WITH GENERAL FRENCH'S COLUMN.

Otago Witness, Issue 2408, 26 April 1900, Page 12

WITH GENERAL FRENCH'S COLUMN.

SOME INCIDENTS OF THE MARCH TO KIMBERLEY.

THE RELIEF OF KIMBERLEY.

One of our war correspondents has sent us a long account of the movements of the first New Zealand contingent. Much of the contents has been anticipated by the letter which we recently published from Mr J. A. Shand, our leading correspondent since Mr Moultray was invalided home, but we make some extracts giving some of the incidents of the march : — A COMPLIMENT TO THE CONTINGENT.

Before leaving Slingeivfontein, the following complimentary notice appeared in the orders dated 29th January: — "The commanding officer has pleasure in placing on the orders the conduct of Troopers Forsyth and Johnston, reported on the 25th inst., when, on reconnaissance in force, they assisted, under fire, to remount Corporal M'Kegg, and all returned in safety to their com 1 ades. It is by such actions that confidence and true comradeship is built "ap and &U2ce-*s assured. He also dcpiies it to be known that he has been able to forward to Colonel Penton, commandant New Zealand forcei , a most favourable report of all ranks, backed by the opinion of the general officer commanding, and feels certain that, no matter how long the war may continue, the New Zealand men will piwe true to the cause they volunteered for." The circumstances relating to the first paragraph are: Oorporal M'Kegg" s horse, putting his forefeet into a hole, fell while the force were retiring under hot fire, and, Troopers Forty lh and Johnston, noticing him fall, plopped and remounted him. All three are Otago boys.

KINDNESS FROM THE MILITIA,

The work of detraining at NaaiTwpoorl June Lion did not ia'ce us long, and we were marched up behind /the township and bivouacked there for the night. Having no rations or divies to boil water in, we were in rather a bad way; but, oiice again, the true Irish generosity came to light, for the King's Royal Rifles (a militia regiment who volunteered for active service rather than do garrison work at Home) sent over pix divieo of delicious tea and a plentiful supply of biscuits. Rain fell pretty heovily that night, and the men, only hating their overcoats with thorn, suffered a good deal from rain and cold. Again the King's Royal Rifles showed their kindness by offering to double-bank in some of their tents and make room for us, but as the horses might at any time stampede, we could not leave the lines. N^o sooner were we all astir on February 6, than a plentiful f-upply of sleaming-hot coffee arrived in our linos from our Irish friends.

NO WATER. The inarch to "Rutpan I shall never forget, horses dropping everywhere from fatigue and waul of water, men fainting from thirst and hunger, and through night the heat stifling. Rutpan was reached after midnight, and then the water was found to be perfectly putrid and stinking. It is awfully slow work escorting such a large number of~waggons. I rode along from the front waggon to the lasL, and, from the time it look me, I calculated the total length of the span of waggons dra.wn by both oxen and muled, to be over eight mile?. The extreme heat, intensified by the burning veldt over which we were travelling, and the want of water, v as a seveie trial to both man and beast, and at breakfast time I paid Is for a pint to a nigger driver, who, like many others of his trade, had a barrel of water secreted somewhere in the waggon, and had managed to smuggle it in unknown to ths Transport officers. Towards dinner time ths horses began to drop everywhere, and as the General had given orders that ell the horses fo dropping muer be shot, and not left to die or recover, one could easily tpJl how many of the poor beasts were going down. The men left all the gear on the horses, and had to walk along, as already' the transport mules were giving out. .Farmhouse aftev farmhorte on the w&y was carefully searched for water, but the enemy had destroyed a]l the dams and spoilt the wells as they had retired, and f-.oon. thing= began to bear a very serious aspect. However, about 3 in the afternoon a very heavy thundershower fell, and this had a marvellous effect upon tlio Jiorses and the men, though not able to caAch any of the water, were wetted through, and in this way were relieved somewhat of their lllirst. At 5 o'clock our destination for the day — Modder River — was in sight, and we were in in less than an hour. As we arrived, some of the regiments who had not met any of the colonial troops before were in great glee over our arrival, mistaking us, owing to the slouch hats, for prisoners, and, accordingly, they; made our reception a warm one.

KIMBERLEY IN SIGHT.

The New -Zealanders did not form part of the attacking line, but v/ere m the van of the second brigade of mounted infantry, and were among the first lot of men I eld in reserve. Long before niiddoy, when the l-urses were being given a breather and a handful of corn, it was found that the enemy were fleeing on our left iiauk, and they must have suffered very heavily in the artillery engagement in the morning, for our men did not spare the lyddite, and the gunners wore placing the shells with beautiful precision. Our own loss was nearly 20 killed and 50 wounded. Two of the enemy's shells burpt very close to our men, but luckily the fragments flew clear of them. Early in the afternoon. Lieutenant Hume, chief of the General's signallingstaff, climbed a high kopje, and, with his heliograph, tried to get into communication with the Kimberley people, and though they communicated, the Kimberley people- would not give them any information, as our men were unable to make them believe that it was a, real British helio' at work, so often had the Boers taken them in with signalling to them from the surrounding hills in English. About five miles from Kimberley General French" divided his column, and the mounted infantry made towards Alexandrasfontein, while the cavalry and artillery kept along the ridge, and from tho top of the ridge sent some 20 or 30 shells into the enemy's recent position ; but there was no response, and Kimberley wab relieved. The first man from the relieving column to enter Kimberley was a Mr Beresford, the correspondent to a news agency in England. It was fully 9 o'clock when we got to our bivouacking ground on the Kimberley side of Blackonberg's Flaa.

A HARD DAY'S WORK.

The General was determined not to let the enemy rest, for we who were fit and had horses fit w ere on parade at 6 a.m., and made out in the direction of TCherton road, and then had the hardest day's galloping that we have had sines vre have been in. the couaU'y.,

There was absolutely no water to be had, and though we sighted the enemy in full flight sa-\ eral times in the morning, it was not until 1 the afternoon that we actually managed to gat into touch with them. Our men had a very hard day, and though they were well in tlu thick of the firing line during the afternoon, none of them were hit, though some narrow shaves are reported. This day's work resulted in two laagers being taken and some of their transport, and a large supply of ammunition. During the day Captain Ward's horse fell from exhaustion, and Trooper Saunders, giving him his horse, had some narrow squeaks of being shot in his successful attempt to get his captain's charger backs to camp, arriving only just before midnight, in a state of exhaustion.

THE HORSES,

The veterinary officer made an examination! of our horses on February. 18, and reports that only 67 officers' and men's horses are fit to march on at a moment's notice. We enjoyed another quiet day until well on into the afternoon, when a perfect deluge of rain fell and, submerged our camp in 2ft of water, wetting everything we possess. Towards dusk a drier spot was found for us, and we moved up there, but with our blankets all w,et, there was not much sleep for us that night. Our small squad of men, with fit horses, went away early on the morning of February 20, under Captain Madocks. It is supposed that they have gone out to help keep up the line of communication. The rest of us rented .in camp, giving the horses all the attention we can. Many of the men were suftering from colds, rheumatism, piles, and other complaints all brought on or aggravated by the exposure, and Trooper Arnold, from Balclutha. was sent to the hospital in the town suffering from, fever. Dr Burns was the only officer who really seemed to realise what it would mean if the men were kept out there much longer, and he spent all hip nights among the men. doing- what he could for them with very limited medicines at his disposal. On the 26th Mr Cecil Rhodes placed the De Beer Company's stables, at Kennilworth, at the disposal of the autlioritiea- for the colonial troops. We moved there. The horses are vapidly improving, and Farrier-sergeant Miller has been, busy since our arrival' here phoeing all the horre?. Farrier-major Crombie and Quartermaster Berland have arrived here from Orange .River, where we left them nearly three weeks ago, bringing with them ihe Premier's Christmas and New "Year card, which he considerately pent to each member of the contingent. Since coming here the men have been treated to grppes, on (several occasions, from Mr .Rhodes's vineyard.

Amongst the many things that suffered by the flGocl in our camp las* Sunday week was my manuscript written up-to-date, and hence the delay in again getting it ready for post. The Major's despatch box was also submerged, and all the contents badly damaged.