South Africa and the Transvaal War, Vol. 6 (of 8): From the Occupation of Pretoria to Mr. Kruger's Departure from South Africa, with a Summarised Account of the Guerilla War to March 1901Creswicke, Louis
History
South Africa and the Transvaal War, Vol. 6 (of 8): From the Occupation of Pretoria to Mr. Kruger's Departure from South Africa, with a Summarised Account of the Guerilla War to March 1901
Creswicke, Louis
South African War, 1899-1902; Transvaal (South Africa) -- History
With the ceremony of the formal annexation of the Transvaal, under title
of the Transvaal Colony, which took place at Pretoria on the 25th of
October, a recrudescence of hostility on the part of the enemy became
apparent. A violent attack was made on Jacobsdaal (near Kimberley), the
Boers having succeeded in secreting themselves in the houses surrounding
the British camp, and this through the treachery of the women whom we
were protecting! The attack was repulsed after some hours of hard
fighting by the energy of the garrison (composed mainly of Cape Town
Highlanders), and by the dash of Finlayson in charge of the Cape Mounted
Police who came to the rescue, routed the Boers, and killed Bosman their
Commandant. Fourteen of the garrison were slain and thirteen wounded, and
the sole punishment which could be meted out to the dastardly inhabitants
who had been "accessories" of the assault was the burning of their
houses. In three of these were found large stores of soft-nosed bullets.
General Paget, who was becoming quite a master in the cunning of the
guerillas, made himself notable for defeating a huge gang of Dutchmen
with a convoy, taking--together with twenty-six prisoners--some 25,000
head of cattle--"the biggest haul of the campaign." The Boers had been
driven out of the region of Bethlehem, which was occupied by Colonel
Oakes with the Worcesters, 62nd Middlesex Yeomanry, and two guns of the
79th Battery. The marauders were further routed from a valuable well some
miles off by Colonel Golightly, Imperial Yeomanry, with Hants and
Gloucester companies, and two companies of Grenadier Guards, and half a
battalion of Scots Guards. During the operations young Lord G. R.
Grosvenor (Scots Guards) while gallantly leading his company, was wounded
in the thigh. Meanwhile Lord Methuen, with General Douglas and Lord
Erroll, by a skilfully combined movement, dislodged and dispersed the
enemy from his settling-place near Zeerust, and possessed himself of more
cattle and more prisoners. General Barton, too, with Scots and Welsh
Fusiliers, did smart work near Frederickstad, at close quarters and at
bayonets' point; but in the brush with De Wet lost thirteen killed and
forty-five wounded. The Boers suffered correspondingly, and twenty-six of
them were captured. Of the Scots Fusiliers Captain Baillie fell, while
Lieutenant Elliott was dangerously wounded. Captain Dick's injuries were
also severe, and Lieutenant Bruce was slightly wounded. Among the Welsh
Fusiliers' officers wounded were Captain Delmé Radcliffe and Lieutenants
Best and Nangle.
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