Thieves quarry, p.22
A History of the Regular Mounted Infantry, page 22
After the short rest at Glen, Elliot moved east to the Basuto border. For the first three weeks the move followed roughly that of Hamilton’s march of the previous year. Barker and Pine Coffin were co-operating from Winburg.
On 22 August, a march was made on the Korannaberg, soon to be a familiar haunt. Among the many natural hill forts of South Africa this big, isolated mountain is perhaps the most perfect example. On it in previous years the Koranna tribe had held out successfully for seven years against the Boer commandos till they were eventually given safe conduct to Basutoland.
Some 10 miles long and 5 miles across it is shaped like a gigantic kidney. It is entirely flanked by cliffs except at the pinch of the kidney, which faces Basutoland to the east. Here a good cart road runs up to the plateau above but this in turn is flanked by cliffs. The northern half of the kidney consists of a plateau of good-looking land overlooking the Free State plains far and wide. The southern half consists of an inner valley entirely shut in by the hills of the outer rim. There is just room for the road to pass with comfort into inner valley, which is drained by a stream carrying off the water over a series of falls into the plain below just where the road first starts. In the inner valley the Boer owner had his farm, entirely shut out from the outer wall. On the western face there is a practicable goat track, scarcely a footpath, which leads through a split in the cliffs just wide enough to admit one man at a time onto the northern plateau. The existence of this path was known to few Boers and had not been used since Koranna occupation days.
‘D’ Company was sent on ahead the night before, with a Boer guide, son of a retired French general of the 1870 campaign, who knew where the path was supposed to start but had never been up it. There was a good moon and ‘D’ Company’s orders were to try to establish themselves at the little gap by dawn, if possible, leaving their horses at the foot of the hill. Unless discovered they were not to give themselves away and if the path proved impractical, they were to come away before daylight when the main body was to be at the main road. On arrival at the foot of the hill the goat track was found to have disappeared except as a path for wild animals, but the gap above could be seen as a guide. It was a scramble over huge rocks carried out as silently as possible. When near the top, with the first flush of dawn, suddenly from down below came ringing up in a strong Scotch voice, ‘Jock man, Jock are ye hurt?’ Somebody had fallen on the rocks below. Horrified, the captain, one of his lieutenants, the colour sergeant and one or two others, far ahead of most of the company, made a dash for the gap then plainly visible 100yds ahead. As they did so, a leopard descending brushed quietly past them, actually touching them with his flanks on the way. The gap was gained, it was just a narrow gateway of stone, and the party breathed more freely. The Boers, however, had quietly left earlier in the night, fearing to be trapped with the British column in the neighbourhood. The led horses had, in the meantime, rejoined the column and the captain, with others, rode over the fortress with his mind, for the moment, back in India dreaming of Gwalior and Chiter.
The Korannaberg is an outer bastion of the Wittebergen, with memories of Pinsloo’s surrender, and these hills leading to the Brandwater Basins were next searched with General Barrington Campbell from Ficksburg co-operating.
A halt for three days was made at the little hamlet of Clocolan to get supplies, spare time being occupied by polo and an inter-brigade gymkhana, the remainder of the month being spent in clearing the Wittebergen.
One day when clearing the Wittebergen hills under Fanshawe, a cloud of locusts appeared in sight. Fanshawe mistook these for a distant commando of Boers and, calling in the outlying companies, he got his pompoms in position for a fight. The arrival of the locusts shortly afterwards caused great joy and it was a long time before he heard the last of his commando.
At the end of the great drive in the Western Free State, a new ordinance had been published, stopping the burning of farms, except as an isolated preventative measure, and in consequence the women were again able to live in them, providing they could get food. There was an immense amount of grain and flour untouched, and the Boers managed, between raids, to plough and sow large areas of the country, especially on the borders of the Drakensberg, where the movement of columns was not so frequent as on the plains around railways.
A good deal of time in the operations of the next month or two was spent cutting standing crops of wheat, maize and oats, the latter being fed to the horses as oat hay. In camp, an outlying picquet would often be sent to hold commanding ground within a mile’s radius. Where there was a farm, the women would often volunteer to cook the officers an evening meal. Liberal rations of tea, flour and sugar were handed over and a convention sprang up that a new tin of jam, butter or condensed milk should be opened, of which the officers used only a spoonful or two. Where only one smart dress remained, the younger women would take it in turns to don their finery and entertain the officers. Most of the younger women had had an English education at school, being more fluent than their brothers.
From Wittebergen, Elliott’s column moved into Winburg to hand over captures and get fresh supplies. The district had already yielded 100,000 head of stock, 140 carts but only nine prisoners, and the raid was to be repeated. During the five days’ halt a combined gymkhana was held by Elliott’s three columns.
The usual night operations were carried out by the 6th MI on leaving Winburg but without much success. However, the second day out on 11 September, De Lisle, with two companies from the 6th MI and one squadron of South Australian, had a fine galloping chase after a Boer laager giving a good 12-mile point and ending in the capture of the convoy with seventeen prisoners, sixty-nine carts and a lot of stock. If hounds were missing, the ride over the open space in full pursuit of the vanishing quarry was not a bad substitute for a good hunting run.
The column was now back on the Basuto border and night raids were frequent. After a weary ride through most of the night to Nels Poort Pass, through the Wittebergen, the 6th MI had to rejoin their column on the move and with some diffidence, as they had completely lost their way.
There were many big native locations near the Basuto border and it was part of the government policy, when clearing suitable horses, to give native owners a requisition form up to £15 or £20 for a really good animal, to be later exchanged by the owner for cash at one of the garrisoned towns. On one occasion among a small batch of suitable ponies, a headman produced one, almost own brother to Frickie, the Basuto pony. Captain Craufurd was acting as interpreter to the column as the official interpreter to the column was absent. Suspecting so good a pony could not really be the property of the man, but merely placed for safety in his charge by the Boer master, he asked the Remount officer if he might offer two sovereigns, which he happened to have on his person, in lieu of the government requisition order. These were probably two of the very few in the camp as gold was seldom carried. The Remount officer laughingly agreed, providing he explained the value and the meaning of the government note, and never suspected the headman would take the gold and regard the offer more as a joke. To his surprise the offer was accepted with alacrity and as the transaction was quite voluntary the purchase was duly certified later by the OC column. Truth to tell, the two sovereigns could be hidden in a loin cloth with no one the wiser, the real owner being merely told the pony had been commandeered. The requisition order could not have been cashed without the fact becoming common property. A week or so later the captain rode into Harrismith with his two ponies to get the purchase officially ratified. He asked the OC Remounts if, for sentimental reasons, the certificate could be transferred to Frickie, whose mettle had been fully proved at the Winburg gymkhana. ‘Certainly,’ said the OC Remounts, ‘… as far as my department is concerned, but why not buy in the other pony for £15 if you are entitled to that number of private chargers.’ The cheque was drawn forthwith and the captain rode back with certificates of ownership for both ponies. Privately owned remounts entitled the officer owner in a mounted unit to a small horse allowance. Both ponies turned out very good polo ponies. Frickie was later sold after peace was agreed, to a cavalry officer of the permanent South African garrison for £80.
After the first week, Elliot’s columns were diverted to the Natal border owing to Louis Botha’s threat to the Natal. On the road into Bethlehem, De Lisle’s column picked up one wounded man of the 7th Dragoons, buried another and bought in four released prisoners, the casualties of a small scrap Broadwood had been in the day before. The next day, 22 September, Broadwood was again heavily engaged while De Lisle’s column marched into Bethlehem. The garrison of this little town lived a life of semi siege, often being cut off for weeks at a time from all communication with the outer world except by helio.
On arrival at Harrismith on 26 September, orders were received to train for Zululand where the Zulus had cut up a Boer laager which had incautiously entered their territory. In accordance with long tradition every living thing had been ruthlessly slaughtered including men, horses, oxen and fowl, and the Zulus were threatening to take the field en masse. The political officers were, however, successful in stemming the tide and orders to entrain were countermanded, Elliott being diverted to the Natal border, along the Drakensberg, instead.
Elliott’s booty on entering Harrismith consisted of thirty-six prisoners, 60,000 head of cattle and 228 waggons. 400 worn-out Boer horses had, in addition, been destroyed the day before entering the town. The column got 100 remounts before marching out again.
For the next fortnight the columns were to operate in the country enclosed by the Cornelis and Molen River as well as in the upper reaches of the Klip River. It was wild rugged country with numerous fertile farms in the valleys and had been little touched by operating columns. For six months it had been unvisited. Crops were ripening everywhere, and the country was full of stock and Boers. Every day parties of two squadrons or more were out on their own, after leaving at night and returning on the afternoon the following day. This gave many an opportunity for scraps with parties of Boers from 100 to 200 strong, but there were too many parties out, and the combined columns were too strong for the Boers to put up any very determined resistance. The African summer had commenced, the fruit season was in full swing in the fine orchards of the farms and the destruction of crops was rather in the nature of a picnic, with the excitement of the day’s scrap thrown in.
On 3 October De Lisle took 300 men from the 6th MI and 100 South Australians, two guns and two pompoms to Mullar’s Pass to get in touch with Newcastle, leaving a standing camp behind on the lower Molen River and travelling light. The party was away three days. The second day out De Lisle selected a cup in the hills, not unsimilar to the Bull Hoek in Cape Colony, as camp. All three companies of the MI volunteered for picquet but the idea was turned down – however, all slept fully armed and accoutred. Shortly after midnight De Lisle came to the adjutant’s bivouac to tell him to reinforce the picquets an hour before dawn – the adjutant, who was asleep, woke with the voice and the next thing De Lisle knew was the adjutant’s rifle on his stomach, finger on trigger and a gruff challenge as to who he was. Considerably startled, De Lisle said next time he wished to wake the adjutant in the night he would send an orderly!
On 12 October, moving north through the Wittekopjes to meet a convoy with supplies, the column ran across Louis Botha and a bodyguard of forty- five men returning from Natal. The Boers were on the north bank of the Hol Spruit and, in forcing the passage over the drift, the Australians had two men wounded and one captured whilst the Boers lost two killed and two wounded but Louis Botha himself got clear. Three days later after getting supplies, a small round-up was tried on the banks of the Wilge. Three separate squadrons were sent to various likely kopjes during the night while De Lisle with two squadrons, two companies and two guns moved off at 9.00 pm. Around 14 miles were covered by 2.00 am and a further march was made shortly before dawn. The move was successful, for after daylight, fifteen prisoners and thirty vehicles with a lot of good ponies and cattle were rounded up without a fight. Camp was regained at 3.00 pm. Another similar move was tried the next day. De Lisle with the main force drove the Boers,, after some fighting, on to the columns; Fanshawe hearing the guns, turned out the column troops to meet them. The fight looked like proving a regular trap. Reinforcements of Boers, however, came up from the fastnesses of the Wittekopjes and a stiff running fight ensued. The MI were outnumbered and eventually had to retire. In the rearguard fighting Lieutenant Heath of ‘B’ Company (Welsh) was wounded. Four Boers were killed.
On 19 October, just as the usual night raid of two squadrons and two companies were parading to start off at 9.30 pm, heavy sniping broke out all around camp and the camp stood to arms for an attack. Nothing further matured, however, and, after an hour’s suspense, the party moved off. A further delay occurred owing to a heavy rain storm during which the column got split into two at a drift and another two hours were lost. Consequently, on arrival at 3.00 am the laager had moved and there was nothing for it but to bivouac till daylight to eventually get back to camp at 4.00 pm.
For the next week there was constant night raids and daylight scraps in the district south of Vrede with one or two minor casualties every other day on both sides, including an officer of the South Australians. From Vrede, Elliott’s force moved up to Standerton for a short rest arriving there on 27 October.
Since leaving Harrismith the combined columns had secured thirty-three Boer casualties in killed, wounded and prisoners accounted for, eighty-three vehicles and 26,000 head of stock. Standerton was full of columns returning from Botha’s raid into Natal.
Whilst sitting quietly at tea the day after arrival, the officers suddenly heard a shout of, ‘Turn out the 6th MI, the Gordons are fighting the Australians.’ Obedient to the summons the officers too turned out and found a glorious fight in progress. The Australians had purchased two barrels of beer which the MI had suggested they should share. The Australians demurred and, in the argument, one of the barrels had got broached. A scramble and fight for the beer commenced during which Private Fraser, a very powerful man and now a highly respectable citizen of Aberdeen, broke one of the Australian’s arms; a pause ensued while both sides called for reinforcements. It was at this stage that the officers arrived and managed to restore order. A present from the Officer’s Mess of a new barrel to the aggrieved Australians fortunately resulted in a combined sing song before higher authority heard anything of the fracas.
The rest at Standerton was destined to have a rude ending. Suddenly, at noon on 3 October, news of Benson’s disaster at Bakenlaagte, 50 miles to the north, the day previously came through by helio and all fit men and horses of De Lisle, Hamilton and Allenby’s columns were ordered to parade at short notice. Five days’ rations only were to be carried and no other baggage. This meant only two mule waggons per column. Two hours later the force was on the move but owing to the sketchy orders there was considerable confusion and delay at the bridge over the Vaal. A halt was made for three hours just after dark at a hamlet called New Denmark to enable the now loaded supply waggons to catch up. At 10.30 pm the force moved on, the night being very dark and gradually changing to fog. An hour’s halt was made at 4.30 am to feed the horses. The fog, which was now thick, did not clear till noon. On moving off in daylight the force shook out into fighting formation with De Lisle on the right, Allenby centre and Hamilton left. Quite early in the morning fighting started in the mist, first on the left and then right along the line to the left and quite a lot of Boers came into view.
Helio communication was established with Benson’s column first at 8.00 am, during breaks in the mists. Wools-Sampson, who was in command after Benson’s death, was able to report the column was holding its own and entrenched. A halt of two hours for reconnaissance was now made near Kromdraai where there is a break in the low line of hills intervening between the beleaguered column and the relieving force. Not much resistance was offered as the Boers, under Botha, having failed to storm the camp, were only too anxious to get clear away with the captured guns before becoming too heavily involved with the different relieving columns. When Benson’s camp was finally reached at 3.30 pm only a scattered rearguard of Boers hung around who speedily made off.
Comment has been made that there was no pursuit, but 55 miles, as the crow flies, had been covered during the 24 hours, to which another 10 miles may be added for a skirmishing etc. The Boer horses had practically had two days’ rest and only Sampson’s severely handled column was available with 24 hours’ hard fighting behind them. The relieving force off saddled and grazed till dusk, then moved into Sampson’s outpost for the night. The march back took two days and was much delayed by heavy rainstorms and the breakdown of the two waggons. They consequently went into bivouac five miles north of Standerton at 11.30 pm marching at 4.00 am to rejoin the standing camp at 6.00 am on 4 October.
On arrival Major Sladen heard he been promoted to another billet and Major Bradley Dyne of the Buffs took over command. Major Dyne, though personally popular, was more in need of a rest at base camp than physically fit for command of a mounted infantry battalion in the field and he only held command for a few weeks.
A concentrated net of driving columns was now tried in the North Eastern Free State somewhat similar to that in the Western Free State in July; fourteen columns in all were to take part including the 9th and 15th MI. The scope of the net was a parallelogram with its four corners at Winburg, Heilbron, Standerton and Harrismith. The diagonal 175 miles long and the sides 100 miles across.
