, in his kindly way, keeping every one at a distance. If it is difficult to say but it seems to me that Lord Roberts carries out the Campaign on his own lines, and is the last to delegate his powers to or ask the advice of anyone either Kitchener, or any one else. The regime here of course minimizing Buller's actions and belittles him. Lord Roberts's structures upon a General in such a high and very exalted position as that held by Sir Redvers, are a subject of much astonishment. Ian Hamilton, who is Lord R's confident, pretended not to be aware that Buller's name in 1879 & 81 was one to conjure with in South Africa.

Lord Roberts told me this morning that Strathcona's Horse are destined for Kimberly. I am very sorry & have warned both Lord R & Lord K. that officers & men are green to any military work, & wd. Do much better under Alderson than on their own accord.

I am organizing a corps of Scouts and have as a nucleus an officer & 15 men from Remington's Guides. I have a certain Ross, whom I was instrumental in sending here from the N.W.T. As Lieutenant. He has a great reputation in Indian Warfare and as a Scout and I believe him to be first rate.

The weather just now is simply delicious but the Officers and men are suffering sadly from enteric fever.

You shall hear again shortly, when I can, tell you more of out action work in the field.

I am satisfied that I was right in not taking any official notice of Sir Wilfred's speech accusing me of being “Insubordinate and Indiscreate”. You do not say so, but I feel that you concur!.

Remeber me most kindly to Lady Minto and all your party.

Believe me

Yours very sincerely

Edw. T. H. Hutton

M.G.


LETTER 6

Bloemfontein
April 27, 1900

My Dear Minton,

To catch the post I enclose you a copy of a letter which had written to Sir Wilfred. You may not otherwise know what I have written, of the line I have taken.

Yours Everything

Edw. T. H Hutton

LETTER 7

Head Quarters
1st Mtd. Inf. Brigade
Bloemfontein
April 28th, 1900

Dear Sir Wilfred Laurier

The honor of Commanding the two battalions of Canadian Mounted Rifles and Strathcona's Horse as a part of the 1st Mtd. Infty. Brigade has been confirmed upon me by Lord Roberts.

I enclose a printed list (see letter of April 14th, 1900) which gives the constitution of the Brigade and which speaks for itself. The Corps Commander is Lt. Col. E.A.H. Alderson, one of the best, most experienced, and most distinguished of all the Mtd. Infantry Officers. The Canadian are much to be congratulated upon having such a good Corps Commander, and I feel sure that under him they will earn as much distinction for themselves, for Canada, and for the Empire as their Comrades of the Royal Canadian Regiment of Infantry.

The 1st Battn. Canadian Mounted Rifles have already arrived, and the excellence of their horses brought by Col Hitson in Ontario for the most part, have attracted very favorable comments on all sides especially at the hands of the Commander in Chief.

The 2nd Battn. Canadian Mounted Rifles will arrive by March route tomorrow or the next day. This Battn., has been already engaged in the Prieska District, where it has good service.

Strathcona's Horse has suffered sadly by losing so many horses upon the coyage and may possibly be sent in the first instance to Kimberley.

I should like to be allowed to convey my congratulations upon the remarkable speech which you made in the Canadian House of Commons on March 13th. It's eloquence and its sentiments appealed to every soldier here from the highest to the lowest.

You will forgive me if I say that it was no small qualification to feel that by your own and your Colleague's opinion expressed personally to myself I have had some share at least in arousing that Military enthusiasm in Canada, and in fostering that spirit of fervid patriotism to the Empire which you have so ably and so eloquently expressed.

I cannot recall the fact that only in October last I was accused in Canada by those who did not then share your present opinions of endeavoring to “force a policy upon the Government which was opposed to the interests of the people.” It is satisfactory indeed to find that the sentiments which I was in October last accused of fostering were in March applauded to the echo by both sides of an enthusiastic Canadian House of Commons.

I have read with surprise your remarks as regards myself in reply to a question by Lt. Col. Domale upon the 19th February. I am sorry that Statements should have been made in absence which I should have had so much pleasure and so little difficulty in disposing of had I been present. A soldier unfortunately is quite unable to contradict statements made under the privilege of the House of Commons how ever anxious he may be that the truth should be known, except by a Royal Commission. I feel confident however that the Militia, the people, and the public opinion of Canada will have vindicated my claim to their regard by my efforts to give Canada a Military Service, which at all times subservient to the policy indicated by the Minister and Government of the day should be above all party, political interference and intrigue in its personnel, in its discipline, and in its Military Administration.

I shall always feel the deepest interest in the welfare, present and future, of Canada, and especially of my Command of the Canadian Militia, and I would assure you that I shall esteem it to the highest privilege to avail myself of every opportunity of benefiting the interests of the one, or of developing the scope of the other.

Please God the present Campaign may shortly be brought to a successful, termination, and that the fine Canadian troops which I take the great honor to Command, may return to Canada, and receive the honor and applause of Yourself, Your Government, and their Countrymen, which I know full well they will do their utmost to deserve.

Believe Me

Yours Very Faithfully

Edwd. T.H. Hutton

Major General

LETTER 8

Bivouac, Mtd. Inf. Brigade
Kroonstad
May 14, 1900

My dear Lord Minto;

You will like to hear how the campaign has bone so far and how the Canadian Mounted Rifles have fared in particular.

The Strategical combinations have been the great feature of the Campaign since we left Bloemfontein, and they form a most complete illustration of the power of Mounted Troops in War if used judiciously and with a large proportion of Mounted Rifles or Mounted Infantry, in fact the whole Campaign is corroborative of the facts which Your Excellency and I have been preaching for the last 20 years. It is a strange irony that the Indian School of Soldiers, who always scoffed at our efforts to create a mobile infantry from our regular infantry battalions are the very men who are now profiting by our determination and foresight. So it is however! As for our Cavalry it is safe to say that the effect which they have had before the war has almost moral. Their presence upon a flank or rear of the Enemy has been inself sufficient to divert the Enemy's attention and eventually ro cause him to retreat. The actual effect of the Cavalry, their killing power, has been trivial compared to that of the Mounted Infantry and Infantry.

The actual story of our advance from Bloemfontein here you will have already received through the medium of the Telegraph and the Press. I will confine myself to some facts which the ubiquitous reporter has not provided you with.

Our advance from Bloemfontein was very suddenly ordered due perhaps due to impatience at Westminster, however that was, I found myself with 2500 mounted men, 6 Royal Horse Artillery guns and two Vickers-Maxim guns detailed as the mounted force to turn the enemy at Brandford acting from the West.

My rendezvous was suddenly changed upon the day of our march North from Karree Siding to a point 10 miles West of that place and of the infantry columns.

I felt quite sure that my column was too weak numberically for effectively dealing with the enemy strong in numbers and well posted for defence. It was inexplicably to me why the advance was not defined until French and the Cavalry Division had come up from Wepener and co-operated with me. However there was no doublt good reasons!!

Upon the 3rd May we advanced by the West making a wide turning movement upon Brandford, and after a sharp skirmish and running fight lasting from 7a.m. To 4p.m. We got into the rear of Brandford forcing the enemy to abandon it towards sundown. I foundmyself 4 miles East again of Brandford right upon the main line of defence upon a Nek parallel to the Brandford – Ladybrand road. I had then with me only 150 men left of my 2nd line, the whole of the remainder being engaged in desultory fighting with detached bodies of the enemy retiring North. Although, I still had my Battery I did not dare in the absence of more men to engage myself with an unbeaten enemy.

Consequently just as the sun was setting I had the annoyance to see the rear guard of the enemy passing out of sight, waggons and all, which had the Cavalry Div., been present would have fallen on easy prey to us.

The Canadians, both battalions were engaged and Alderson reported to me that they had made a good start. They are of course raw at present, and I have everything to learn of the Boer methods of warfare.

Colonel Herchmer is ill at Cape Town, and is I fear too unwell to rejoin. My fears that his age would tell fatally against his success are verified, and I have recommended Colonel Evans to Command the 2nd Batt. Temporarily and have placed him in Command.

I have no doubt as to the two battalions doing admirable work with such a Corps Leader as Colonel Alderson to put them right. The men are full of zeal and eagerness to emulate the reputation earned by the Royal Canadian Regt.

From Brandford we advanced North and continuing the role given my Brigade, I forced the drifts over the Vet River on the 5 th to the West of the infantry line of advance. By doing so we turned the very strong position taken up by de Wet and de la Ray astride the railway. We had a very pretty little fight at Coetzee's Drift in forcing the drifts alluded to above and the Canadians were engaged for the first time in a Mounted Infantry fight with the Enemy.

At the point against which they were moved the river was deep and unfordable, but a party under young Lt. Turner of Quebec swam across and showed much pluck.

I enclose you a rough eye sketch of this engagement (MISSING), as it forms almost a typical Mounted Infantry fight, and proved most important in its strategical importance since as soon as the Enemy were driven off the river and the two successive positions in the rear they beat a hasty retreat, and the whole Boer Army abandoned their strong position immediately afterwards. Thus at comparatively small loss a very serious battle and consequent loss of life was saved.

Immediately after sundown in order to carry out in full my instructions, I sent a Squadron of the 2nd Battn. Canadian Mounted Rifles with a mounted detachment of Pioneers and native guides to move North and then East through the Enemy's lines and across his line of retreat in order to cut the railway lines and telegraph line.

The Squadron marched (under Capt. Macdonald) at 8pm fortunately with a Moon and by 1.30am had carried out their orders without mishap. In accordance with the orders given them they withdrew among some Kopjes until daylight and our continued flanking advance should release them from a dangerous position. The eagerness with which the men undertook the job, and responded to the call made upon them would have pleased Your Excellency's Military instincts beyond measure. In fact out Canadians are the sort from which the very best results can be obtained under good leadership and by judicious handling.

After the action at Coetzee's Drift on the 5th, and early the following morning I pushed on and reached Smalldeel Station by 1 p.m., to hear that the Boer Rear Guard was only 15 miles off. I resolved upon a night march to over take them, and had made all arrangments accordingly. Howsoever at 3 p.m. Lord Roberts came up, and upon my telling him of my intentions he told me to save my horses and march the following morning. A second time I lost the opportunity of gripping the enemy in his retreat.

The following morning of 7th May I did march, and reached Wilge Lagen Station 15 miles about 2 p.m. When my scouts told me that the enemy has still not crossed the Zand River and that many of his waggons were still South.

Although my troops had off saddled and the men were lying asleep and tired. I started the whole force in a short ¼ of an hour to engage the enemy South of the Zand River if possible.

We pushed on another 6 miles but found ourselves to late to do anything but make a reconnaissance in force. I had with me only about 2000 men.

I shoved the N.S.W. Mounted Rifles forward down to the Zand River supported by Alderson and his two Battalions of Canadians and a merry musketry fight was beginning between the Boers North of the river and my people on the South, when to my intense astonishment the enemy opened fire with two (2) Creusot Guns at about 8000 yards with extraordinary accuracy.

It was excellent steadying practice for the Canadians, and the big shells lobbed in and among them to an extent which tried them thoroughly.

My reconnaissance had an excellent result in making the whole Boer Force about 6000 show themselves, open fire with their guns, and withdraw to the strong position at Riet Spruit where they afterwards stood on the 10th.

The subsequent turning movements were carried out by my brigade, and the Cavalry Division under French combined, from 10th to 12th may both days inclusive. We made a Mounted Force of approximately as follows:

Canadian Division 2000 Men and 12 Guns
Mtd. Inf. Brigade 2500 Men and 6 Guns
TOTAL 4500 Men 18 Guns

Bivouacking at Dupreez Lager upon the Lower Zand River on the 9th we all marched together at daylight to turn the enemy on the Zand River and especially their right which rested on the Reit Spruit.

About 9.a.m. My people got to work and from to 4.p.m. We were more or less engaged by attacking the Boer flank, and eventually his rear 5 miles North of Venterburg Road Station. French however with his Cavalry Division, in place of swinging round to the East as I had done, continued his advance to the North. He was perhaps too ambitious at any rate about 4.p.m. I found myself with the Boer Army completely turned and retiring discreetly East on my right flank so that had I had another 1000 or 1500 men I could not have helped cutting off the Boer rear and making prisoners of some 1500 to 2000. As I was to weak to commit myself.

The following day I moved North again. Our infantry columns having come up to Ventersburg Road Station and joined French on the march. We then mutually arranged the enveloping movement of the 11th and 12th, which worked out absolutely like Clock-Work, only the Boers were too quick for us and when we closed down Kronstadt at 11.30a.m. On the 12th the birds had fled.

Yesterday I went over the Boer position at Boschrand and realized how completely how completely our flank march had turned them and made their position untenable.

By careful strategy it is not too much to say that many hundreds of lives have been saved. Such is the value of Mounted Troops in modern war!

Opinions differ as regards the future of the war. My view is that we have by no means reached the end but 7oo believe that the Boers will not again fight a big battle. The fear is that the proverbial over confidence of the Briton will lead us into relaxing our precautions.

I fear poor Lawrence Drummond has been invalided home. There has been and is a very great deal of enteric and many deaths especially in the Royal Canadian Regiment. I wish that the two batteries of Royal Canadian Artillery could have been brought up to the front in whole or in part. I used my best endeavors to get this done, and indeed offered to take the two batteries in my column and save a R.H.A. battery, but Lord Kitchener was obliged to yield to G.O.C. Lines of Comm. And leave them at different important points.

I have Major Cartwright on my staff as D.A.A.G. (A), a worthy fellow, and he is beginning to be an of use. I have Lt. Elmsley (Royal Canadian Dragoons) Canadian Mounted Rifles as my extra A.D.C. The lad is most useful and has more than once distinguished himself very highly.

Letters we have not had for the last three weeks and newspapers we have not seen for many a long day.

Remember me most kindly to Lady Minto, and all your happy circle at Government House.

You know the difficulty of writing on service. Might I ask you to give Colonels Foster and Cotton some idea of what I have at some length endeavored to tell you.

Believe Me, Sir

Yours Very Sincerely

Edw. T. H. Hutton


P.S.

This is a magnificent country attractive in all ways. The weather is perfect, cold nights and bright sunny days!

Thank God! My Brigade has been so far most fortunate in having few casualties. Providence seems to especially watch over us, and I pray earnestly that I may continue to do so. In one of our engagements from the 1st May to 12th both inclusive although heavily engaged in six actions we have not lost a single man killed.

Tell Lady Minto that Her Excellency's colours are so prizes that they are not used in our bivouacs, which I tell our officers is a great mistake and not the intention of Her Ladyship.

Good luck and Goodbye until I can find time to write again.....

E.T.H.H.


To be continued. Mike