The reports of General Forestier Walker in October 1899 show that this
corps, strength 458, was then under arms and forming part of the garrison of
Cape Town. Throughout the campaign they did much useful service, but
were employed chiefly in garrison duty and in guarding the Cape to Kimberley
railway. It has to be borne in mind that at the commencement of the
campaign neither the Cape Government nor the British generals encouraged the
idea of employing the Cape Colony Volunteers at the front. The view
taken
was to keep them on the railways or about their own towns; some corps,
indeed, do not seem to have been even embodied. The consequence of
this discouraging policy was, as has been pointed out in ' The Times'
History, that an immense number of the best men in the Colony Volunteer
forces joined the South African Light Horse, Roberts' Horse, Kitchener's
Horse, and other irregular regiments. For example, the Army List of
December 1900 showed that 4 officers from the Cape Town Highlanders, 5 from
the Duke of Edinburgh's Volunteers, and 1 from the Cape Garrison Artillery,
were serving in Kitchener's Horse alone.
As a corps the most prominent appearance of the Cape Town Highlanders in
despatches was in connection with a mishap for which, however, they were in
no way to blame. It will be remembered that in October 1900 the enemy,
having been beaten in the Transvaal, made a great effort all over the Orange
River Colony, attacking or sneaking into various towns. In Lord
Roberts' despatch of 15th November 1900, after referring to the attempts on
Jagersfontein, Fauresmith, and Philippolis, he said: "Again at Jacobsdal on
25th October the treacherous part played by some of the inhabitants in
admitting the Boers into their houses during the night led to the temporary
occupation of that town. The Boers opened fire at daybreak on the
garrison, and 14 men were killed and 13 wounded, nearly all belonging to the
Cape Town Highlanders and Cape Artillery. On the news reaching the
Modder River Post, troops were at once detached to Jacobsdal and drove the
Boers off. The houses of the treacherous inhabitants were destroyed;
in three of them were found large stores of soft-nosed bullets. In
this engagement the Boer commandant, Boshman, was killed". Many of the
defenders were shot at close range in their tents or as they were rushing
out. Unfortunately the tents were on the market square, practically
surrounded by houses to which the enemy had got access and from which they
were able to fire in comparative safety. As the attack commenced at
4.30 AM and continued till 2.30 PM, it was most creditable to the garrison,
numbering in all under 60, that they did not surrender. Eight dead
Boers were found. The relieving force was a very small party of Cape
Police, Cape Town Highlanders, and Cape Garrison Artillery, about 50 in all.
As the Boers were nearly 300 strong, they evidently took the relieving party
for the advanced guard of a stronger body.
Throughout 1901 detachments of the Cape Town Highlanders were garrisoning
Ookiep and other places ill Namaqualand, and although the enemy made sundry
attempts none of these places fell into his hands. In his telegram of
21st April 1902 Lord Kitchener said: "In west bulk of enemy's force is round
Ookiep, which has been attacked unsuccessfully. Reinforcements have
arrived now". The defenders of Ookiep were afterwards congratulated on
what was a most creditable stand. They held out against repeated
attacks from 3rd April to 4th May. Lord Kitchener said in his despatch
of 1st June, "No details of the defence of the town have as yet been
received, but General French is of opinion that Colonel Shelton and his men
offered a gallant and determined resistance to the many unsuccessful
attempts made to capture the position". The garrison consisted chiefly
of the Namaqualand Town Guard, small detachments of the 5th Royal
Warwickshire Militia Regiment, of the Cape Garrison Artillery, the
Namaqualand Border Scouts, and a few Volunteers.
The Mentions gained by the corps were as follows:—
LORD ROBERTS' DESPATCHES: 31st March 1900.—Captain
H Watermeyer, who acted as aide-de-camp to Lord Roberts.
2nd April 1901.—Captain Watermeyer, for performing various duties loyally
and well. Private T Moore, since killed.
LORD KITCHENER'S DESPATCH: 23rd June 1902.—Lieutenant Colonel W
Standford; Captains W A Hare, J D Dell; Quartermaster Sergeant W Clark;
Company Sergeant Major P Hardy; Sergeant C Penthill.
