Two Years on Trek: Being Some Account of the Royal Sussex Regiment in South AfricaDu Moulin, Louis Eugène
History
Two Years on Trek: Being Some Account of the Royal Sussex Regiment in South Africa
Du Moulin, Louis Eugène
Great Britain. Army. Royal Sussex Regiment; South African War, 1899-1902 -- Regimental histories -- Great Britain
On Feb. 25th Col. von Donop's empty convoy of 160 mule wagons (2,000
mules) was attacked and captured at daybreak 8 miles from Klerksdorp by
General Delarey and 1,500 Boers. The convoy was trekking from
Wolmeranstadt to Klerksdorp for supplies, under an escort of 360 men,
composed of Yeomanry and two or three companies Northumberland
Fusiliers, with two field guns and a pom-pom and a maxim---all of which
were taken by the Boers. Major Anderson, commanding the escort, sent in
to Klerksdorp for reinforcements, and Major Hearn, with Lieut. Beeton,
and about thirty men of the 21st M. I. (who had been sent in to
Klerksdorp for remounts) moved out of the town towards Wolmeranstadt
about 7.30 a.m., and were subsequently joined by two troops of Scottish
Horse, some men of No. 2 Co. 21st M. I., with Lieut. Drinan, and other
details, making up a total of perhaps 250 men. This force, commanded by
Col. Grenfell, 1st Life Guards, galloped 6 miles towards the scene of
the disaster, subsequently reaching high ground from which the captured
convoy could be seen, turned about and moving off in an opposite
direction. The woods on the right of the road were occupied by large
numbers of Boers, who could be clearly seen, as well as a great number
trekking away over the hills. Col. Grenfell's men dismounted and opened
fire at 1,000 yards. Part of the force charged down the hill in an
attempt to recapture half-a-dozen wagons, which had been blocked and
overturned in the Spruit; whereupon the Boers in large numbers formed up
and galloped, firing from their saddles, down the hill opposite, towards
the British, compelling them to retire, with a loss of several horses
killed and two men of the Scottish Horse wounded. The Boers did not
continue the pursuit, being satisfied with the capture of the entire
convoy, and the guns, with the exception of the maxim, which was
galloped into Klerksdorp on a pack horse. The casualties among the
convoy escort were over 200. Two officers of the Northumberland
Fusiliers were killed, and three severely wounded.
On March 14th Lord Kitchener concentrated a large force in the vicinity
of Klerksdorp with the object of destroying Delarey's commandos. Col.
Grenfell, 1st Life Guards, took command of all mounted troops belonging
to the three columns (Col. von Donop's, Col. Kekewich's, and Col.
Grenfell's), together 1,500 strong. The first of the combined drives
began on March 16th and occupied five days, the enemy being driven from
S.-W. to N.-E., in the direction of Klerksdorp. Owing to a gap left by
General W. Kitchener's column, most of the Boers escaped over the hills,
near Brakspruit, 9 miles from Klerksdorp. The 21st M. I. came in touch
with a party of Boers quite unexpectedly at nightfall, and after
galloping a few miles in pursuit drove them in the direction of General
Kitchener's column, where sixteen subsequently were taken prisoners.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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