Towards the close of 1900 and throughout 1901 Canada was represented at
the front by a corps known as the Canadian Scouts, commanded by
Major
Howard.
In December 1900 they were with General Alderson west of
Pretoria, and immediately gained the confidence of their leaders, and were
given the difficult task of scouting in front of the brigade. In
January, February, and March 1901 they trekked with General Alderson through
the Eastern Transvaal, his column being one of those which General French
led to the Swazi border in a great sweeping movement, when practically all
the enemy's artillery was captured.
In Lieutenant Moeller's 'Two Years
at the Front', page 153, he says:
"26th January 1901—Object of trek.
We formed part of a big movement south to Ermelo to drive Boers east.
We are one of six columns. Our force consists of the 14th Mounted
Infantry (regulars), 400 men, Major Heigham; 13th Mounted Infantry
(regulars), 300 men, Major Pratt; Canadian Scouts, 50 men, Major Howard;
Canadian pom-pom, Lieutenant Hilton;
Colonel Jenner, DSO, Colt guns, 6; 'J'
Battery, 6 guns; ' G' Battery, 2 guns, Captain Sykes; battalion King's Own
Yorkshire Light Infantry, 800— all under General Alderson".
As appears
from Lieutenant Moeller's Diary, the Canadian Scouts were constantly in the
very front, and of course they had to pay the price; indeed on the following
day, 27th January, he records that 2 scouts were killed. These were
Sergeant Major D J M'Gregor and Sergeant D B Hammond. Sergeant W S
Gordon was wounded. All three had served with 'C' Battery Canadian
Artillery. On the 28th Lieutenant Moeller remarks:
"The Canadian
Scouts are first-rate, and my men are doing well. 29th—A somewhat
exciting incident occurred. Davidson, one of the Canadians, about 2500
yards ahead, was suddenly confronted with four Boers, one of whom demanded
his surrender. He replied by shooting the man and killing him on the
spot; the other three legged it".
Under the 31st he says:
"My skipper,
King, captain in Canadian Dragoons, and a colonel, is a sterling good fellow
and a first-rate soldier; all the Colonials indeed are splendid and real
good fighters; most interesting too. Major Gat-Howard, who is in
command of them, is a Yankee, and went all through the American War.
He has seen much service with Red Indians, and is a typical scout leader".
On 4th February Sergeant Major J A Patterson was killed, and Sergeants H Bredin, A B Cradock, and E W Muncey were wounded. The first two had
served with the Mounted Rifles and Muncey with the Canadian Artillery.
Under February 5th Moeller says:
"To-day I got the billet I like, support to
the Canadian Scouts. February 8th — I met Callaghan, officer, Canadian
Scouts; Davis, Canadian Scout, and really a Red Indian; and another, who
rode forty miles through the Boers with despatches from Kitchener, via
French and Alderson, to Smith-Dorrien. They had a marvellous ride; one
had to bury the despatches and dodge the Boers. Davis, the Redskin,
was taken prisoner, but escaped by shooting several Boers with his revolver.
At night Callaghan dug up the despatches and got them in safe. It
reads like 'Fenimore Cooper'. I have no time to write details,
but it was a wonderfully exciting ride. February 17th, Derby—Stood to
arms at 3 AM; orders to go out at 6 AM east, then proceed south-east towards
Swaziland border to round up 200 or 300 Boers shut up in the hills with
their waggons. The force consisted of 14th Mounted Infantry (Captain
Brass), 13th Mounted Infantry (Major Pratt), 4 guns 'J' Battery (Captain
Sykes), 2 Colt guns, Canadian Scouts (Captain Ross)—all under Major
Gat-Howard, Royal Canadians. Singular that a British force should be
commanded by a semi-American officer. There is a cold drizzling rain,
and it is very misty. We started at 8.30 AM I was support to scouts
and advanced guard. Trekked eight miles east and southeast, and halted
in the hills owing to the rain and thick white mist. Dick's force is
also moving, as well as Campbell and Smith-Dorrien. Objective of all,
to round up these Boers and waggons. Waited till 3 PM Still misty.
Suddenly the scouts moved forward at a trot, and I followed on their heels.
It is an extraordinarily difficult country, with its hills, valleys, and
deep gorges. Heard rifle-fire and Mausers going off, so pushed
forward, dismounted my men and again pushed forward; found Canadians holding
a rocky ridge immediately in front of a huge kopje, which was steep and
covered with bush. In the valley were four Boer waggons; pushed on and
joined them. I am sorry to say
Major Howard and his
orderly were found killed, and a native scout shot. Poor Major Howard
no doubt met his death by going too far ahead alone. He spotted the
waggons, went to them, and got shot. A little later I heard that he
actually surrendered and the Boers shot him afterwards. He was hit in
three places—arm, jaw, and stomach—all expanding cartridges. His
orderly had a terrible wound through the back and stomach. Well, we
burnt all the waggons, put the two dead men in sheets, and sent for an
ambulance. I only saw the major in the morning, and he gave me all
instructions about following his scouts up. He was fifty-five
yesterday; a splendid scout and soldier, his one and only fault being his
daring, if it can be called a fault. Beattie, the General's ADC, was
the first to find them. He had his horse shot, and had a narrow escape
as well, as they were potting at him at 200 and 300 yards. Major Pratt
took the command, and sent back word that we were to retire as soon as we
could, as it was getting dark, besides being more misty. The fact is
that Major Howard and his orderly were foully murdered after surrendering
and laying down their arms".
On 16th February the Scouts had Sergeant
F C A Douglas mortally wounded, and Sergeant G L Abbott and Sergeant Carter
wounded; on the 18th Major Howard and Sergeant Northway, who had served
with the Mounted Rifles, killed. As will have been seen, the
casualties among the senior non-commissioned officers on this trek were most
severe, and out of all proportion to the losses of the column, which were
otherwise almost none. The fact was that the Canadian Scouts had
undertaken extremely dangerous work, and had done it so thoroughly that
their self-sacrifice saved all their comrades. Major Ross got the
command of the Scouts on Major Howard's death, and they continued to do
splendidly under their new leader.
The extracts given above are the words, not written for publication, of a
British officer of great insight and intelligence, and no better proof could
be wanted of the value of the Canadian Scouts.
Lieutenant Moeller was
himself to fall in the same Eastern Transvaal on 18th December 1901.
His Diary is one of the most valuable war books yet published.
The Canadian Scouts were with Colonel Hackett-Thompson's column in the
Megaliesberg for part of the year 1901. In July they joined a column
then being organised at Heilbron under Colonel Rimington, and in the war
record of that leader's regiment, the Inniskilling Dragoons, there are many
references to the fine work of the Canadian Scouts. The column did an
immense lot of driving work in the north-east of the Orange River Colony.
Under the 3rd New South Wales Mounted Rifles some extracts from the
Inniskillings' record are given. These show the nature and great value
of the work done by Rimington's force. In February 1902 the Scouts
suffered casualties in the Orange River Colony on various occasions; 5 were
wounded on the 9th. In April they were taken to the Transvaal and did
more heavy work there. On 3rd May 1 was killed and Lieutenant J
M'Dougall and 3 men were wounded in the Balmoral district.
In Lord Kitchener's despatch of 8th April 1902 he referred to the great drives in
which Rimington's column took a most prominent share. After mentioning
the captures, Lord Kitchener said: "In addition to this Major Boss of the
Canadian Scouts, belonging to Rimington's column, had discovered in a cave
near Tafel Kop a large Boer depot containing 300,000 rounds of small-arm
ammunition, mostly Martini-Henry, also 10,000 Lee-Metford, some Krupp and
15-pounder shells and fuzes, 600 pom-pom shells, 200 Ib of powder, one maxim
gun complete", etc.
