THE MARCH OF THE SEVENTH.

Otago Witness, Issue 2520, 2 July 1902, Page 66

THE MARCH OF THE SEVENTH.

ERMELO TO BOTHASBERG.

DETAILS OF THE FAMOUS FIGHT

The work of the gallant Seventh Contingent is matter of history, but there aio many incidents and ©vents which have not been recorded, and with the object of obtaining some interesting copy a representative of this journal buttonholed a likelylooking, stalwart young fellow, and haled him off for an interview. This proved to bo Lance-corporal Hadficld, formerly of Nelson, but who had joined the Seventh in Otago. In answer to questions he briefly sketched the long and arduous trek of the contingent prior t« the great fight at Bothasberg, in which the New Zealanders suffered so heavily. Tho first engagement was at Ermelo, near Standerton, where the troopers were hotly pressed by the enemy, being foieed to retire, and tho Boers finally retreated after a long fight. The contingent then trekked to Greylingstadt, where Colonel (Jrey left and Colonol Uarratt took command, and the march was resumed to Springs, a coal-mining district, and on the way Commandant Prinsloo was captured. The men, for the first time, experienced the sensation of (standing up to pom-pom firo, which was by no means pleasant. The guns were turned on the Boers, and threo or four wero killed, besides some horees. It was in this action that Trooper M'Lean was killed. The contingent next went down to Vlakfontoin, and then towards the Vaal River, the boundary between the Orange River Colony and the Trans\aal, marching in column together with 400 01 the Queensland Bushmen. On the way a convoy was raptured and several Boers? There had been fighting nearly every day in this part, the Boers harassing the column Vs flanks and then rctre-ating into tho rough country. Proceeding to Woherhoek, the captured waggons and prisoners were left behind, ami the men made up the railway along- tho blockhouse lino, and on to Lostbergs and Vereeniging, between which places several smaller actions were fotight. Tho column made a number of night marches in .search of a Boer gun that was supposed to bo in the locality, but it was not discovered, and several Boer farmhouses were burnt. The march then *as back towards the Vaal River, and a largo convoy was discovered aud attacked, when 40 waggons and several hundred cattle were captured. The march was now turned back towards Vereeniging. and a severe action took place at a spot where the Boers held a long, stony ridge in force. The column hhelled the enemy with two 15-pounders and a pom-pom, but could not t-lnft them, and the night came, on with the Koers s>till in position. Next morninij tho Boers woio gone, but the traces of ppvi'ii* fighting remained, and 20 graves were counted in the enemy a position, showing that the bhelling had bwn effective. Several of our men were wounded, and one, belonging to the King's Own Rifles, who had joined the column, waa killed. Tho day a r ter Colonel Rawlinson's convoy was met uith and !>»■■&•'• 1, and the folio wiug day a heliograph mr-scge was received to the effect that Colonel R-n. hnson had captured the remainder of the Boei3 who had retreated from tho i:i!ge. Tho column piocecded on its way, capturing a laager and many cattle and hordes incidentally, and camped at a river drift, where news was received from the Intelligence Department that a convoy was not far away, and Colonel White, with 500 men, set out in chase, and captured nearly all tl>o waggons (14). besides bhe.cp, cattle, aiid 14 IjOCis, and al-o tome Boci women, and childreaj who wtie not fit all

pleased with the fortunes of war. From) Kroonstadt the contingent marched down to the Zand River, in the Orange River Colony, and on one occasion some of the men galloped 14 miles after a Boer convoy, but though they caught up, their horses were t«o exhaust&d, and they were obliged to return; fcufc as they lost the way it was a case of camp out till morning, when they •were able to rejoin the column. In thia locality 16,000 head of cattle were captured.

On the road up the railway line the column made a long night march, and continued all next day, covering 72 miles in. 22 hours, which was the record march of the campaign, and then caught up on a Boer convoy, and captured 25, which number included all with the exception of four killed. The men were then taken, back to Vredefort, and guarded the lines while the blockhouses were being built, after which' they proceeded to Leuwpoert, then to Meyerton and Vereeniging, where they entrained! for Paardekop. From thence the march led around the. Drakenberg Mountains, and them down to Wakkerstroom, Volksrust , and Char! estown, where they entrained again fd: Newcastle, and from thence proceeded to Utrecht, and Vryheid, near which place Louis Botha was supposed to be cornered by three columns under General Walter Kitchener, but Botha managed to get away. The morning' after (Sunday, October 6), about 4 ©''clock, the men wer« sent out in chaso of Botha, and caught up on his rearguard at 7 o'clock. Botha took up a position on a- long ridge, • where h» was shelled for six heura with 10 guns, and at last ho retired, about 3 o'clock. The" troopers had then to return to camp, and next morning they found 25 wounded Boers in a house, and these reckoned Botha's casualties for the previous day at 79 killed and wounded. The traces of the hot shell fire were very* marked about, the Boer position. The contingent then trekked round to Pondola Bush, where they had a. rough, time and suffered many hardships. In this district there was an exciting chase after Chris Botha. The men had no guns with them, but thebe were sent for, and the celebrated! General was dislodged from his position, he escaping, but leaving his waggons, which were burnt. There had been seven or eight columns, under General Plumer, after Botha, and the boys of the Seventh here met the Sixth New Zealanders. The Seventh were again returned to Vryheid, and then, on to Pundewaua by a series of night inarches, meeting the Boers several times in minor engagements. Newcastle was again made- a rendezvous, and the men were given, guard duty during the building of blockhouses. By this time the column was joined by Colonel Dunlop's column and Colonel Byng's column, making threo in all under Colonel Byng. The force proceeded in a line with the blockhouses, driving the Boers in front, this being one of Kitchener's great drives.

At the end of January the men captured! the- last of De Wet'a guns, one 15-pounder and two pom-poms, after a night march in the Linley district. This, he (Lance-corporal Hadfield) thought the best bit of work the Seventh had ever performed. It had been a very hot action, and 50 Boers were made prisoners after a desperate fight. One of the captured pom-poms had' been the one turned on to the Seventh at Ermelo, sc> that there was an element of grim satisfaction about its capture.

This was about a month prior to the celebrated Bothaeberg. In the meantime tho columns started to drive from Silverfontein, with 14 columns in all, taking a frontage of 40 miles, and in this drive Rimington's force had been attacked very heavily, one night. Guns had been roaring 1 all night, firing case shot, and the whole line ha<l been a sheet of rifle fire for about 15 miles. Next morning 47 Boers had surrendered to Rimington, and after the burial of the enemy's dead tho force continued tho driva up to the railway line, capturing 623 Boers. Then, another drive was commenced roundl from Heidelberg to Vrede, across the lino of blockhouses, and the second night after thia the great struggle took place at Langer Wacht, about 10 or 12 miles from Bothasberg. Twenty columns wero now in the gTea/t drive, covering a frontage of 70 miles, but, by reason of tho immense area covered, only a few men could be allotted to each! post. About 11 o'clock tho men were startled by the roaring of cattle, the rumbling of waggon?, and galloping of horaes, and they knew something bag was on the move, and about lialf-patt 12 they realised the full meaning, for the Boers were sighted about 200 yards away bearing down on the line. Fire was opened upon them, and immediately tho Boers commenced to crack their whips and yell, driving the cattle down. Women and children in the Boer waggons were heard screaming, and a regular pandemonium reigned. One post of six men continued firing into the Boers' until l they broke through at Captain Batger'a post, Captain Batgor being in command of the post. Irfince-corporal Hadfield had been on the upper pare of the line, and describea the scene as a fctruggl.^ of desperation, tho Boer-s iKjing 1 cornered, and fighting like demons. After they broke through they were on three sides, and took the posta as they went, fighting right along. The Nf-w Zealamk-r<j had a pom-pom, which waa doing splendid execution, but they had to rußh it down into tho gully to save it fronu capture, «nd two or three of the gun crew wpre phot, but the gun was saved. The Canterbury and Otago men had borne the brunt of the fight, which was one those who art* left will never forget, though the> whole thing had lasted only about half an hour.Next <lay the sorrowful task had to be performed of burying the dead, of which details have been cabled. Ther» were aboufe 28,000 head of cattle in the drive and 1039 Boers. The scene when morning broke on the field of blood waa terrible, the dead! and wounded cattle lying in heaps. This was tho brave deed for which Lord Kitchener accorded the men such generous praise. Many drives were entered into after this, and then the men were released from duty, and must all be glad to se© the dear homeland again.

The task of preparing a biography of the late Genpj-al Sir Andrew Clarke has been entrusted by the> family to Mr Demetrius Boulgcr, whoso lives of General Gordon and Sir Sum ford Raffles are well known. The r'l'" 1 "- 5 1^ by Sir Andrew are volununou , and, it is said, include some aur« prises. Old-age pensions in this land Have proved a marked success, They give the old a helping hand, And keep them from distress/ There's only just one other thing

That's needful to ensure Sound lungs, that we the praise can sing Of Woods' Otbeat T»*tEß,ms's Cvas.