After taking leave of my friend Cronje at Johannesburg Station, my first
duty was to visit my various field cornets. About four o'clock that
afternoon I found my commando was as nearly ready as could be expected. When
I say ready, I mean ready on paper only, as later experience showed. My
three field cornets were required to equip 900 mounted men with waggons and
provisions, and of course they had carte blanche to commandeer. Only fully
enfranchised burghers of the South African Republic were liable to be
commandeered, and in Johannesburg town there was an extraordinary
conglomeration of cosmopolitans amenable to this gentle process of
enlistment.
It
would take up too much time to adequately describe the excitement of
Johannesburg on this memorable day. Thousands of Uitlanders were flying
from their homes, contenting themselves, in their hurry to get away, to
stand in Kaffir or coal trucks and to expose themselves cheerfully to the
fierce sun, and other elements. The streets were palpitating with burghers
ready to proceed to the frontier that night, and with refugees speeding to
the stations. Everybody was in a state of intense feeling. One was
half-hearted, another cheerful, and a third thirsting for blood, while many
of my men were under the influence of alcohol.
When it was known that I had arrived in the town my room in the North
Western Hotel was besieged. I was approached by all sorts of people pleading
exemption from commando duty. One Boer said he knew that his solemn duty was
to fight for his country and his freedom, but he would rather decline.
Another declared that he could not desert his family; while yet another came
forward with a story that of his four horses, three had been commandeered,
and that these horses were his only means of subsistence. A fourth
complained that his waggons and mules had been clandestinely (although
officially) removed. Many malingerers suddenly discovered acute symptoms of
heart disease and brought easily-obtained doctor's certificates, assuring me
that tragic consequences would attend their exposure in the field. Ladies
came to me pleading exemption for their husbands, sisters for brothers,
mothers for sons, all offering plausible reasons why their loved ones should
be exempted from commando duty. It was very difficult to deal with all these
clamorous visitors. I was much in the position of King Solomon, though
lacking his wisdom. But I would venture to say that his ancient majesty
himself would have been perplexed had he been in my place. It is necessary
that the reader should know that the main part of the population was
composed of all nationalities and lacked every element of Boer discipline.
On
the evening of the 29th of September, I left with the Johannesburg commando
in two trains. Two-thirds of my men had no personal acquaintance with me,
and at the departure there was some difficulty because of this. One burgher
came into my private compartment uninvited. He evidently forgot his proper
place, and when I suggested to him that the compartment was private and
reserved for officers, he told me to go to the devil, and I was compelled to
remove him somewhat precipitately from the carriage. This same man was
afterwards one of my most trustworthy scouts.
The following afternoon we reached Standerton, where I received telegraphic
instructions from General Joubert to join my commando to that of Captain
Schiel, who was in charge of the German Corps, and to place myself under the
supreme command of Jan Kock, a member of the Executive Council, who had been
appointed a general by the Government.
We
soon discovered that quite one-third of the horses we had taken with us were
untrained for the serious business of fighting, and also that many of the
new burghers of foreign nationality had not the slightest idea how to ride.
Our first parade, or "Wapenschouwing" gave food for much hilarity. Here one
saw horses waltzing and jumping, while over there a rider was biting the
sand, and towards evening the doctors had several patients. It may be stated
that although not perfectly equipped in the matter of ambulances, we had
three physicians with us, Doctors Visser, Marais, and Shaw. Our spiritual
welfare was being looked after by the Reverends Nel and Martins, but not for
long, as both these gentlemen quickly found that commando life was
unpleasant and left us spiritually to ourselves, even as the European Powers
left us politically. But I venture to state that no member of my commando
really felt acutely the loss of the theological gentlemen who primarily
accompanied us.
On
the following day General Kock and a large staff arrived at the laager, and,
together with the German Corps, we trekked to Paardakop and Klip River, in
the Orange Free State, where we were to occupy Botha's Pass. My convoy
comprised about a hundred carts, mostly drawn by mules, and it was amusing
to see the variety of provisions my worthy field-cornets had gathered
together. There were three full waggons of lime-juice and other unnecessary
articles which I caused to be unloaded at the first halting-place to make
room for more serviceable provisions. It should be mentioned that of my
three field-cornets only one, the late Piet Joubert of Jeppestown, actually
accompanied my commando. The others sent substitutes, perhaps because they
did not like to expose themselves to the change of air. We rested some days
at the Klip River, in the Orange Free State, and from thence I was sent with
a small escort of burghers by our General to Harrismith to meet a number of
Free State officers. After travelling two days I came upon Chief Free State
Commandant Prinsloo, who afterwards deserted, and other officers. The object
of my mission was to organise communications with these officers. On the
11th of October, having returned to my commando, we received a report that
our Government had despatched the Ultimatum to England, and that the time
specified for the reply to that document had elapsed. Hostilities had
begun.
We
received orders to invade Natal, and crossed the frontier that very evening.
I, with a patrol of 50 men, had not crossed the frontier very far when one
of my scouts rode up with the report that a large British force was in sight
on the other side of the River Ingogo. I said to myself at the time: "If
this be true the British have rushed up fairly quickly, and the fat will be
in the fire very soon."
We
then broke into scattered formation and carefully proceeded into Natal.
After much reconnoitring and concealment, however, we soon discovered that
the "large English force" was only a herd of cattle belonging to friendly
Boers, and that the camp consisted of two tents occupied by some Englishmen
and Kaffirs who were mending a defective bridge. We also came across a cart
drawn by four bullocks belonging to a Natal farmer, and I believe this was
the first plunder we captured in Natal. The Englishman, who said he knew
nothing about any war, received a pass to proceed with his servants to the
English lines, and he left with the admonition to in future read the
newspapers and learn when war was imminent. Next day our entire commando was
well into Natal. The continuous rain and cold of the Drakenbergen rendered
our first experience of veldt life, if not unbearable, very discouraging. We
numbered a fairly large commando, as Commandant J. Lombard, commanding the
Hollander corps, had also joined us. Close by Newcastle we encountered a
large number of commandos, and a general council of war was held under the
presidency of Commandant General Joubert. It was here decided that Generals
Lukas Meyer and Dijl Erasmus should take Dundee, which an English garrison
held, while our commandos under General Kock were instructed to occupy the
Biggarburg Pass. Preceded by scouts we wound our way in that direction,
leaving all our unnecessary baggage in the shape of provisions and
ammunition waggons at Newcastle.
One of my acting field-cornets and the field-cornets of the German commando,
prompted by goodness knows what, pressed forward south, actually reaching
the railway station at Elandslaagte. A goods train was just steaming into
the station, and it was captured by these foolhardy young Moltkes. I was
much dissatisfied with this action, and sent a messenger ordering them to
retire after having destroyed the railway. On the same night I received
instructions from General Kock to proceed with two hundred men and a cannon
to Elandslaagte, and I also learned that Captain Schiel and his German Corps
had left in the same direction.
Imagine, we had gone further than had actually been decided at the council
of war, and we pressed forward still further without any attempt being made
to keep in touch with the other commandos on our left and right. Seeing the
inexpediency of this move, I went to the General in command and expressed my
objections to it. But General Kock was firmly decided on the point, and
said, "Go along, my boy." We reached Elandslaagte at midnight; it was
raining very heavily. After scrambling for positions in the darkness,
although I had already sufficiently seen that the lie of the land suggested
no strategic operations, we retired to rest. Two days later occurred the
fateful battle.
