Medals and awards

December 1899

1st December

Heard today that Ld. Methuen was slightly wounded at Modder River, will be fit in 10 days; his division will have to rest for 6 days to recoup and reinforce.

3rd December

Church this morning. Talking to the Gen. in hall after lunch and remarked it seemed curious that by now they had not established communication with Ladysmith by heliograph and just that moment a boy came up with a telegram to Sir R. conveying news that they had, what a true saying "talk of the devil". We got full list of casualties at Modder River the night before last. 4 officers killed including Col's Stopsford and Lt. Col. Northcott and A.A.G. 19 wounded, 58 men killed, 370 wounded and missing. Communication to Ladysmith was established from Weenen. I have forgotten to mention that Gen. Hildyard made a night attack (small), a battalion and a half at Willow Grange and did good work. Rather an important engagement as to its bearing on campaign.

4th December

Temperature yesterday was 100 in shade and today 74. Got mail of 11th Nov.

5th December

We left by the 10.15 mail for Frere where we arrived at 3.45 am and encamped close to station. All my horses coughing.

6th December

Went out in afternoon to outposts, could see a few Boer tents some 6 or 7 miles to the front. Very warm.

8th December

Went to outposts again this morning, say Boer big gun either on or beyond Imbulwana Mountain fire one shot at Ladysmith; a man was shot yesterday just beyond the outpost line. We have our mess here in the station meeting house, the Boers were in it a fortnight ago and luckily did not damage it. The Frere Bridge the Boers blew down about a fortnight or 3 weeks ago is a few hundred yards down the line from here, it was very well done and must have delighted them to see it, it looks like this

The new bridge has taken a week to make just alongside and a train went over it yesterday. Along the line towards Chievely is the armoured train that was derailed some 3 or 4 weeks ago when they captured a company of Dublin Fusiliers and Winston Churchill, it was returning at the time and they had pulled the line up or something after letting it pass, it was fired on from both sides. The grave of the men who were killed is just alongside with the inscription done with used cartridge cases they fired; a service was held there on 5th Dec. The new railway bridge was built by the N.G.R. railway people. Dined with Byng, who is commanding the S.A. Light Horse, last night; Fraser 1st L.G. the adjutant was there and 30 others

10th December

Saw the gun on Imbulwana fire twice yesterday at Ladysmith. Heard yesterday that a sortie had been made at Ladysmith, very successfully blowing up a 6"gun, a 5" howitzer, and captured a maxim of the Boers, also destroyed their telegraph communication to the North. It's very curious to see odd prisoners brought in, unfortunately they seem to be mostly blacks, tho' 4 Boers with 3 ponies and a fool were brought in the other day and Lees R.N., naval a.d.c. who joined us here has got one of the ponies, not much of a one, and extraordinary little beast; heard a wire today from Gen. Gatacre from Molteno to say he has had a serious reverse and endeavouring to concentrate on Queenstown.

Went out in afternoon to outposts, could see a few Boer tents some 6 or 7 miles to the front. Very warm.

8th December

Went to outposts again this morning, say Boer big gun either on or beyond Imbulwana Mountain fire one shot at Ladysmith; a man was shot yesterday just beyond the outpost line. We have our mess here in the station meeting house, the Boers were in it a fortnight ago and luckily did not damage it. The Frere Bridge the Boers blew down about a fortnight or 3 weeks ago is a few hundred yards down the line from here, it was very well done and must have delighted them to see it, it looks like this

11th December

Saw the big gun on Imbulwana fire four times between 7 and 7.3 0; found in the evening part of Boer camp had been moved but could only see two newly placed tents. Heard news of reverse at Magersfontein but no particulars.

12th December

The naval searchlight signalled 2 nights ago to Ladysmith by order of General to say (in clear) that Ld. M. had been very successful Modder River way and that the report Boers had spread about number of their casualties was erroneous, Lord M. Had buried 80 of them himself tho' their official list only said 12 killed; this of course they would read. Last night was sent "I commence my attack by a bombardment; of course Sir G. White has been told that all messages in clear are only bogus". Maj. Gen. Barton's brigade and some naval guns moved forward today early N.W. of Chievely and encamped on the side of a hill overlooking Colenso. On the 14th we moved with all troops to about 2 miles North of Chievely Station (list of troops in pocket of this book)!

15th December

Struck camp at 2 am. and started off at 4 am to cross the river at Colenso; the naval guns 2x4.7 and 4 long range 12 pdrs. had been firing at Fort Wylie and shelter trenches on two mounds to the west of it practically all previous day, these were the first shots I ever saw fired "in anger". The battle was begun practically at 5.45 by the naval guns who were placed on a Kopje about 4800 yards South W. of Colenso, they firing at the above named mounds; only one or two stray Boers were seen and I doubt if any real damage was done, there was absolutely no reply from the Boers and one began to think there were none there, when a terrific fusilade started; meantime while the naval guns above mentioned were firing (the Comm. in Chief and staff were at that place) the 4 brigades were moving up; Barton on the right was N.E. with the idea, I believe, of flanking the enemy on his left; Hildyard moved directly on to Colenso with the idea of crossing the road bridge there; Lyttleton was on his left to support Hildyard or Hart, who was on the extreme left and his (Hart's) objective was to cross the river over a drift some two miles to the West of Colenso.

As remarked above, there was all at once a tremendous fire opened; it came from Fort Wylie and along the river bank beyond, and also to the West, in the direction where Hart's Bde. was likely to be; one could see naval guns in action in the plain to our right front and also hear other guns which turned out to be 2 of the 3 batteries with Barton's Brigade; the Gen. sent me to see what guns they were and if they were under fire which I discovered to be the case and this was my baptism of fire as evidently a few long shots were taken at me being alone and on a horse, several spits of bullets hit the ground near me, my impression at the time was that they were chance richochets but after further experience I think they were as I say.

The 2 batteries, the 14th and 66th of Col.Hunt's Bde. division were ordered by Col. Long C.R.A. to go on into position right up to within 1200 yards of Fort Wylie; the river here also took a bend round the place where the batteries took up position (see end of diary). White-Thompson, adjutant to Col. Hunt told me he went up with the range-finders and took the range all according to rule and when the batteries came into action a murderous fire was opened on them all round; they gallantly stuck to their guns and shelled Fort Wylie with great effect as the fire was got under there, but after using nearly all their ammunition and Cols. Long and Hunt wounded, Capt. Goldie and Lt. Schreiber killed, Capt. White-Thompson (wounded afterwards),. Lieuts Gethin, Halford, Grylls, Capt. Elton wounded and several men killed and wounded, they had to abandon their guns and retire into a donga close by for cover where they were shot at for the rest of the day if they showed an inch above it. White-T. tells me young Holford was grazed in the chest and then in the face and still went on all by himself serving his gun most gallantly; the horses in the limbers were also put into another donga, the "back donga", about {6 to 800, 8 to 1000} yards back I calculate; one could not see this at the time from the naval position but Capt. Herbert came later to inform us how things were; before he came we saw some of Hart's brigade retiring (and I saw a party of Boers rise from the ground and run into some bush to fire on them), who somehow had got wrong, to their regiment. Col. Parson's Bde div. of two batteries (one was lost at sea) 64th and 73rd made good practice and I saw some then burst most beautifully where the enemy appeared to be from the firing; all this time one could not see a Boer so well were they hidden; Hart's Bde. seemed to be heavily engaged and as were heard afterwards was heavily damaged; in one place the grass had been burnt so as to show up the khaki uniform and the Boers played the waiting game and did not attempt to shoot 'til our men were quite close up. About 8.30 the General moved off to the right, having sent Trotter to see what Hart was doing, and on the way we met Herbert with the news that the 2 batteries on the right were being knocked out, he himself had had two horses shot. When we got down to the right and behind the 2 batteries in the plain there was a very hot fire of both shell and small arms; we found the R.A. guns standing alone with no men and the naval guns had lost their ammunition, the bullocks gone off. We then tried to find Barton which took some time and after he was seen by the General who about this time or before saw that the attack must fail with all the guns out of action, ordered a general retirement. General retirement not ordered till guns found irreparibly lost. Then we went back to the back donga where all the horses and drivers were, which was under a hot fire and the General personally tried to get some of them (men and horses) out to try and recover the guns but there were no officers there; so General and Congreve (R.B.) and self set to work to get some out and we got 2 teams and a corporal and hooked in the teams to limbers just in front; doing this was no easy matter as it was rather difficult without N.C.O's to get men on foot to come and help to hook in; Gerard was coming out when I shouted to him to send me a man or two to help; we got the teams hooked in somehow, I forget how (except I saw Congreve doing his) and then I started off at a gallop with the limbers for the two guns on the right and Roberts,60th, joined in; also Congreve came on tho' I did not find this out till after; the impression I had going on was galloping on a carpet spotted thick thick with spots, it was a very hot fire; after we had gone about 400 yards young Roberts on my left was shot and fell backwards, he had just before been looking at me and smiling, waving his stick in a circular motion like one does one's crop sometimes when one goes away from covert, thinking to have a good burst; Congreve tells me he himself was shot just before this and also his horse and the latter plunging badly, threw him; so so the Corporal and self were left.

When on the way, I saw the lead driver of the right guns riding very wildly; I shouted to him to keep his horse in hand, which I think took them off thinking of the bullets, as it did me a little; on getting to the guns I howled out "wheel about on your guns", which they did quite splendidly, as if on parade; Corp. Nurse and self jumped off our horses and ran to hook on the guns, I found mine rather too far off to drag up alone so told the Corporal to come and help me, which he did and then he put his own gun on which was just in the right place; while he was doing this my wheel driver turned round and said "elevate the muzzle Sir", which I did; they all kept their heads most admirably; we then mounted, galloped for the centre sunken road running across the far donga and I left them in a place of safety some way behind; after crossing the Donga a spent bullet hit me on the thigh, only a tap and didn't leave a mark. Corporal Nurse, drivers Henry Taylor, Young, Potts, Rockall, Lucas, Williams, all of the 66th battery were not touched; 3 or 4 horses got hit; luckily not enough to make them falter or we should not have got off that particular plain I think. The corporal and drivers behaved most admirably and no doubt if they had bungled in their driving on to the guns we could not have got out, they were nailers♦ Afterwards I came back to the donga and found that Hughes, such a nice chap, our H.Q. Staff doctor had been killed. Sir R. had been struck in the side but only enough to knock his wind out and afterwards to raise a bruise which was providential; he seemed to have the most supreme indifference to bullets or shells and at one time of the day I saw him try and make his horse drink some water being then under a moderately hot fire; I think we left this donga about 1.30 and went leisurely to the original position of the naval guns; there we could see the brigades on the right retiring under a hot fire just as if they were on parade; the Naval guns went further to the rear and Col. Parson's brigade division (2 batteries) came into action in their place to cover the retirement. Firing practically ceased about 3 o'clock; the day was very hot and tiring; Roberts, it was afterwards found, was hit thro' the abdomen, the knee and arm; he died next day poor chap, I saw Congreve the next day looking quite well and he was just going to be sent off the to the hospital at Maritzburg, shot right thro' the calf of the leg. The thing that struck one most I think in the battle was the almost entire absence of the sight of a Boer, tho' the fire was something terrific and they must have lined the river bank for some miles; on the exteme right they were on our side South of it on Hlangwane Hill. My impression is that the naval guns did little damage in comparison to their amount of fire, too anxious to fire at too many things without having any definite object. I felt very tired the day after the battle and found it hard to sleep for 2 nights, tho' it did not arrive from excitement but from nerves held in tension I think; I did not find it in the least exciting to be riding about all day and most of it under rather a hot fire; several shells burst quite close to us and if they had been good ones would no doubt stretched most of the staff out. The Boers made very good practice at long ranges and, given good shells, their guns of position would have been most formidable. On the 16th an armistice was made to bury the dead and on the 17th 2 brigades with the artillery and most of the cavalry encamped 2 miles North of Chievely, and the rest and Highlanders staff came back to Frere for water and also to better position our communications. Two or three days after the Naval guns shelled Colenso Bridge with Lyddite and managed to destroy it. I forgot to mention that Congreve, besides being shot thro' the calf, got grazed on the shoulder, the elbow and his horse got hit in the rump and another in front besides the bullet thro' his rider's calf. Gerrard's horse got hit in the neck half way thro' the day but went on all right and I think will get well. Some of the Devonshire Rgt., 2nd Queens, actually got across the river at Colenso and defended themselves for some little time ;

20th Hussars on the left, Hart's brigade, suffered severely, exposed in the open to a withering fire from the enemy on the opposite bank in trenches, but no doubt except for the river they would have turned them out;

Several men got drowned trying to cross the river which apparently had been dammed at the drift.

The following is list of casualties

                                                    Killed officers

 

In many cases I expect officers and men taken prisoners had been wounded and left on the ground before assistance could be procured.

 

N.C.0.'s and Men	killed		wounded
R.F.A.	10		43
S.A.  Lt.H	4		19
Imp. Lt.H.	3		7
Thorneycrofts	5		27
Natal Carabiniers	4		6
2nd Queens	3		89
East Surrey	1		31
Devons	9		60
R.  Inniskilling F	.      19		76
Borderers	6		42
Connaughts	24		103
R.D.F.	38		148
R.S.F.	12		20
R.I.F.	2
	140	R.W.F.	3
		R.F.	2
		R.B.	6
		R.I.F.	20
		D.L.I.	2
		13th Hussars	2
		R.N.	3
			709
	Totals
	Officers                             9	Killed
	46	wounded
	N.C.O's                    140	killed
	709	wounded
Officers missing and presumed
not in above	13
N.C.O.'s and men	ditto                       220
	Total                     1137

 

It was impossible to force an opinion as to Boer losses. The great majority of our cases of wounded were slight.

23rd December

Foreign attaches, German, American, French, Russian, Italians, Japanese, Austrians arrived early this morning; in charge Col. Ivor Herbert; arrived early this morning and I went with them to Colenso, or rather Chievely, to a place where they could see the scene of the battle the other day; they all sketched the looks of the hills etc. beyond, which could not possibly give an idea of the place; the Boers making new intrenchments.

The place certainly looks impregnable unless one had 100 guns and even then would require a lot of doing; what a pity White is shut up in LadysmithS I forgot to say that when I got back to the donga the other day after taking the guns to a place of safety, I found Reed R.A. just off to try and get some more guns; he took 3 teams and drivers up with 5 men without limbers (intending to hook in up there) and make most gallant attempt, but out of the 18 horses 13 were shot and 7 of the men and himself, and he had to come back.

26th December

Went down at 7.30 pm to Maritzburg, as far as Estcourt on an engine, and arrived there 3.30am to meet our stores coming from Cape Town, which were coming with Col. Wymore and some of the H.Q. Staff that had been left behind. Stayed at Imp. Hotel, went to see the wounded officers and found them all doing well, including Col. Long who had had a bullet thro' his arm, liver and kidneys and he is expected to live; Congreve had been sent to Wynberg the day before, the bullet had just grazed the bone and his wound not so slight as was thought.

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