Our first intention was to proceed to Vereeniging, there to join General
Botha's forces. At Klip River Station, that preceding Vereeniging, I was
ordered, however, to leave my carts behind and proceed with my men to
Vaalbank, as the enemy were advancing with forced marches, and had compelled
all the other commandos to fall back on Vereeniging.
On
our way we met groups of retreating burghers, each of whom gave us a
different version of the position. Some said that the enemy had already
swept past Vereeniging, others that they could not now be stopped until they
reached Johannesburg. Further on, we had the good fortune to encounter
General Botha and his staff. The General ordered me to take up a position at
the Gatsrand, near the Nek at Pharaohsfontein, as the British, having split
their forces up into two parts, would send one portion to cross the Vaal
River at Lindeque's Drift, whilst the other detachments would follow the
railway past Vereeniging. Generals Lemmer and Grobler were already posted at
the Gatsrand to obstruct the enemy's progress.
I
asked General Botha how we stood. He sighed, and answered: "If only the
burghers would fight we could stop them easily enough; but I cannot get a
single burgher to start fighting. I hope their running mood will soon change
into a fighting mood. You keep your spirits up, and let us do our duty."
"All right, General," I answered, and we shook hands heartily.
We
rode on through the evening and at midnight halted at a farm to give our
horses rest and fodder. The owner of the farm was absent on duty, and his
family had been left behind. On our approach the women-folk, mistaking us
for Englishmen, were terrified out of their wits. Remembering the atrocities
and horrors committed in Natal on the advance of the Imperial troops, they
awaited the coming of the English with the greatest terror. On the approach
of the enemy many women and children forsook their homes and wandered about
in caves and woods for days, exposed to every privation and inclemency of
the weather, and to the attacks of wandering bands of plundering kaffirs.
Mrs. van der Merwe, whom we met here, was exceedingly kind to us, and gave
us plenty of fodder for our horses. We purchased some sheep, and slaughtered
them and enjoyed a good meal before sunrise; and each one of us bore away a
good-sized piece of mutton as provisions for the future.
Our scouts, whom we had despatched over night, informed us that Generals
Lemmer and Grobler had taken up their stand to the right of Pharaohsfontein
in the Gatsrand, and that the English were approaching in enormous force.
By
nine in the morning we had taken up our positions, and at noon the enemy
came in sight. Our commando had been considerably reduced, as many burghers,
finding themselves near their homes, had applied for twenty-four hours'
leave, which had been granted in order to allow them to arrange matters
before the advance of the English on their farms made it impossible. A few
also had deserted for the time being, unable to resist the temptation of
visiting their families in the neighbourhood.
Some old burghers approached us and hailed us with the usual "Morning, boys!
Which commando do you belong to?"
"Viljoen's."
"We would like to see your Commandant," they answered.
Presenting myself, I asked: "Who are you, and where do you come from, and
where are you going to?"
They answered: "We are scouts of General Lemmer and we came to see who is
holding this position."
"But surely General Lemmer knows that I am here?"
"Very probably," they replied, "but we wanted to know for ourselves; we
thought we might find some of our friends amongst you. You come from Natal,
don't you?"
"Yes," I answered sadly. "We have come to reinforce the others, but I fear
we can be of little use. It seems to me that it will be here as it was in
Natal; all running and no fighting."
"Alas!" they said, "the Free Staters will not remain in one position, and we
must admit the Transvaalers are also very disheartened. However, if the
British once cross our frontiers you will find that the burghers will fight
to the bitter end."
Consoled by this pretty promise we made up our minds to do our best, but our
outposts presently brought word that the British were bearing to the right
and nearing General Grobler's position, and had passed round that of General
Lemmer. Whilst they attacked General Grobler's we attacked their flank, but
we could not do much damage, as we were without guns. Soon after the enemy
directed a heavy artillery fire on us, to which we, being on flat ground,
found ourselves dangerously exposed.
Towards evening the enemy were in possession of General Grobler's position,
and were passing over the Gatsrand, leaving us behind. I ordered my commando
to fall back on Klipriversberg, while I rode away with some adjutants to
attempt to put myself in communication with the other commandos.
The night was dark and cloudy, which rendered it somewhat difficult for us
to move about in safety. We occasionally fell into ditches and trenches, and
had much trouble with barbed wire. However, we finally fell in with General
Lemmer's rearguard, who informed us that the enemy, after having overcome
the feeble resistance of General Grobler, had proceeded north, and all the
burghers were retreating in haste before them.
We
rode on past the enemy to find General Grobler and what his plans were. We
rode quite close to the English camp, as we knew that they seldom posted
sentries far from their tents. On this occasion, however, they had placed a
guard in an old "klipkraal," for them a prodigious distance from their camp,
and a "Tommy" hailed us from the darkness.—
"Halt, who goes there?"
I
replied "Friend," whereupon the guileless soldier answered:
"Pass, friend, all's well."
I
had my doubts, however. He might be a Boer outpost anxious to ascertain if
we were Englishmen. Afraid to ride into ambush of my own men, I called out
in Dutch:
"Whose men are you?"
The Tommy lost his temper at being kept awake so long and retorted testily,
"I can't understand your beastly Dutch; come here and be recognized." But we
did not wait for identification, and I rode off shouting back "Thanks, my
compliments to General French, and tell him that his outposts are asleep."
This was too much for the "Tommy" and his friends, who answered with a
volley of rifle fire, which was taken up by the whole line of British
outposts. No harm was done, however, and we soon rode out of range. I gave
up looking for General Grobler, and on the following morning rejoined my men
at Klipriversberg.
It
was by no means easy to find out the exact position of affairs. Our scouts
reported that the enemy's left wing, having broken through General Grobler's
position, were now marching along Van Wijk's Rust. I could, however, obtain
no definite information regarding the right wing, nor could I discover the
General under whose orders I was to place myself. General Lemmer, moreover,
was suffering from an acute disease of the kidneys, which had compelled him
to hand over his command to Commandant Gravett, who had proved himself an
excellent officer.
General Grobler had lost the majority of his men, or what was more likely
the case, they had lost him. He declared that he was unaware of General
Botha's or Mr. Kruger's plans, and that it was absurd to keep running away,
but he clearly did not feel equal to any more fighting, although he had not
the moral courage to openly say so. From this point this gentleman did no
further service to his country, and was shortly afterwards dismissed. The
reader will now gather an idea of the enormous change which had come over
our troops. Six months before they had been cheerful and gay, confident of
the ultimate success of their cause; now they were downhearted and in the
lowest of spirits. I must admit that in this our officers were no exception.
Those were dark days for us. Now began the real fighting, and this under the
most difficult and distressing circumstances; and I think that if our
leaders could have had a glimpse of the difficulties and hardships that were
before us, they would not have had the courage to proceed any further in the
struggle.
Early next morning (the 29th May, 1900) we reached Klipspruit, and found
there several other commandos placed in extended order all the way up to
Doornkop.
Amongst them was that of General De la Rey, who had come from the Western
frontier of our Republic, and that of General Snyman, whom I regard as the
real defender and reliever of Mafeking, for he was afraid to attack a
garrison of 1,000 men with twice that number of burghers.
Before having had time to properly fortify our position we were attacked on
the right flank by General French's cavalry, while the left flank had to
resist a strong opposing force of cavalry. Both attacks were successfully
repulsed, as well as a third in the centre of our fighting line.
The British now marched on Doornkop, their real object of attack being our
extreme right wing, but they made a feint on our left. Our line of defence
was very extended and weakened by the removal of a body of men who had been
sent to Natal Spruit to stop the other body of the enemy from forcing its
way along the railway line and cutting off our retreat to Pretoria.
The battle lasted till sunset, and was especially fierce on our right, where
the Krugersdorpers stood. Early in the evening our right wing had to yield
to an overwhelming force, and during the night all the commandos had to fall
back. My commando, which should have consisted of about 450 men, only
numbered 65 during this engagement; our losses were two men killed. I was
also slightly wounded in the thigh by a piece of shell, but I had no time
to attend such matters, as we had to retire in haste, and the wound soon
healed.
The next day our forces were again in full retreat to Pretoria, where I
understood we were to make a desperate stand. About seven o'clock we passed
through Fordsburg, a suburb of Johannesburg.
We
had been warned not to enter Johannesburg, as Dr. Krause, who had taken from
me the command of the town, had already surrendered it to Lord Roberts, who
might shell it if he found commandos were there. Our larger commissariat had
proceeded to Pretoria, but we wanted several articles of food, and strange
to say the commissariat official at Johannesburg would not give us anything
for fear of incurring Lord Roberts' displeasure!
I
was very angry; the enemy were not actually in possession of the town, and I
therefore should have been consulted in the matter; but these irresponsible
officials even refused to grant us the necessaries of life!
At
this time there was a strong movement on foot to blow up the principal
mines about Johannesburg, and an irresponsible young person named Antonie
Kock had placed himself at the head of a confederacy with this object in
view. But thanks to the explicit orders of General L. Botha, which were
faithfully carried out by Dr. Krause, Kock's plan was fortunately
frustrated, and I fully agree with Botha that it would have been most
impolitic to have allowed this destruction. I often wished afterwards,
however, that the British military authorities had shown as much
consideration for our property.
We
had to have food in any case, and as the official hesitated to supply us we
helped ourselves from the Government Stores, and proceeded to the capital.
The roads to Pretoria were crowded with men, guns, and vehicles of every
description, and despondency and despair were plainly visible on every human
face.
