FIGHTING IN SOUTH AFRICA

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1507, 17 January 1901, Page 66

FIGHTING IN SOUTH AFRICA

PROGRESS OF THE CAMPAIGN. LORD ROBERTS DEPARTS FOR HOME. ESCAPES OF DE WET. NEW ZEALANDERS IN ACTION. (From Our Own Correspondent.) CAPETOWN, December 8. KITCHENER IN COMMAND. The last three weeks of the campaign have been conducted on the part of the British with a vigour that has had an appreciable effect in bringing the termination of the war within sight. Although there are still two active commandoes in the field, their area of operation has been very much circumscribed, and the Flying Dutchman (De Wet’s latest soubriquet) really seems at last to'have been cornered beyond hope of escape. The strain of the situation has at least been so far lessened that Lord Roberts has been enabled to relinquish the command and leave the completion of the good work in the hands of Lord Kitchener, who is now prosecuting the war with all his old-time thoroughness. Under his regime, however, the distribution of news as to the operations has been very much restricted, and the most meagre accounts of events filter through. THE PURSUIT OF DE WET. The principal feature of the past three weeks’ campaigning has been the steady, dogged determination with which De Wet has been followed up from point to point, and filially driven down between the Orange and Caledon rivers, almost on the borders of the Cape Colol ny. Truth to tell, the movements of the Boer commandoes are a little difficult to follow, aud this will be readily understood when it is reported from three different quarters, separated from each other by hundreds of miles, that De Wet has been seen in the neighbourhood. This sort of thing has been of frequent occurrence, but there seems no reason now to doubt that he is fairly hemmed in by General Knox somewhere within the area above mentioned. After the desperate action fought at Bothaville, when we captured seven of his guns, and killed twenty-five Boers, the Boer leader, accompanied by ex-President Steym turned south, being followed closely by the colonial and two other divisions, one of which was under the command of General Knox. CAPTURE OF DE WET SDORP.

With a commando of some 3000 men De Wet swooped down on the little township that bears his name (Dewets, dorp), and finding that the garrison consisted only of some 400 Britishers, managed to capture the place but only after a desperate resistance on the part of the besieged. The siege, if it can be so called, lasted three days, and in that time the garrison lost fifteen killed and forty-two wounded. They had at last to yield to force majeure, and 400 of them were taken prisoners, only to be released a week later. De Wet was not allowed to remain long in possession of ■the town. General Knox arrived on the scene two days after the surrender, drove

the enemy out, and continued the pursuit, De Wet making steadily and rapid. _ 3y southwards. However, he was overtaken by part of Knox’s division, under Colonel Pilcher, and a slight engagement followed. Steyn and De Wet had been breakfasting quite close to the scene of the engagement, and were evidently taken completely by surprise. The Boers opened fire at "long range with a fifteen-pounder without effect, and after a little skirmishing they broke away and retreated south. General Knox, finding that the engagement had upset De Wet’s calculations, seized the opportunity of getting between him and the Orange river, by making a rapid marsh of twenty-six miles. CAPE COLONY THREATENED.

It had appeared that it was the Boer leader’s intention to make a swoop once more on the Cape Colony, and to prevent this troops were hastily ordered up to hold every drift along the Orange river. Meanwhile General Knox continued! his pursuit on the Bethlehem-Smith-field road. On December 4 he drove the enemyfrom all their positions before dark, compelling them to retreat northwards. Here, however, the enemy were confronted by Colonel Pilcher, and once again doubled south and west, crossing the Caledon river en route. Encountering opposition in this direction also, he turned eastwards. Early the next morning, during a terrible downpour of rain, which lasted three days. General Knox started in hot pursuit, Colonels Pilcher and Herbert being detached to make a turning movement. After three hours’ marching General Knox learnt that during the might De Wet had doubled back past our right, and that he was heading for the Caledon. He had camped the night before at Carniel farm, a few miles northward of the Smithfield road. The news necessitated a complete change of route. The force turned about in spite of the rain and wind, and marched once more after the übiquitous Boer, Colonel Williams leading. Colonels Pilcher and .Herbert (of the Suffolks) were detached -in .other Rph-

Barker and Williams’ columns, encamped at Carmel. There was evidence everywhere of Boer laagers. The night was terrible, heavy rains falling, accompanied by cold winds, and sleeping was almost impossible. The troops had no tents, and all slept in the open, except a few who found shelter in the stables. THE KAREEPOORT DRIFT.

At 4.30 the next morning the troops started again, pressing forward in the hope of catching De Wet in the act of negotiating the drift of the Caledon river. Colonel Williams, who commanded the advance guard, had the First Mounted Infantry, who surprised a party of Boers in the act of unloading a waggon which, had broken down. A few volleys sent them flying, and the capture proved a most important one, the waggon containing 25,000 rounds of ammunition. a quantity of dynamite and twenty rifles. When General Knox arrived he perceived what appeared to be a waggon lying hidden near some trees, hut found it to be a nine-pounder Krupp. A Boer prisoner taken here told his captors that the gun had been abandoned, but it had every appearance of being in position for the defence of the drift. The sights of the gun were intact, and it had a supply of a few rounds of ammunition. The name of the drift is Kareepoort. It is certainly one of the most formidable drifts that we have been called upon to cross in South Africa- The south side of the track runs up an angle of twenty-five degrees. The mud was a foot deep, and it looked impossible to drag anything through. General Knox’s position was most difficult, the river already reaching the horses’ bellies, rising and falling every hour, and never falling to less than 4ft. The position was that, if we began crossing, the river might rise when only a small portion had crossed, and De Wet’s whereabouts not being exactly known, there was a possibility of his awaiting an opportunity to return to the attack during the crossing. Colonel Williams, however, guaranteed to get the men, guns and ammunition across, and General Knox gave the order to cross. The river was flowing with great rapidity, swollen by the rains. There was only one safe way across. Below the great holes the First Mounted Infantry crossed safely, but a party who tried to cross a little higher up could not. A horse fell and a rider was carried down the stream, but he managed to get across in an exhausted condition. The Ninth Lancers crossed without accident. Then began the task of dragging through thirty more guns and ammunition. Colonel Williams himself acted as outrider. Each team was used four and sometimes eight times in crossing the river, the ordinary teams being strengthened by eight horses in the heavy ascent. The field guns, .howitzers, pompoms and ammunition waggons were all on the south side before midday, the task requiring great skill and an enormous strain. The water-carts, ambulance and the little tonga, ambulance carts from India, were all dragged across. On two occasions the mules got entangled in the harness, and fell under the water, but they were dragged ashore. Not a man nor animal was drowned. At 4 o’clock the river was impassable, and Strat,henna’s Horse., with the Yeomanry. _

ral Knox slept on the south side, being unable to cross back. Orders were given that*" night that Strathcona’s Horse should cross at 3.30 in the morning if the river permitted, while the Yeomanry remained as a baggage guard, with instructions to cross and follow the column as soon as practicable. . The night began fine, but ended in a heavy and continuous downpour. It is marvellous how the men kept their spirits under the circumstances. The camp is fidl of joking and laughter, for the men had accomplished what De Wet considered an impossible task. Stratheona’s Horse crossed without accident, although the river was now higher. Later we received a report that the baggage column had attempted the passage, and that two mules were drowned, and one man barely escaped. General Knox therefore sent back word ordering the baggage and supply columns not to make any more attempts to cross, but to march back to Smithfield. Henceforth Colonel Barker, a.s well as Colonel 'Williams, will march without any supplies. General Knox and staff possess as baggage only what is carried by their horses. Parties have been detached to bring sheep, corn and mealies required by the force. __ The march was resumed, Colonel Williams leading, and at about 8 the column came in sight of Odendaal’s drift, where we were delighted to see the Union Jack was flying over the fort, which was held by the Ist Coldstreams.' De Wet, on the day before, lived on the ridge north of the river. The garrison was sniped the whole day at ranges varying from 1500 to 2000 yards. The Boers attempted to obtain possession of the flourmills on the north bank, but failed. A short halt was made in front of Odendaal. and the march was resumed along the river, and we camped fourteen miles west of Aliwal- Some of De Wet’s men had left the camp two hours before our arrival. There is no doubt that De Wet is thoroughly hurried. The line of march is strewn with dead horses, and the enemy’s carts have been abandoned. Natives report that De Wet’s horses are in a very exhausted condition, and hardly able to walk. De Wet is now in a most dangerous position, strong British surrounding him, and two swollen rivers barring his passage. The behaviour of our men is simply -splendid. What strikes one as most extraordinary is the good spirits the men under the worst of circumstances. Hungry, wet and cold, the men laugh and joke, willing, keen, ready to pursue the foe. The hardships of the last few days have been sufficient to try the hardiest troops in the world, hut really appear to have no effect on our men. So much for De Wet. Since Thursday last no news of any description has been received of the operations against him, although, of course, rumour has been busy. With regard to the campaign in other parts of the field, it is absolutely impossible to give a connected account of them. Tire official reports which, now the special correspondents have left the country, are all that are left to guide one, are so scanty and so obscure as to give no indication cf the nature of the fighting, and little, if any, of the ityBRONKHORST SPRUIT.

-to the heavy fighting at Bronkhorst Spruit, the scene of the treacherous attack on our troops in 1881. Here the New Zealanders had yet another opportunity of proving .their mettle. Gene- 1 ral Paget was in command, and on November 29th encountered the joint commandoes of Erasmus and Viljoen in the neighbourhood of Rhenoster Kop. The fighting was of the fiercest description, and lasted for two days. It appears that Towards evening on the 29th Paget’s troops closed in on the Boer positions. At about 4.-30 the enemy were reinforced, and brought up three more guns. They then made a determined attack on our lines, and were only lepulsed after very heavy fighting, meet- ■ ing with severe loss. When day broke it was seen that, like the Arabs, they had folded their tents and silently stolen away. Our troops behaved with the greatest gallantry. General Paget in his official report especially mentions the New Zealand Mounted Rifles, who, he says, showed exceptional bravery throughout the day. Out of the six officers of this corps five were wounded, these being Captain Crawshaw, Lieutenants Montgomery, Somerville and Tucker, and Surgeon-Captain Godfrav. Altogether w r e lost fifteen killed in the engagement and fifty-one wounded. It is satisfactory to know that for every one of ours that was hit at least two of the enemy were knocked over. GUERILLA WARFARE. Elsewhere in the Transvaal and Orange River Colony the war has ceased to be any more than a harassing guerilla business, in which now we, now they, swoop down on isolated posts and capture them;, with this difference, that what prisoners we take we keep. The prisoners the Boers take they # have to release almost immediately on account of their lack of supplies and means of keeping them in camp. It is a long, weary, irritating business, but General Kitchener may be trusted to see the thing through, and' that at no very distant date.