This Week's Great Day

Ellesmere Guardian, Volume LIII, Issue 13, 16 February 1932, Page 3

This Week's Great Day

*"Zy Ohaiies Conway^

IES^FC/^ hfetow of the Empire*

Thirty-two years ago, on the 15th February, 1900, the town of Kimberley, in South Africa, which had been besieged by the Boers for a period of 126 days, was relieved by the arrival of a flying- column of British cavalry and artillery. Kimberley is situated on the veld in the northern section of the Cape province, midway between the Modder and Vaal Rivers, and its capture had been considered a matter of great importance by the Boers, for not only was the town the centre of the opulent diamond industry in Griqualand West, but Cecil Rhodes, who w;as regarded by the Boers as their arch enemy, was numbered among its civilian population. # Immediately upon the commencement of the South African War on the 11th October, 1899, the Cape Province had been invaded by the Boers, and on the following day they surrounded Kimberley, which at that time was garrisoned by a force of about 4,000 men, under the command of Col. Kekewich, and had a mixed white and coloured population, composed mainly of officials and labourers of the mining companies operat- - ing in the district. Cecil Rhodes placed the entire resources of the De | Beers Mining Company at the dispos!al of Col. Kekewich, who utilised the ' tailings of the mines for the erection lof a line of protecting forts around I the town. j The Boers subjected Kimberley to a j daily bombardment of heavy shells, which inflicted comparatively little damage, and, early in November, Gen. Cronje, who boasted that he would "capture Kimberley and take Rhodes to Pretoria in an iron cage," arrived on the scene with an army of 12,000 men, which he massed around | the town. Later in the month, a re--3 lief force, under the command of | Lord Methuen, attempted to reach | the besieged garrison, but it was re- | pulsed by the Boers and compelled to j| retire back to the Modder River, and

FEBRUARY 15.—THE RELIEF OF KIMBERLEY

j the British military authorities were unable to take any further steps to raise the siege for over two months. In the meantime, the garrison at Kimberley made frequent sorties against the besiegers, inflicting heavy losses upon the Boers; while Rhodes occupied his enforced- stay in the town by superintending the building of new streets, the laying out of a public park, and many other improvements. Early in February,. 1900, Lord Roberts arrived at Modder River with sufficient troops to launch a great turning movement against the enemy, and also to despatch to Kimberley a relief force, consisting of a flying column of cavalry and artillery, and a supporting force of infantry. The relief operations were entrusted to Colonel John French, who left Ramdam, near Graspan, on the 11th February, at the head of his mounted men, and set out to make a wide sweep around Cronje's investing army. French's rapid advance took the enemy by surprise, and he was able to break through the various detachments which attempted to bar his progress. \ The flying column rode into Kimberley on the evening of the 15th February, but the infantry, which met with great difficulties on its march, owing to its unwieldy transport and the nature of the country, did not reach the town until a couple of days later, by which time Cronje had realised that he was in danger of being surrounded and had retreated. Kimberley was relieved none too soon, for its stock of provisions were almost exhausted, and the gravity of the situation had been increased by the dissentions which had arisen between the military and civilian leaders in the tov/n. The garrison sustained comparatively small losses during the siege o: 126 days, and its total casualties numbered only 181 officers and men and a few civilians. (Copyrighted).