THE BOER WAR.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 12395, 3 July 1902, Page 3

THE BOER WAR.

; A SHORT HISTORY. LORD ROBERTS ASSUMES COMMAND. But while Buller is making preparations for another attempt ti> nicice the Boer lines and reliove Ladysmith, we must turn our attention, to a great movement that, is progressing in tho western theatre of operations. As already mentioned, Lord Roberts, who had been appointed Commander-in-in-Chief, arrived at Capetown on January 11." Together with Lord Kitchener, his Chief of. Staff, he was engaged for somo timo organising the forces at his command and waiting for the arrival of additional troops. Finding some discontent among loyal colonials that their services had not been availed of as they might havo been, with -commendable tact the Commander-in-Chief selected a colonial forco as his 'bodyguard. The troop, known as Roberts's Horse, have, since .distinguished themselves in many a sharp engagement with the enemy. Lord Roberts also sanctioned tho enrolment of another colonial division under the command of Colonel Brabant, a local officer of Cape Colony, with great experience, who took ti.o rank of Brigadier-general. Brabant's Horce as a' fighting factor soon gained distinction in 'the war. On February 9 Lord Roberts' arrived at the Modder River camp amid tho wildest enthusiasm on the part of the troops, who already felt tho thrill of victory with the Field-marshal to direct affairs. And their confidence was not misplaced for it was not long before Lord Roberts's army rolled back the warfare into tho enemy's country. Tho successful resistance the Boers had hitherto offered to our arms made them exultant, and oven defiant. For quite a lengthened period Lord Methuon had rested upon the Modder River, mere'.y watcliing Cronje. who held tho strong position at Magersfontein ho had some time before endeavoured to efirry by assault in vain. The people throughout the Empire were thoroughly aroused by this time, and were both angry and determined. The best leaders the nation had at its command were sent to the front, and as many men as they deemed necessary for tho task before them were to bo despatched. If it was to be atrial of strength, it was the strength of a powerful .Empire, conscious of its might, against a self-deluded and comparatively insignificant State. On the scene of Mothuen's reverse at Modder River a very large force of cavalry and '"nfantry had 'been concentrated. with a camp from every quarter. The cavalry from v the Rensburg district, several regiments just landed at Capetown, *nd mounted men from Prieska had at the same time been ordered to Do Aar to awaitinstructions. In passing we may-state that included in this force was tho Now Zea- • land First' Contingent, which had already earned the praise of General French for distinguished service. • Captain Ceoil Boyie, of,tho Imperial Yeomanry, who was attached to General French's staff, describing the camp, says: "The whole plain looked like a sea of canvas; the bustle, the hurry, the low-voiced conversations, the anxious faces, and mtenso earnestness all betokened a time of early action; yet but a chosen few knew the programme." The object of this concentration was to delude Cronje info the. belief that a frontal attack Upon Magersfontein would be again attempted, and that Lord Roberts intended by overwhelming numbers to force the defile and so relieve KimberlevThat was exactly tho programme Cronje wanted, and was quite well prepared for; but Lord Roberts was too old fit the panie to play off Cronje's bat. It was to be a ■trial of' wits as well as strength this timo, and it was not long before the Boer general found that he had met more than his match. ■ Lord Roberts had not the faintest intention of wasting the. strength of his army against an impregnable fortress, while a way round was .possible by a cavalry rash for Kim--berley. It is a characteristic of Fieldma r?lml Lord Roberts that when lie strikes his lilowa follow each other in such rapid succession that the enemy never gets time to 'recover from the first shock before an- . other blow falls with telling force. j ' THE RELIEF OF KIMBERLEY. ' | General French's great cavalry rush io j . Kimberley will live in the annafe of British ; war-fare as one of the proudest feats of ' modern times. Since October 15, 1E99, Kim- i berley bad been invested, and the garrison ! vnder command of Colonel Kekewich had made a gallant defence with insufficient , • moans, since the Government at the Cape bad made no effort to prepare an adequate ' defence for the town. Thanks to the late Mr- Ceo.il Rhodes and the civilians in the ' town, Kim berley was enabled to offer a 1 successful resistance. The Boer guns were dealing havoc with the town,, which was in ' daily, if not hourly, danger of being taken , by assault. Such was tho position of affairs when, on Saturday evening, February 10. 1900, an order was issued for a cavalry" division with seven battalions of horse artillery - to start next morning. To further mislead Cronje, Macdonald's Highland Brigade had been ordered a. few days before to threaten Koodooberg's Drift towards the west. This movement delayed French somewhat; l>ut at 3 a.m. on Sunday morning tho march which constituted the first move in a brilliant niece of strategy which involved Cronie in its toils a few days later. At first French was to have a full cavalry division of FSOO men and horses, but when l e ' left upon his momentous mission he had barely MOO. Yet such was the confidence the' Commander-in-Chief reposed in the dashing cavalry leader that he believed French could, and would, accomplish the task with half a division. At first French i moved due south 17 miles to Ramdam, under the guidance if the Oliiof of the Intelli- i gence Department, When the sun rose they i were far away from the Modder River camp, > and it seems doubtful if Cronje had rho ' slightest .idea of what had happened. The - first bivouac was reached by midday, and > the horses were rested and watered. At 3 a.m. on Monday morning the relief 1 column started again, due east this timo, '• to cross the Riet River. The darkness was 1 so intense that shortly after starting ifc was ' deemed prudent to halt and wait for day- ' light. Approaching Waterval, French found * a hill in front strongly held -by the enemy, 1 and at once ordered the Royal' Horse Artil- ' lery to deal with tho enemy. The Boor gun soon retired, while French'swung the whole ! division round the kopje to the right, and 1 .after a few hours crossed the Riet River at ' De Kiel's Drift with one brigade, and before 1 sunset the whole division, including the bat- ! teries, had crossed. Says Captain Bovle: I " Tho rapidity with which the General '■ 1 after making .a feint at Waterval, brought ] his batteries round under cover of the hills • and developed his attack at Do Kiel's Drift) ■ nvidently disconcerted the Boers, for they , left their strong position and galloped across to our right front in one long stream < directly their rear was threatened." That night French held both sides of the river, and later on was joined by Lord Kitchener f snd'the infantry who had marched ill from the Orange River. Delay in the transport ( of forago and provisions compelled French t i to halt till 10 a.m. ou Tuesday. By this ' i time the sun was broiling hot, and the loss i of four or five precious hours cost ttip i division ovoi 100 horse?, which died or failed i >n the march that day. After a toilsome i march that sorely tried the metal of the - horses and the endurance of the meu, across 1 the waterless, scorching veldt, the column f came ill contact with the enemy strongly f posted some distance from '.Taeobsdal < General French without hesitation dfte- 1 ( mined to force the -passage of the Moddor ' t '*191® oucmv had time to rccover from their surprise. "And T believe," says Cap- < tarn Boyle. " tin's derision was one* of the * most critical in the relief of Kimberlev. For ' ad we not gained the drift directly our * presence was known, the enemv would most ; eerramly have fortified a very strong natural 1 position. But the General's mind was made ' up, and he was quick to act. Throwing ' Gordon on to the left, to effect a ero?«in» 1 and Broadwood somo five miles away to I.is J right, the advance to the river was made ! so swiftly that the enemy were absolutely ' surprised. After shelling for some time, J i»ordon crossed and went in pursuit. Only • four guns out of 12 could come into action J 111 the centre, but with such effect that the : enemy, shortly retreated over the hills. By this time General Broadwood had crossed en 5 the rjjr.it, and his brigade trumpter sounded r tho Pursue. The general rout was now r complete-camp, waggons, everything was in i • our hands Ivew bread was lying about on a *"' 1 111 ; v

the veldt, and dough tins were ready to he placed 011 the (ire, with such haste had tho Boers left their position. . . . Why the Boers retreated in such- a hurry is difficult to understand, for the position and drift we're _ very 'strong and . easy to defend, especially against a spefit foe; and but for the quickness of tho advance over tho open veldt, which took tho Boers completely by surprise, tho division would liave encountered a very nasty opposition!" The Boers that day disclosed the weak points in their armour, and showed arrant cowardice when once their flank was turned and tho rear threatened. In the events which followed in quick succession the same weakness wa9 strikingly apparent. All next day the Boers harassed French's tired horses and men by making feints for the purpose of finding out the disposition of his forces and his real intentions. By this time Cronjo feared that his communications v/ere endangered, and did not feel quite so secure in his stronghold at Magersfontein.. French rested his men all day Wednesday, but had to.be 011 guard. Tho Boers, however, made .110 real attack. That _ night Lord Kitchener and , General Kelly-Kenny marched in to French s camp So far complete success had followed Lord Roberts's strategy so ably interpreted by General French. It remained llow to discover whether the- enemy had divined our plan, which was to dash un the plain to Kimberley with the wholo division and hem in' Magersfontein in rear and flank v while Metlmen still hold Cronjo at bay in front. Promptly French resolved to stake the issue on one of those dashing movements for which he is famed, and ordered the advance. So magnificent was the cavalry dnsh up the plain that we fain would "ive details, but space forbids, The three brigades had hardly moved forward when they were mot by an attack on the left flank and heavy shell f ire , to be followed un shortly afterwards from the right. .The Lancers charged and cleared the right- front-, but the Boers poured 111 a heavy fire from trench and kopje at ranges from 800 to 150 yards. Right on the Lancers charged, and the Boers threw up their hands and begged for mercv, " but cll » r se could not be stayed; 140 Boers were killed or wounded as the Lancers rode througu them, and the-rest bolted in disorder. For five miles tho wholo division' swung up the plain behind tho charging Lancers. Broadwood's Brigade continued their magnificent charge until the head of tho plain was > reached, when they dismounted and seized the kopjp-s in front A general halt was made until the artiilerv came up, when the advance was resumed through low brushwood and scrub over very broken ground. Just beyond the head of the plain, as the tall chimneys of the mines at Kimberley came into sight, the men raised a wild cheer, for they recognised that tho day was won and the i-iege- of Kimberley raised. We heard the guns of Kimberley as we advanced," says Captain Boyle, "we saw-, the never-to-be-forgotten range of Magersfontein kopje?, grim and apparently impregnablo. to our left rear, and wo knew then that Cronje must soon discover his false position. The . centre brigade was ordered to push 011 right into 'Kimberlev, and the enemy in front soon disappeared as tlie division was seen approaching over the rising ground, whilo 'bodies of men were seen hastily galloping away in confusion to the.right Roberts's bold strategy had com-p-etely disconcertcd the Briers, who wero in a great fright now that French had made a dash to their rear and had completely turned their flank, French speedily moved the whole division, with the guns, to the light, and .liter a few hours 1 marching o-ot c ose enough to shell a Boer laager to the cast of Kimberley, and finally entered Kimberley at 7 p.m. on February 15. The swiftness of the advance when once French ?et forth seemed to paralyse the Boers, who fled te . d " ts when -they saw their retreat threatened. The wild enthusiasm with which I'rench was received in Kimberley was only equalled by (he consternation in Oronjes camp when .the complete success Altl^m| lr fT nß: j" 10vem , 6nt became apparent. Although the diamond town had endured a long siege, tho inhabitants were never put to sore straits for food. "What (surprised faUnd t, Sl>yS Captain Boylo < " was M»e inh„Vf sl f k appearance'of and mhabitan s of relieved'Kimberley as com- . pared with that of the relievers."