LONDON TO LADYSMITH VIA PRETORIA By Winston Spencer Churchill CONTENTS INTRODUCTORY NOTE MAPS AND PLANS CHAPTER I. STEAMING SOUTH R.M.S. 'Dunottar Castle,' October 26 and October 29, 1899 CHAPTER II. THE STATE OF THE GAME Capetown; November 1, 1899 CHAPTER III. ALONG THE SOUTHERN FRONTIER East London: November 5, 1899 CHAPTER IV. IN NATAL Estcourt: November 6, 1899 CHAPTER V. A CRUISE IN THE ARMOURED TRAIN Estcourt: November 9, 1899 CHAPTER VI. DISTANT GUNS Estcourt: November 10, 1899 CHAPTER VII. THE FATE OF THE ARMOURED TRAIN Pretoria: November 20, 1899 CHAPTER VIII. PRISONERS OF WAR Pretoria: November 24, 1899 CHAPTER IX. THROUGH THE DUTCH CAMPS Pretoria: November 30, 1899 CHAPTER X. IN AFRIKANDER BONDS Pretoria: December 3, 1899 CHAPTER XI. I ESCAPE FROM THE BOERS Lourenço Marques: December 22, 1899 CHAPTER XII. BACK TO THE BRITISH LINES Frere: December 24, 1899 CHAPTER XIII. CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR Frere: January 4, 1900 CHAPTER XIV. A MILITARY DEMONSTRATION AND SOME GOOD NEWS Chieveley: January 8, 1900 CHAPTER XV. THE DASH FOR POTGIETER'S FERRY Spearman's Hill: January 13, 1900 CHAPTER XVI. TRICHARDT'S DRIFT AND THE AFFAIR OF ACTON HOMES Venter's Spruit: January 22, 1900 CHAPTER XVII. THE BATTLE OF SPION KOP Venter's Spruit: January 25, 1900 CHAPTER XVIII. THROUGH THE FIVE DAYS' ACTION Venter's Spruit: January 25, 1900 CHAPTER XIX. A FRESH-EFFORT AND AN ARMY CHAPLAIN Spearman's Hill: February 4, 1900 CHAPTER XX. THE COMBAT OF VAAL KRANTZ General Buller's Headquarters: February 9, 1900 CHAPTER XXI. HUSSAR HILL General Buller's Headquarters: February 15, 1900 CHAPTER XXII. THE ENGAGEMENT OF MONTE CRISTO Cingolo Neck: February 19, 1900 CHAPTER XXIII. THE PASSAGE OF THE TUGELA Hospital-ship 'Maine': March 4, 1900 CHAPTER XXIV. THE BATTLE OF PIETERS: THE THIRD DAY Hospital-ship 'Maine': March 5, 1900 CHAPTER XXV. UPON MAJUBA DAY Commandant's Office, Durban: March 6, 1900 CHAPTER XXVI. THE RELIEF OF LADYSMITH Commandant's Office, Durban: March 9, 1900 CHAPTER XXVII. AFTER THE SIEGE Durban: March 10, 1900 MAPS MAP OF MR. CHURCHILL'S ROUTE THE THEATRE OF THE OPERATIONS IN NATAL MAP OF THE OPERATIONS OF THE NATAL FIELD ARMY FROM JANUARY 11 TO FEBRUARY 9, INCLUDING: THE CAPTURE OF POTGIETER'S FERRY, JANUARY 11 THE PASSAGE OF THE TUGELA AT TRICHARDT'S DRIFT, JANUARY 17 THE AFFAIR OF ACTON HOMES, JANUARY 18 THE ACTION OF VENTER'S SPRUIT, JANUARY 20 AND 21 THE BATTLE OF SPION KOP, JANUARY 24; AND THE COMBAT OF VAAL KRANTZ, FEBRUARY 6, 7, AND 8 MAP OF THE OPERATIONS OF THE NATAL FIELD ARMY FROM FEBRUARY 14 TO 28, INCLUDING: THE RECONNAISSANCE AND CAPTURE OF HUSSAR HILL, FEBRUARY 14 THE CAPTURE OF CINGOLO, FEBRUARY 17 THE ENGAGEMENT OF MONTE CRISTO, FEBRUARY I8 OCCUPATION OF THE HLANGWANI PLATEAU, FEBRUARY 19 AND 20; AND THE BATTLE OF PIETERS FEBRUARY 21 TO 27 PLANS THE STATES MODEL SCHOOLS POTGIETER'S FERRY POSITION AT MONTE CRISTO THE COLENSO POSITION