8th Battery, R.F.A., 2 guns. 37th Battery, R.F.A., 1 5-inch Howitzer. 2 Cos., 1st King's Own Scottish Borderers. 1 Co., 1st Derbyshire Regiment. (_c_) Right, under LIEUT.-COLONEL DUFF. 8th Battery, R.F.A., 2 guns. 1st Scottish Horse (200). 2 Cos., 1st King's Own Scottish Borderers. MAJOR-GENERAL BEATSON'S COLUMN (on 12th June). 5th Victorian Mounted Rifles (780-806). 9th Battery, R.F.A., 4 guns. "B" and "E" Sections Pompoms, 2 pompoms. 1st Royal Munster Fusiliers (347). 26th Co., Royal Engineers (23). 20th Field Hospital (26). 84th Co., Army Service Corps (20). Of which the following were detached to Wilmansrust (22) under MAJOR MORRIS, R.F.A.:-- 5th Victorian Mounted Rifles (350). Pompom Section, 2 pompoms. FOOTNOTES: [1] This table represents the columns as they were disposed at Midsummer 1901. SOUTH AFRICA AND THE TRANSVAAL WAR PEACE "On her knees, before the glory of the Lord, Britannia sheathes the lightnings of her sword; Once again, to utmost ends Of the Red Line it defends, She hath peace."--SIR EDWIN ARNOLD. THE SITUATION--FEBRUARY 1901 The reign of His Majesty King Edward VII. began in clouds! There was no denying that the last half-year had been one of retrogression. In June 1900, from the Orange River southwards, there had been comparative quietude. The southern and eastern half of the Orange River Colony had become fairly settled, while even in some districts of the Transvaal--towards the south-western area especially--the inhabitants gave indications of a willingness to accept British rule, and of a desire to return to their agricultural and peaceful avocations. But with the end of the year came a deplorable change. The enemy, broken up into a large number of desultory gangs, commenced raiding and wrecking, consequently the British forces, in order to cope with and pursue these vagrant bands, had to be broken up to correspond. The area of hostility and destruction grew larger daily and the difficulty of fighting more extreme. The lack of supplies now drove the Boers, who lived entirely on the country through which they passed, to spend their time in looting, in pouncing on the farms and small villages, and in seizing everything they might need. Stores, clothing, horses, cattle, all were grabbed at the point of the rifle, if not, as in some cases, delivered up on demand. To frustrate the tactics of the enemy, the British forces were compelled to denude the country of every movable thing, and to place whatever could be conveyed there in refuge camps which were established at points along the railway lines. But in this operation great loss was entailed, owing to the difficulty of finding sufficient grass for the number of collected animals, and of keeping them alive _en route_.