E-text prepared by Jonathan Ingram, Carol David, Debra Storr, and the Project Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreading Team Note: Project Gutenberg also has an HTML version of this file which includes the original illustrations. See 15802-h.htm or 15802-h.zip: (https://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/1/5/8/0/15802/15802-h/15802-h.htm) or (https://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/1/5/8/0/15802/15802-h.zip) WITH BOTHA IN THE FIELD by MOORE RITCHIE With Five Diagrams and Eighty-two Illustrations mostly by the Author Longmans, Green and Co. 39 Paternoster Row, London Fourth Avenue and 30th Street, New York Bombay, Calcutta, and Madras 1915 [Illustration: The Author] J.B. LIEUTENANT, HIS MAJESTY'S IMPERIAL FORCES, IF THIS SHOULD CATCH THE EYE OF: CHER AMI,--TO YOU: IN MEMORY OF DAYS. YOURS, M.R. [Illustration: The only photo of the meeting of General Botha and General Smuts in the field just before Windhuk was taken] FOREWORD The ungentle reader (upon whom a malediction) will discover that this little book is not by any means exhaustive. But the gentle reader may find it to be what I hope it is. For him I wrote it. Europe at the present time is lacerated in the greatest war of which man has knowledge. Compared with the doings in the Eastern and Western Fronts, in the Austro-Italian Theatre, or in the Dardanelles, the campaign of South Africa must take a modest place. My idea is simply to make clear to the public (for example, all names I mention will be easily found on my diagrams, drawn from a German fully detailed map, the best of the South-West African Protectorate in existence) of gentle and patriotic readers something of the latter-day work of a gentleman and a patriot, justly famed amongst peoples with whom integrity and honour are still esteemed sovereign virtues. "The Nonggai," Pretoria, S. Africa, August 1915. [Illustration: General Botha's Bodyguard leaving for the Front] CONTENTS PART I CHASING THE REBELS I KEMP AND BEYERS II DE WET III KEMP'S ESCAPE IV FOURIE PART II THE CAMPAIGN OF SOUTH-WEST AFRICA I THE PRELIMINARY CANTER II THE FIRST TREK INTO THE NAMIB DESERT III THE RECORD TREK TO WINDHUK IV THE LAST PHASE APPENDIX LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS The Author The only photo of the meeting of General Botha and General Smuts in the field just before Windhuk was taken General Botha's Bodyguard leaving for the Front Diagram of Campaign Group of Rebel Leaders Rebels rounded up after the capture of De Wet The last pursuit of Kemp. Flying column crossing the Orange River after him Troops returning to Pretoria after Nooitgedacht. December 16, 1914 Diagram of Nooitgedacht General Botha's train leaves the Orange Free State after the crushing of the Rebellion Exhausted Troops after defeating De Wet in the Orange Free State Leaving Pretoria. General Botha's Bodyguard departing Kits aboard. The Troops departing for the Front Camp of the Bodyguard at Groote Schuur