SOUTH AFRICA AND THE TRANSVAAL WAR [Illustration: Maj. F. S. Maude Maj. Hon. A. H. Hamilton Lord Methuen Col. Mackinnon, C.I.V. Capt. C. F. Vandeleur GENERAL AND STAFF Photo by Gregory & Co., London] SOUTH AFRICA AND THE TRANSVAAL WAR BY LOUIS CRESWICKE AUTHOR OF "ROXANE," ETC. WITH NUMEROUS ILLUSTRATIONS AND MAPS IN SIX VOLUMES VOL. V.--FROM THE DISASTER AT KOORN SPRUIT TO LORD ROBERTS'S ENTRY INTO PRETORIA EDINBURGH: T. C. & E. C. JACK MANCHESTER: KENNETH MACLENNAN, 75 PICCADILLY Printed by BALLANTYNE, HANSON & CO. At the Ballantyne Press CONTENTS--VOL. V. PAGE CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE vii CHAPTER I THE DISASTER AT KOORN SPRUIT 1 THE REDDERSBURG MISHAP 16 ESCAPE OF PRISONERS FROM PRETORIA 21 PREPARATIONS FOR ACTION 32 THE BATTLE OF BOSHOP, APRIL 5 38 CHAPTER II MAFEKING, APRIL 46 AFFAIRS IN RHODESIA 53 CHAPTER III THE SIEGE OF WEPENER 54 OPERATIONS FOR RELIEF 68 THE TENTACLES AT WORK 82 CHAPTER IV THE GREAT ADVANCE-- FROM BLOEMFONTEIN, BRANDFORT, AND THE VET TO WELGELEGEN, MAY 9 87 FROM THABANCHU TO WINBURG AND WELGELEGEN (GENERAL IAN HAMILTON), MAY 9 95 TOWARDS THE ZAND RIVER TO KROONSTAD, MAY 12 101 CHAPTER V MAFEKING, MAY 108 WITH COLONEL MAHON'S FORCE 117 ON THE WESTERN FRONTIER 132 THE RELIEF 134 HOW THE NEWS WAS RECEIVED BY THE BRITISH EMPIRE 140 CHAPTER VI FROM KROONSTAD TO JOHANNESBURG 144 CHAPTER VII GENERAL RUNDLE'S MARCH TO SENEKAL 154 THE HIGHLAND BRIGADE 156 LORD METHUEN'S MARCH FROM BOSHOP TO KROONSTAD, MAY 29 159 THE BATTLE OF BIDDULPH'S BERG, MAY 28, 29 161 FIGHTING ON THE WESTERN BORDER, MAY 30 169 CHAPTER VIII GENERAL BULLER'S ADVANCE TO NEWCASTLE 171 CHAPTER IX THE INTERREGNUM AT PRETORIA 179 FROM JOHANNESBURG TO PRETORIA 184 APPENDIX REARRANGEMENT OF STAFF 193