At
Windhoek we were again attacked by an English column. The reader will
probably be getting weary of these continual attacks, and I hasten to assure
him that we were far more weary than he can ever grow. On the first day of
the fight we succeeded in forcing back the enemy, but on the second day, the
fortunes of war were changed and after a fierce fight, in which I had the
misfortune to lose a brave young burgher named Botha, we gave up arguing the
matter with our foes and retired.
The enemy followed us up very closely, and although I used the sjambok
freely amongst my men I could not persuade them, not even by this ungentle
method, to make a stand against their foes, and as we passed Witpoort the
enemy's cavalry with two guns was close at our heels.
Not until the burghers had reached Maagschuur, between the Bothas and
Tautesbergen, would they condescend to make a stand and check the enemy's
advance. Here after a short but sharp engagement, we forced them to return
to Witpoort, where they pitched camp.
Our mill, which I have previously mentioned as being an important source of
our food supply, was again burned to the ground.
Our commandos returned to Olifant's River and at the cobalt mine near there
joined those who had remained behind under General Muller. The enemy,
however, who seemed determined, if possible, to obliterate us from the
earth's surface, discovered our whereabouts about the middle of July, and
attacked us in overwhelming numbers. We had taken up a position on the "Randts,"
and offered as much resistance as we could. The enemy poured into us a heavy
shell fire from their howitzers and 15-pounders, while their infantry
charged both our extreme flanks. After losing many men, a battalion of
Highlanders succeeded in turning our left flank, and once having gained this
advantage, and aided by their superior numbers, the enemy were able to take
up position after position, and finally rendered it impossible to offer any
further resistance. Late in the afternoon, with a loss of five wounded and
one man killed—an Irish-American, named Wilson—we retired through the
Olifant's River, near Mazeppa Drift, the enemy staying the night at
Wagendrift, about three miles further up the stream. The following morning
they forded the river, and proceeded through Poortjesnek and Donkerhoek, to
Pretoria, thus allowing us a little breathing space. I now despatched some
reliable burghers to report our various movements to the Commandant-General,
and to bring news of the other commandos. It was three weeks before these
men returned, for they had on several occasions been prevented from crossing
the railway line, and they finally only succeeded in doing so under great
difficulties. They reported that the English on the high veldt were very
active and numerous.
About the middle of July I left General Muller to take a rest with the
commando, and accompanied by half a score of adjutants and despatch riders,
proceeded to Pilgrimsrust in the Lydenburg district to visit the commandos
there, and allay as much as I could the dissatisfaction caused by my
reorganisation.
At
Zwagerhoek, a kloof some 12 miles south of Lydenburg, through which the
waggon track leads from Lydenburg to Dullstroom, I found a field-cornet with
about 57 men. Having discussed the situation with them and explained
matters, they were all satisfied.
Here I appointed as field-cornet a young man of 23 years of age, a certain
J. S. Schoenman, who distinguished himself subsequently by his gallant
behaviour.
We
had barely completed our arrangements when we were again attacked by one of
the enemy's columns from Lydenburg. At first we successfully defended
ourselves, but at last were compelled to give way.
I
do not believe we caused the enemy any considerable losses, but we had no
casualties. The same night we proceeded through the enemy's line to
Houtboschloop, five miles east of Lydenburg, where a small commando was
situated, and having to proceed a very roundabout way, we covered that night
no less than 40 miles.
Another meeting of all burghers north of Lydenburg was now convened, to be
held at a ruined hotel some 12 miles west of Nelspruit Station, which might
have been considered the centre of all the commandos in that district. I
found that these were divided into two parties, one of which was
dissatisfied with the new order of things I had arranged and desired to
re-instate their old officers, while the other was quite pleased with my
arrangements. The latter party was commanded by Mr. Piet Moll, whom I had
appointed commandant instead of Mr. D. Schoeman, who formerly used to occupy
that position. At the gathering I explained matters to them and tried to
persuade the burghers to be content with their new commandants. It was
evident, however, that many were not to be satisfied and that they were not
to be expected to work harmoniously together. I therefore decided to let
both commandants keep their positions and to let the men follow whichever
one they chose, and I took the first opportunity of making an attack on the
enemy so as to test the efficiency of these two bodies.
Taking the two commandos with their respective two commandants in an
easterly direction to Wit River, we camped there for a few days and scouted
for the enemy on the Delagoa Bay Railway, so as to find out the best spot to
attack. We had just decided to attack Crocodilpoort Station in the evening
of the 1st August, when our scouts reported that the English, who had held
the fort at M'pisana's Stad, between our laager in Wit River and Leydsdorp,
were moving in the direction of Komati Poort with a great quantity of
captured cattle.
Our first plan was therefore abandoned and I ordered 50 burghers of each
commando to attack this column at M'pisana's fort at once, as they had done
far too much harm to be allowed to get away unmolested. They were a group of
men called "Steinacker's Horse," a corps formed of all the desperadoes and
vagabonds to be scraped together from isolated places in the north,
including kaffir storekeepers, smugglers, spies, and scoundrels of every
description, the whole commanded by a character of the name of ——. Who or
what this gentleman was I have never been able to discover, but judging by
his work and by the men under him, he must have been a second Musolino. This
corps had its headquarters at Komati Poort, under Major Steinacker, to whom
was probably entrusted the task of guarding the Portuguese frontier, and he
must have been given carte blanche as regards his mode of operation.
From all accounts the primary occupation of this corps appeared to be
looting, and the kaffirs attached to it were used for scouting, fighting,
and worse. Many families in the northern part of Lydenburg had been attacked
in lonely spots, and on one occasion the white men on one of these marauding
expeditions had allowed the kaffirs to murder ten defenceless people with
their assegais and hatchets, capturing their cattle and other property. In
like manner were massacred the relatives of Commandants Lombard, Vermaak,
Rudolf and Stoltz, and doubtless many others who were not reported to me.
The reader will now understand my anxiety to put some check on these lawless
brigands. The instructions to the commando which I had sent out, and which
would reach M'pisana's in two days, were briefly to take the fort and
afterwards do as circumstances dictated. If my men failed they would have
the desperadoes pursue them on their swift horses, and all the kaffir tribes
would conspire against us, so that none would escape on our side. A kaffir
was generally understood to be a neutral person in this War, and unless
found armed within our lines, with no reasonable excuse for his presence, we
generally left him alone. They were, however, largely used as spies against
us, keeping to their kraals in the daytime and issuing forth at night to
ascertain our position and strength. They also made good guides for the
English troops, who often had not the faintest idea of the country in which
they were. It must not be forgotten that when a kaffir is given a rifle he
at once falls a prey to his brutal instincts, and his only amusement
henceforth becomes to kill without distinction of age, colour, or sex.
Several hundreds of such natives, led by white men, were roaming about in
this district, and all that was captured, plundered or stolen was equally
divided among them, 25 per cent. being first deducted for the British
Government.
I
have indulged in this digression in order to describe another phase with
which we had to contend in our struggle for existence. I have reason to
believe, however, that the British Commander-in-Chief, for whom I have
always had the greatest respect, was not at that time aware of the
remarkable character of these operations, carried on as they were in the
most remote parts of the country; and there is no doubt that had he been
aware of their true character he would have speedily brought these
miscreants to justice.
