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A Harrismith Volunteer Light Horseman - Charles Richard Alexander 3 years 1 month ago #80884

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Charles Richard Alexander

Trooper, Harrismith Volunteer Light Horse – Anglo Boer War
Trooper, Natal Mounted Rifles – Natal (Bambatha Rebellion)

- Queens South Africa Medal with clasps Orange Free State and South Africa 1901 to TPR. C. ALEXANDER, HARRISMITH VOL. L.H.
- Natal Medal to TPR. C.R. ALEXANDER, NATAL MTD. RIFLES

Charles Alexander was born in Durban in the Colony of Natal on 21 May 1876, the son of Richard Charles Alexander and his wife Sarah Jane of Smith Street in Durban. Mr Alexander was a man of some standing in the Durban community – the Natal Who’s Who of 1906 describing him as:

‘J.P. and Chief Constable of the Borough of Durban for the past 30 years. Has the unique record of at one time being the youngest Sergeant Major in the British Army. Was appointed to that position in Prince Albert’s Own Regiment at the age of 23 – a feat never before or since known. Best shot and judge of distance in the British Army in 1866, in the Mediterranean in 1872, and Natal in 1878. Has rendered invaluable service to the Borough of Durban, Natal and the Empire.’

With such a pedigree, one would expect that a young Charles would be destined to follow in his fathers somewhat illustrious footsteps, but this was not the case. At an undetermined age, and having finished his schooling, he moved over the Drakensberg Mountains, the natural border between Natal and the Orange Free State and settled in the delightful little town of Harrismith where he pursued the profession of auctioneer. It was in these rustic surroundings that he found himself on 11 October 1899, the date war was declared between Great Britain and the two Dutch-speaking republics of the Transvaal and the Orange Free State – the latter being home to a number of English speakers, Alexander being but one of them.

The advent of war with Britain provided an uneasy situation for the English-speaking people resident in Harrismith. According to law, after three years' residence in the Free State, they automatically became citizens (Burgers), and as such were eligible to be called up for military service.

Some of these men, while refusing to fight their kith and kin, undertook guard duties in the town in order to fulfil their obligations as citizens. It was understood that instructions from the Chief Commandant, M Prinsloo, were that no citizen of British extraction should be commandeered, but this pledge was broken. Those who refused to fight protested, were arrested and prosecuted. Thirty-five men were sentenced to a fine of 300 Pounds or three years imprisonment. Six, who had left the town were sentenced in absentia to a fine of 500 Pounds or five years. The remainder, who felt they owed allegiance to their country, joined the Boer ranks.

During the first few months of the war, the Harrismith population suffered the privations of war. No trains ran and, as a result, there was a shortage of basic commodities including tea, coffee, sugar, candles and matches. As early as November 1899, the English-speaking inhabitants received a 'warning' from the Harrismith commando at Ladysmith accusing them of 'Jingoism' because of their 'vile and shameless acts and deeds'. Whatever these acts or deeds were was not indicated by the 23 signatories which appeared in the local Harrismith News.

Up to January 1900 the little Cottage Hospital treated 25 British prisoners of war of whom 2 had died. These were men sent over the “Berg” from the Natal campaign. Another 18 Boers received medical attention, all of whom were discharged except one who died. Later, the government school and the Town Hall were used as hospitals.

Harrismith was to be occupied by the British from early August 1900 until the end of the war. The Eighth Infantry Division under General Rundle was to use the town as a base from where operations were conducted in order to provide the protection of convoys to distant garrisons, and to assist in the giant sweeps by columns of mounted men in the eastern Free State, and, by means of blockhouses and troops, to ensure an effective barrier to halt the marauding Boers.

The Government buildings, the post office and the banks were placed under surveillance. The railway station was also occupied. No resistance was offered. (All the Boer officials had departed two days previously). Landdrost Warden agreed to hand over the keys of the public buildings and the town's documents. He took the oath of neutrality and agreed to continue his duties until the British commander of the 8th Division entered the town on 6 August. Rundle set up his headquarters in the house of Mr Z J de Beer on the corner of Fraser and Biddulph Streets. Warden, observed burning the town's documents, was reported to the authorities and deported to Durban. The English population of the town were delighted to see the arrival of the troops. A big concert 'Welcome to her Majesty's Troops' was given in the Town Hall. Within five days of the British occupation, railway communication was established between Harrismith and Ladysmith after having been severed for ten months, and henceforth the troops at Harrismith obtained their supplies from Natal.

In the ensuing months the number of troops increased, and many encampments were established around the town. The 3rd Dragoon Guards and the Staffordshire Regiment pitched their tents under Stafford Hill, the Royal Highlanders at 42nd Hill, while the Manchester Regiment, the Grenadier Guards and, later, the 4th King's Royal Rifles were quartered on Basuto Hill. To enable the latter group to reach town, a suspension bridge was built across the Wilge River. The artillery took post on Queen's Hill, while a convalescent camp, No. 19 Stationary Hospital was situated to the south of the town near a farmstead which was the headquarters of the Scots Guards.

In order to ensure that the town's water supply was not interfered with, a blockhouse manned by soldiers was constructed near the Von During and Hawkins Dams.

But despite being a major forward base for the British, the threat from the Boers was never very far away with General Olivier and the Harrismith and Vrede Commandos constantly on the prowl. Early in August Maj Gen Boyes marched north with a column along the road from Harrismith to Vrede, information having been received that Olivier was near Reitz, reinforcements were sent out, but Olivier escaped to the district of Heilbron.

As soon as Lord Roberts heard of these events, he ordered officers in command of columns to suppress any rebellion, to remove all horses and forage, and collect all livestock of those Boers or their sons who had taken the oath of neutrality and then gone on commando. In a memorandum issued in December 1900, Kitchener instructed all officers commanding in the field to remove all Boer men, women and children and Blacks from districts which the commandos frequently occupied. This policy was thought necessary because the removal of their families would induce the fighting Boers to surrender and thus shorten the war.

The anniversary of the British occupation of Harrismith (4 August 1901) was a great day for celebration. The town's municipality donated several items to the inmates including sweets for the children.

The HVLH in the field

In January 1901 a volunteer detachment known as the Harrismith Volunteer Light Horse, was established under Captain H Hawkins. It comprised some 100 members, most of whom were English-speaking inhabitants of the town. It was to this body of men that Alexander gravitated, becoming, according to the regimental muster book, a member of D Company with No. 120 and the rank of Trooper. The HVLH performed duties in the town but extended its activities to the district as guides and scouts for Imperial troops in laying waste the countryside. While the detachment was away most of the shops in the town remained closed owing to the fact that many of the shop assistants belonged to the HVLH. Alexander’s auctioneering business would have suffered a similar fate.

The only incident worthy of note in which the HVLH was involved occurred on 28 July 1901. A report was received that some 80 Boers, under Commandant F. Jacobsz, had occupied hilly country on the farm Saaihoek in the district of Witzieshoek. Some 600 Yeomanry and the HVLH, sent out from Harrismith, came across 40 Boers all of whom, while evading possible capture, occupied some of the surrounding hills. Jacobsz and the remaining Boers then arrived on the scene. While the HVLH began to retire, a group of Yeomanry was ambushed on a ridge. In this action 3 were killed (including one officer) and 5 wounded while 32 were captured. On the Boer side there was only one casualty, Jacobsz, who was severely wounded. The Boers allowed the British to take their dead and wounded back to Harrismith. The remainder were held captive until escorted to Basutoland (Lesotho). From there they walked back to Harrismith, arriving a week later.

Apart from this incident nothing of significance took place in the vicinity of Harrismith. Only once did the Boers come to the town when they drove off 32 head of cattle. During the period of its existence no member of the HVLH was wounded or captured and the unit was disbanded in August 1902. For his efforts Alexander and 98 of his comrades were awarded the Queens Medal – in his instance with the clasps Orange Free State and South Africa 1901 .

HVLH watering their mounts

What become of him immediately after the Boer War is unknown. At some point he moved back to Durban where he continued as an auctioneer. On 23 October 1905, with his illustrious father as a witness, he wed Jane Vezey at St. Paul’s in Durban, but trouble was brewing, not on the marital front, but in Natal.

The dawn of 1906 brought the Zulu Rebellion to the very doorsteps of the citizens of rural Natal. As a Colony, Natal had passed through ten difficult years: it had been inflicted with a plague of locusts; diseases (rinderpest, lung fever and East Coast Fever) had decimated its cattle, while successive years of drought had scorched its earth and stunted the growth of its crops. And then had come the expensive Anglo Boer War. The natives, no less than the Europeans, had suffered considerably. There was a wave of financial depression through the Colony and the Government’s coffers were empty.

The powers-that-be hit upon a scheme to remedy this – they decided to impose a poll-tax of £1 on every unmarried male, irrespective of race over 18 years. This didn’t go well with some blacks although it was sullenly accepted by most. A young hot-head named Bambatha of the Zondi tribe openly fomented opposition to the imposition and collection of this tax and agitated for rebellion amongst his people and all who were prepared to listen.

The first act of open rebellion occurred on 7 February 1906 when a party of men, including the Magistrate, went to Henley to collect the tax, some of the blacks were armed and adopted a threatening posture. The next day when a party of Natal Police were sent to arrest them shots were exchanged killing two members of the Police. A few days later Martial Law was declared and volunteer units in the district were mobilised.

The Natal Mounted Rifles, 280 strong, were mobilised on 23 February 1906 forming part of what became known as Leuchar’s Column. After the initial disturbance was over the Militia were stood down and the N.M.R. returned home to Durban. But why is mention being made of the N.M.R.? Because it was this unit that Alexander joined as a Trooper.

Just when it was thought that disaffection was gradually disappearing a second and more vigorous phase of the Rebellion suddenly started – a phase wherein Bambatha played a pivotal role – he was described as a “vicious type of man, with a violent temper and an insatiable appetite for kaffir beer”

On 18 April 1906 the N.M.R. and other local units were called out and were mobilised on 1 May 1906 being split into two detachments – A and B Squadron bound for Mapumulo and the other, the remainder of the regiment, bound for Helpmekaar via Dundee for it was known that Bambatha had fled into the Nkandla Forest near that area.

On 12 May there was a fight at Elandskraal involving about 100 of the N.M.R. The guns opened fire on a Chief Mveli’s kraal while the troops searched the bush in the area. The rebels were unable to withstand the fire for long and fled in every direction leaving 29 dead a number wounded. From then on it was a case of escorting wagons in the rebel-infested area until a directive was received ordering them to proceed by rail to Greytown and then Spitzkop to link up with the Umvoti Field Force. They left here on 7 June for Broeder’s Hoek having received intelligence that a large rebel force close to the Tugela River.

After a night march on 12 June they crossed the Tugela into Zululand burning the kraals as they went, the object being to drive the enemy into the valley of the Mfongosi River. The drive proved unsuccessful – the rebel Chief Sigananda surrendered on 16 June while information was also received that Bambatha had been killed in an action at Mome Gorge.

The N.M.R. also distinguished themselves in other actions during the Rebellion – the actions at Otimati, Peyana and Thring’s Post to name a few all of which involved vastly superior numbers of rebels who, however, proved no match for the well trained and well-led troops. On 30 July 1906 all Militia troops were ordered to demobilise and return home. For his efforts Alexander received the Natal Medal which had been authorised by the Natal Government in 1907. This silver medal was awarded for service between 8 Feb-3 Aug 1906. To qualify for the medal, a soldier or policeman had to have served in the field for at least twenty days between 11 February 1906 and 3 August 1906. Those who had served for fifty days or longer qualified for the award of the 1906 Clasp to the medal. Alexander’s was awarded without clasp.

Charles Alexander passed away on Wednesday, 1 July 1913 at the early age of 35. He was resident at Red Hill, now a suburb of Durban, at the time. He was survived by his wife and children – Geoffrey Charles Vezey Alexander (born 17 August 1906), Kenneth Frank Alexander (born 23 May 1911) and a daughter born, tragically, twelve days after he died – on 13 July 1913.