The Border Horse was raised in the Eastern portion of Cape Colony in
February 1900, their commander being Colonel Crewe, and when General Brabant
was driving the Boers from about Dordrecht, 200 of the corps joined Major
Maxwell at Labuschagne's Nek on 5th March. On the 4th Maxwell's
Colonials had established themselves on a mountain 1500 feet high on the
east of the Nek, but the troops in front of the position had been held up,
and indeed withdrawn. 'The Times' History, vol iii p 491, mentions that the
two squadrons of the Border Horse, when they arrived on the 5th, "proceeded
to storm the Boer schanzes. By noon the whole Boer force was in full retreat
towards Aliwal North", to which place Brabant and Maxwell followed. On
the 5th the Border Horse lost 2 killed and several wounded. Their
casualties were not so severe as the Cape Mounted Rifles or Frontier Mounted
Rifles.
The Border Horse were stationed at Aliwal North in April 1900, and were
reviewed there by General Brabant, under whom they were to act in the
operations for the relief of Wepener (see Cape Mounted
Rifles). In the advance to Wepener they were in the forefront, and
several times had sharp fighting with casualties. Their work was highly
spoken of by those who witnessed it.
After Wepener was relieved the Border Horse was a component part of the
Colonial Division under General Brabant (see Cape Mounted
Rifles), and in the advance to the Brand water Basin the whole of the
Division often had fighting. The scouting and patrol work was
constant, hard, and, from the nature of the country, very dangerous, and
casualties were frequent. Of the work and the losses the Border Horse
had their full share, but they had the satisfaction of helping to hem in
Prinsloo and his 4000 men. Lieutenant L G Longmore was severely
wounded near Hammonia towards the end of May, and on same occasion 3 men
were killed and several wounded.
At Doornhoek, on 26th August 1900, the corps was heavily engaged, and had
Major M W Robertson severely wounded and about 20 other casualties.
Towards the close of 1900 the Border Horse were with Colonel Crewe in the
Winburg district (see Kaffrarian Rifles),
and at Tabaksberg, on 29th January 1901, they had 10 casualties, including
Captain Cameron wounded. They took part in further fighting about
Winburg towards the end of February. Under Colonel Crewe a portion of the
corps were engaged in the pursuit of De Wet in Cape Colony, and the very
arduous work by which he was driven back across the river and through the
central district of the Orange River Colony in February and March 1901.
Sergeant Major Cruden and 1 man were wounded at Petrusburg in that district
on 9th March. Throughout the remainder of the year the Border Horse
operated chiefly in Cape Colony under various column commanders, and saw
much fighting.
The Mentions gained by the corps were as follows:—
LORD ROBERTS' DESPATCHES: 2nd April 1901.—Majors C P Crewe, M W
Robertson, Regimental Sergeant Major E Burgess, Trooper H E Rutherford.
LORD KITCHENER'S DESPATCHES: 8th March 1901.—Lieutenant M G (or J)
Foxcroft, Company Sergeant Major Johnston promoted 2nd Lieutenant, Lance
Corporal A J Shout promoted Sergeant
8th July 1901.—Corporal J Stevens, promoted Sergeant, in Cape Colony, April
23rd, held a kraal alone and covered retirement of party; in every
engagement has behaved most gallantly.
Colonel Crewe got the CB and Major Robertson the CMG. Private G, Doyle
the DCM in April 1901.
