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
Some circumstances attending the brilliant resistance of the Colonials
are almost heroic. Lieutenant Inglis, with eight men of the Frontier
Police on worn-out ponies, were sent from the Katbosh Camp to
reconnoitre. They were suddenly surrounded by Boers, but fought
furiously, with the result that they made their way through, with the
loss of four, to an embankment which offered shelter. Fifty Boers then
came within short range and fired on them. A response from the British
remnant followed. There were presently only four of them, commanded by
Corporal Morden, who, Lieutenant Inglis being disabled, took his place.
Here, in the face of these terrible odds, the Corporal sent off Private
Miles to inform Colonel Evans of his plight. The messenger executed his
errand, and returned to assist his comrades. He was hit, but still
persisted in "having a go at the enemy." Then Corporal Morden dropped
with a bullet through the brain. Miles, wet with his own
gore--fainting--supported himself against a tussock and continued to
direct the firing of his brother and Private Kerr. Eventually the Boers
made off, but not before Kerr had been killed by a parting shot. Finally
the relief party arrived, and carried the few remaining heroes back to
camp. Among the day's casualties were: Major H. T. de C. Hobbs, West
Yorkshire Regiment, killed; Second Lieutenant H. H. Smith, 1st Gloucester
Regiment, severely wounded; Lieutenant W. M. Inglis, 2nd Canadian Mounted
Infantry, severely wounded. The total casualties amounted to thirty-one.
The programme of surprise parties, trapping of small forces, and abuse of
the white flag, continued with little variety. Owing to the disposition
of the British troops to east of the railway, and the scarcity of
supplies and transport that militated against their mobility, the Boers
were temporarily in the ascendant. It was no easy matter to have and to
hold the arteries of the great army whose head was Pretoria, and yet to
guard the railway lines and send reinforcements at a moment's notice to
points menaced by the agile commandos of the enemy, and consequently
those who were responsible for the safety of the communications lived the
life of Damocles--without that personage's certainty of whence the fatal
blow might be expected!
The maintenance of the safety of the line from Kroonstad to Pretoria was
in the hands of General Smith-Dorrien, who placed at every post two
companies with two or more guns. He himself eternally perambulated the
line, now repairing, now mounting guns, now despatching patrols, in fact,
playing with almost superhuman energy and vigilance the game of fox and
geese--the fox De Wet, the geese the long tail of communications. In
spite, however, of the surprising energy of the General, the dog fox--the
wiliest reynard that ever challenged chase--redoubled his activities.
FOOTNOTES:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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