BOTHASBERG.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 750, 24 February 1910, Page 5

BOTHASBERG.

; UNGVERWACHT-'THE LONG EXPECTED, THE TBAGEDY OF THE HOL SPRUIT. ' To-day, 191o; 'Field-Marshal yiscount-.Kitchaner, ,G.C.'B:,.;arrives in:the capital ,ciftr 'of New, "Zealand., On; the; same day,eight years ago, "Ki", then'Qom-inander-in-Chief: iii. South; Africa," walked auto' the.lin'es of. the, Ssverith.New. Zealand Mounted Begiment. at AlberiTna,., a ■ spiall' station on the-Ladysmith-Harrismithiline; from.Natal into .the Orange',River;, I Colony, to.-isee' ; tlje;. nien. who "h'ad-sumved . the Tragedy, ofi. the.iHol • Spruit-rrthe,-.fight'.i at Bothasberg..,.lt, was the. day. after De .W^t,* Steyn, :and •sev.eral-.promiiient'burghers; with a; : strong. commando,' .had iushed, the British driving,line;at.Langverwacht, cut ;tho' Seyehth'si-.right .wirigyto.,pieces,, and got' clear away.; To-night the, remnants of -.the. "Fighting - Seyeiith" -wiir- celebrate the:anniversary„of : the occasion, do honour to .their and—this.;'anticipatlon'. niay. or: may vriot ibe,-,re'alise'dTr ; beV oncei more visited by'.the. man :• who/cheered them ; u,p in:far away., Albertiria' eight, years; Ago.. ■ i ' / ' ; ; ■■■ ■ ' Driving. Ds W«t.,

Two'; days before /the ;iiglit' : ;at' Langverwacht, Do ,Wet. ; and. Steyn'.rjetiring, eastward /Before'"' theapproachof. aßritish trapi the jaws ;of/ whioh/instantlj-; closed .up. behind them. Mn .'front;: the' Drakenbergs.s.on'i either:'flank ;:a.> British;, blockhouse line; behind,:a;strong'.British. driving ■line; .while within the area,'.advancing from -the''northern. blockhouse" line and stretching ..right; across,;-, was,, another . Eti-_ tish ,driving.- line.- : The 7 entires, area -between, .Vrede' and .'.Harnsmith,?onv.'the' 'flanks,,the,: mountains in- front,-/and the Wtfge Eiver,'lined, with the 'rear, driving, force, ,behind;, was sealed with troops, and blockhouses, and, thronged with bewildered. commandos,,'

Trapped! . • . ■ Threerthousand'fighting!men .were enclosed within- a l , deadly 1 corral;'- held ; by 30,000 troops, and daily the liiie : was being drawn'closer. l Added /to':that; tho'com"mandos, were' hampered" by , a multitude! of men," women, and' children. . On'the evening, of February 22, Do 'Wet. decided; to'; break. through the : British line, which; « only/20 'miles. away, .was closing in upon .him"from; ; and forcing him,: lip . against;., the■■ ;Har-

nsmith 'bldckhouse' line on: the f sonth : of him. : Jan Meyer,"and the other" leaders, were:;-.summoned'' to join" him/- arid theafternoon of'Febrnai'y'' 23 - saw , :De , "Wet ,and''Jan a force"; of 'between',' 800:& nd '900'.'men;'reidy to [advance ;upon .the • driving; line/ the :centre and- 1 right 6f; which -by .'this : !tim§ :h'ad:-'advahced- : eight'miles,' i'and' halted ■" on ■ths:- 'banks.of! lh6''' : -Hol."V?Spruit„ V"., The. Seventh' New Zealand- Kegimenti formed part of Garretfsv commandr-a'. section -.of the .line held, by;Remington l :• and- ; Bvng— Colonel Porter -being -in 'charge T of. the New Zealariders, -whose right, 1 under ' the immediate command'of--Major - Bauchop,' stretched' from' the.- bed'-of' the spruit up' the slopes of -Langverwacht, a- fairly steep declivity. The leit fiankof-thereg-iment •was' r under: Major "ABboft""'-' T" .

A Tactical Blunder. ■' When the British'driving line halted'at the Hoi .. Spruit, . Itajor Bauchop - (now < Lieutenant-Colonel commanding the Wellington. district),.- with - Hickey,.: his adjutant—ho is-, .now. assistant-adjutant, general ■. at. Du'nedin,.' and a' D.S.O. maa— walked'; pver;::the' ground.; and''decided.- to construct'' his' entrenchments: along (he ridge of 'Langverwacht, • below the : skyline. ■ This done, therslopes were occupied; Bauchop's. extreme 'right; .'near ' the ■" sum-, mit'.bf the- hill, touching: upon thOomi ■pom', detachment, of the nest :stection of ; the''. driving line; The':'regimental':' service wagons; coiiimissariat,: and. hospital, were seht to the "rear, : ori' the" flats,', by 'the ! Hol "Spruit; '.thdr : 'pßsiti6n in front being protected by-a'strong barbed-wire fence. So far, , the 'position' was "ViSely "choseri, ;

... ... - ' I :■ i I r and tactically . sound, Then: a '.tactipaT^!'': blunder -was made..?.' Garrett, - for - sotne:.;." 'reasop.' ,or .:other, 'ordered the Seventh'*: : iright' ,to.' evacnate.''the entrenchments' ;on;.(:.-'liangverwacht,;-and"'retire,, to ;thes-'i flati ■'. ■: .below, i adding -. that j. the, slopes, -.ivbuldibe « . .occupied:!again'. att;nightfall:-.:: De\:'Wet'« 5 iadvanc'e:'line.:of -.'.scouts; i.r'iding«.far.v ah«'aaj.v«: of the . main/.body; saw , the - retirement,' - ; and,'.ignorant':of . the .fact; that .the .witbyl/j .::: drawal. was-.'onlj;;^temporary,..reported .a;j .gap in the driving 'lme. ~.De .Wet,' ther. ; : ' decided': to; rush "the: Ime: at -that-, partitu..^■ ,lar:.p6iht.lv.! y' X-':. '■>. ! A .V'i'fay.

'.'The Long-Expected." I * } 'Here-let one of.th'e .'Tightijg Seventh" take ■ up ■ the,'story v—/;w-y :. ■' "It is a 'curious coincidence/ 1 6aid. he, •'.'that .after expecting a::rush. night ,after :-:V':: night,:-till our: nerves wereijlike fiddle- ! '.7 strings', the' fight should have' taken placa-at-'fXangvcrwaiiht,''-'' which • 'mtaiis,tjTltt '2%. Lorig-Expect'ed.f : - In : the,:eariier'..'stages,; o£~; J*, * KitcheiMr's ! drives;%e'- 'generally '-.knew':", : just ; 'abbut;Awhcn T 'tlie Boers:': would ;rush>j the : linfe-^tsuaUy : oti ; the night before'' th» ~ 1- -final -final . closing"up: J?: But towards the-' end, theywould '■ rush- any-'- nigh,t:;' Wo,'.'got'? ? •little.' or. no sleep;*' for-even when- tlieta '* :' : wasn't > a- Boer -in -'-'sight,' J.or' withii ■: niil6i. of >":.the': line, 1 - somebody .with -his- nerves' 'r 5 .■, keyed' rip', would "let' off ;his rifle..' at;:a; '\ .{ shadow, and"immediately 7 after you'd Tiear':--*- .? : 'the- firing 'Tippling "all along '.the driving-'; 'line. On this particular night,' tho. men ■were"geiting-'a bit tired of that sortVof >: thing, and'when some ofour fellows sud- r'': 'denly opened fire and *ald that they had . 'seen 'some"'Boers, l ' the others did 'uOt'b£'; il ': linve the 111. But thev - were - right " that-," V i time'.: - Soon/'"afterwards, ' ' (if:''-'6ur\:-V ; iEaffirs. camo running -in to:-say that there -5 . :waS' :a huge. /mob m cattle- b&ins' driven towards the ' camp, • and that a■ lot- oE. •.Boers'. were among '-themV: with- - women.; iaiid.childreh. '.By' this time the .m'oUn'Avti :<! ;V '.uW. and-'though therc'-were sonic clouds.: .about," tho'-night was fairly clear. About ' ■11 o'clock:,they: came;.at: 11s. iThe-;cnttle ; .A .-.were driven, into tho - line '• just in Cont'd,, j •of 'the service, carts, :ahd: jre're held !'tin' by the. .barbed -wire;.:'' There wore about-i v .twenty men' at'' the i rear-some ■■of', them' I■ , ' : Twero sick—and these opened fire: .oh v the .. ' .struggling. !mass : ' in • front. Then ?. the -.; ■ worked; rapidly • over.: tho" 'foot ; '' of ,-v, :the hill,-broke-through, and'then.'turned^::■ y up along tho line of trenches to. the- top ~ , or the lull. Our fellows had ; a badi time; . - ; : The;Boers ,had ; thfeni ..against ;the isky, :eni r k■'... ; 'filaded thorn, ■ and * shot ': them . as:' tiiey. i stood... The, pompom at the -top 1 jammed;: > •.! its commander was -'shot iahd : thinrfa ■-,r ; , 'looked -verv..ugly,till -the;inen:,wero; col-' '. lected at; the summit, and'fotmed.ini-line-' : i '. :.of defence .at right.angles-to I the,line.,of . ' entrenchments. > Another,-, lot ca'me-; .at ;V them: from, the right, and during the' rush -i : 1 De .Wet,. Steyn,-and ihis.main'body-passed \ f through tho... gap,.arid-, away.-. We :ivero i- - •.rUwpyd.-by.'.the ,MUnster>F)isil;crs,-.in; the'. morning. .- Wo .buried our 'dead, sent :the ' .- woundoC.to tho,"Hospital; Base, . at' .Har- :'i v ' rismith,. and,the,-,rcst of us' went down h) v .: -Albertina. : , '. - ''~ •.;■■■'• . , i.-

"K" Sees the Remnant. were a very ragged and down-in-)the .mouth, looking crowd .for an official inspection; 'aid •'. piwu VflieS'*;': pectedly.<^6,down.the line and, got : outV.i •'at' AJbertina/to.'.bav'e-a' loot,'at us,'we didn't seem tocaro vGr.v much. \Ve wdro . paraded. -; Such a parade!; Some of .the' . fellows;.wereVriggeo^,up'jn : the 'uniform', .' of a'.fiefman.band,that they.ha'd'got hold of . somewhere. i We wore in rags, generally . ■?. speaking,' ;.j' K'.-. walked down, the-line 'j ■slowly.' ... .'j. ". '-Lose' any .of: your; mates last:night ; jt' • •"" Yes, sir.'' • .* ' Well—it's. a .fine;: way] to.;'end '• your ■■■. life,' said ,'lf.' . The.innn didn'tithink so, :"»• aud^said.so^uito..frankly. Then: *K'.' in'r: qiiire'd foiv the transport officeri V'Ho>v&' ;' ah Imperial officer—a son of' a duke,' -orsomething', like •that,...and ' a"yory heavy' ', 'swell. .He travelled' about witli a hugo ;-. litter of'.effects'' and toilet requisites.,. liev camc up. ■■ V, .- "> '■ > • -" 'How.' many • span 'of oxen *haTO' yoc". i • ,got hero'?'- asked, - "'Twenty, sir.'' • . . "'How much,' barbed'viv-ire?' ■}-':' • 7 . "t.I: don't "q'uitci'.kjib'wi; sir.'.<i - I "'Then for..God:s- sake fco and -fetel • somebody .. who 1 does, -'K. 1 And . the .transport officer' made.'• haste 'to * obey; - «„-< ... ' , - v ■/; K'. i then- walked ' round ! tliertar. of the lines pnd had a-lookatthe regimental wardrobe. Before;,he left 'he otdered aTv . fresli ;risrOUt for" the; lot-of-.iie." ; :