The beginning of August saw my commandos falling back on Machadodorp. Those
of Erasmus and Grobler remained where they were for the time being, until
the latter was discharged for some reason or other and replaced by Attorney
Beyers. General Erasmus suffered rather worse, for he was deprived of his
rank as a general and reduced to the level of a commandant on account of
want of activity.
Our retreat to Machadodorp was very much like previous experiences of the
kind; we were continually expecting to be cut off from the railway by
flanking movements and this we had to prevent because we had placed one of
our big guns on the rails in an armour-clad railway carriage. The enemy took
care to keep out of rifle range, and the big gun was an element of strength
we could ill afford to lose. Besides, our Government were now moving about
on the railway line near Machadodorp, and we had to check the enemy at all
hazards from stealing a march on us. Both at Witbank Station and near
Middelburg and Pan Stations we had skirmishes, but not important enough to
describe in detail.
After several unsuccessful attempts, the Boer Artillery at last managed to
fire the big gun without a platform. It was tedious work, however, as "Long
Tom" was exceedingly heavy, and it usually took twenty men to serve it. The
mouth was raised from the "kastion" by means of a pulley, and the former
taken away; then and not till then could the gunner properly get the range.
The carriage vacuum sucking apparatus had to be well fixed in hard ground to
prevent recoil.
The enemy repeatedly sent a mounted squad to try and take this gun, and then
there was hard fighting.
One day while we were manœuvring with the "Long Tom," the veldt burst into
flames, and the wind swept them along in our direction like lightning. Near
the gun were some loads of shells and gunpowder, and we had to set all hands
at work to save them. While we were doing this the enemy fired two pom-poms
at us from about 3,000 yards, vastly to our inconvenience.
As
my commando formed a sort of centre for the remainder, Commandant-General
Botha was, as a rule, in our immediate neighbourhood, which made my task
much easier, our generalissimo taking the command in person on several
occasions, if required, and assisting in every possible way.
The enemy pursued us right up to Wonderfontein Station (the first station
south-west of Belfast), about 15 miles from Dalmanutha or Bergendal, and
waited there for Buller's army to arrive from the Natal frontier.
We
occupied the "randten" between Belfast and Machadodorp, and waited events.
While we were resting there Lord Roberts sent us 250 families from Pretoria
and Johannesburg in open trucks, notwithstanding the bitterly cold weather
and the continual gusts of wind and snow. One can picture to oneself the
deplorable condition we found these women and children in.
But, with all this misery, we still found them full of enthusiasm,
especially when the trucks in which they had to be sent on down the line
were covered with Transvaal and Free State flags. They sang our National
Anthem as if they had not a care in the world.
Many burghers found their families amongst these exiles, and some
heartrending scenes were witnessed. Luckily the railway to Barberton was
still in our possession, and at Belfast the families were taken over from
the British authorities, to be sent to Barberton direct. While this was
being done near Belfast under my direction, the unpleasant news came that
our camp was entirely destroyed by a grass fire.
The Commandant-General and myself had set up our camp near Dalmanutha
Station. It consisted of twelve tents and six carts. This was Botha's
headquarters, as well as of his staff and mine. When we came to the spot
that night we found everything burned save the iron tyres of the waggon
wheels, so that the clothes we had on were all we had left us. All my notes
had perished, as well as other documents of value. I was thus deprived of
the few indispensable things which had remained to me, for at Elandslaagte
my "kit" had also fallen into the hands of the British. The grass had been
set on fire by a kaffir to the windward of the camp. The wind had turned
everything into a sea of fire in less than no time, and the attempts at
stamping out the flames had been of no avail. One man gave us a cart,
another a tent; and the harbour at Delagoa Bay being still open (although
the Portuguese had become far from friendly towards us after the recent
British victories) we managed to get the more urgent things we wanted.
Within a few days we had established a sort of small camp near to
headquarters.
We
had plenty to do at this time—building fortresses and digging trenches for
the guns. This of course ought to have been done when we were still at
Donkerhoek by officers the Commandant-General had sent to Machadodorp for
the purpose. We had made forts for our "Long Toms," which were so well
hidden from view behind a rand that the enemy had not discovered them,
although a tunnel would have been necessary in order to enable us to use
them in shelling the enemy. We were therefore obliged to set to work again,
and the old trenches were abandoned. The holes may surprise our posterity,
by the way, as a display of the splendid architectural abilities of their
ancestors.
