History of the War in South Africa, 1899-1902
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—: 457 CHAPTER XIX. EVENTS ON JOHANNESBURG—DURBAN LINE. JUNE TO NOVEMBER, IQOO.* Brief reference must here be made to events on the Natal Johannesburg railway, which had now become an important line of communication and supply. Since June 25th Major- General A. FitzRoy Hartf had occupied Heidelberg. By the beginning of July his detachments held the railway from Zuiker- bosch to Rietvlei, where they linked with the troops of the 19th brigade. From July 4th, when Hart's patrol joined hands Distribution with the advanceAngloBoerWar.comguard of the Natal army, the railway from ° ^^^^P^- Elandsfontein to Ladysmith was held by a chain of entrenched posts, which week by week grew in number and in strength. Vlakfontein, Greylingstad, Waterval, Standerton and the inter- vening points were gradually garrisoned by the Hnd division : Major-General A. S. Wynne's nth brigade was responsible': for the section Standerton—Paarde Kop ; Lieut. -General H. J. T. Hildyard, with the 2nd cavalry brigade, and Major-General J. T. Coke's loth brigade held Zandspruit and Volksrust Lieut. -General the Hon. N. G. Lyttelton's section included Laing's Nek and Ingogo Heights, with detachments at Ingogo Station and Coetzee's Drift ; Major-General J. Wolfe Murray was in general command of the line from Newcastle southward ; * See maps Nos. 45, 46 and 48. 1 28th battery Royal Field artillery ; G. section Vickers-Maxims ; a wing of the 2nd Somerset Light Infantry; 2nd Royal Dublin Fusiliers; Marshall's Horse (14 officers, 288 other ranks) ; Manchester I.Y. (4 officers, 80 men). Total—65 officers, 1,835 other ranks. 458 THE WAR IN SOUTH AFRICA. Brigadier-General J. F. Bum-Murdoch, with the ist cavalry brigade and detachments from the 7th infantry brigade, held Rooi Pont, six miles south of Newcastle, Ingagane and Dannhauser ; Brigadier-General J. G. Dartnell, with the Natal Volunteer brigade, garrisoned Dundee, Glencoe and Wasch- bank, and Major-General C. M. H. Downing, from his Headquarters at Ladysmith, provided for the defence of the Drakensberg passes. On June 28th Major-General J. T. Coke, with a column com- posed of two squadrons 19th Hussars, four 12-pr. guns (Naval), 69th battery R.F.A., one Vickers-Maxim, 2nd Middlesex regi- ment, and ist Royal Dublin Fusiliers, moved from Volksrust with the object of clearing Gras K op, and reconnoitring towards Amersfoort. Gras Kop was occupied without opposition on the evening of the same day. On the 29th the advance was resumed, now covered upon the left flank by the i8th Hussars and a Field battery, detached from the 2nd cavalry brigade at Zand- spruit. Upon the high ground six miles to the south of Amers- foort a strong Boer force with several guns was encountered, and withAngloBoerWar.comthis Coke soon became engaged. After driving the enemy from their ground at a cost of two killed and seven wounded, the column returned to Volksrust, which was reached on the 30th. Throughout July the attitude of Sir R. Buller's force was purely defensive. The sole mobile body within the area was that of Sir F. Clery,* which, largely composed of infantry, and equipped with four heavy guns, had chiefly the passive duty of protecting the railway and reconstruction parties between Stan- derton and Heidelberg. Clinging to the line throughout the early portion of July, this ponderous column was constantly shadowed and stung by the active sharpshooters of the Heidel- berg commando ; and the section of the line which it patrolled could rarely be kept intact. On July 20th news was received of De Wet's escape from the Brandwater Basin, and with it an order from the Commander-in-Chief that Sir F. Clery should hold his * 3rd mounted brigade (500) ; two and a half battalions 4th brigade ; 63rd battery Royal Field artillery ; two Howitzers 86th battery R.F. A. ; two 5-in. guns R.G.A- EVENTS ON JOHANNESBURG—DURBAN LINE. 459 column in readiness at Greylingstad to prevent De Wet from breaking into the Transvaal between Standerton and Heidelberg. Sir F. Clery, who at the moment was moving upon Bethel, thereupon returned to Greylingstad. Though minor affrays were numerous, the only sustained July 21st, the Zuiker- attack upon any post on railway was made upon ^^^^ attack" bosch. The garrison under Major F. P. English, 2nd Royal Zuikerbosch. Dublin Fusiliers, consisted of two companies of his own battalion, ten men Imperial Yeomanry, and no men Royal Engineers, the latter employed upon the broken bridge over the Zuikerbosch stream. At dawn on July 21st they were suddenly assailed by a strong commando with three guns and a Vickers-Maxim. The Boers, pushing in to close quarters, poured an exceedingly hot rifle and artillery fire on the defenders ; but English signalled to Heidelberg, thirteen miles distant, that, although entirely sur- rounded, he was holding his own with confidence. Hart, with two Field guns, a Vickers-Maxim, 130 infantry, and 140 mounted men, hurried from Heidelberg to relieve the little post ; but the attack was already repelled by the vigorous resistance of the garrison, andAngloBoerWar.comthe approach of Hart only hastened the Boer retirement. On July 27th Hart, ordered by Lord Roberts to entrain his July 27th, force for the Orange River Colony, withdrew to Klip River Sta- J^' leaves tion, being transferred southward on the 28th by train. On for the Orange River Colony. 1 T»r-/-^ 1 /^ T^ r^ iio-T^ the same day Major-General C. D. Cooper, covered by Sir r. Clery's column, took over the posts evacuated by Hart, and moved into Heidelberg with one squadron Strathcona's Horse, two guns 63rd battery R.F.A., five companies 3rd King's Royal Rifles, and six companies ist Rifle Brigade. Meanwhile the lower sections of the railway had been threatened by a force which had concentrated in the neighbour- hood of Gras Kop and Rooi Koppies, and was not dislodged by a small column sent out from Platrand* under Lieut. -Colonel E. C. Bethune on July 12th. Hildyard then collected a strong force around Zandspruit and Volksrust, and by July * Six guns, four companies mounted infantry and four companies 1st York and Lancaster regiment. 46o THE WAR IN SOUTH AFRICA. Hiidyard 2ist had three columns ready to move under Brocklehurst, collects troops Howard and Coke.* for operations towards Next day Gras Kop was occupied with slight opposition, and mers oort. ^^^ i2-pr. guns were emplaced on its lofty summit. Using the mountain as his pivot, Hiidyard, on July 24th, turned to Rooi Koppies, whither the local commandos had retired. Here he found himself before an entrenched position strongly held by several hundred Boers with two heavy guns and a Vickers-Maxim. After a preliminary bombardment by the 4.7-in. guns, the 12-prs., and the 13th and 69th batteries, Brocklehurst threatened the right of the position, and Howard's infantry deployed and advanced, the 2nd Gordon Highlanders in first line, the ist King's Royal Rifles in support and two companies of the ist Leicester in reserve—the whole covered by fire from their machine guns. The leading half battaUon of the Gordon High- landers rushed the main Boer position without a check, and Hiidyard drove the enemy from their ground towards Amersfoort, with a loss to his own force of four men killed, one officer and twenty-one men wounded. The column bivouacked at Meer- zicht ; AngloBoerWar.comand the following days were spent in reconnoitring towards Amersfoort, and entrenching posts upon the neighbouring Left Column. Main Body. (Major-General J. F. Brocklehurst.) (Major-General F. Howard.) 1 8th Hussars. One squadron 19th Hussars. Two companies B.M.I. 13th battery R.F.A. Two companies 4th M.I. Two guns 69th battery R.F.A. Four guns 7th battery R.F.A. Two 4.7-in. guns (Naval). Two 12-prs. (Naval). Two Vickers-Maxims. Wing 2nd Lancashire Fusiliers. Wing ist Leicester regiment. Wing 1st Royal Dublin Fusiliers. ist King's Royal Rifles. 1st Manchester regiment. 2nd Gordon Highlanders. Right Column. (Major-General J. T. Coke.) , One squadron 19th Hussars. Two 12-prs. (Naval). Four guns 69th battery R.F.A. 2nd Dorsetshire regiment. \Vinp 2nd Middlesex regiment. EVENTS ON JOHANNESBURG—DURBAN LINE. 461 heights for the protection of Paarde Kop and Zandspruit stations. With the departure of General Sir R. Duller on August 7th, Aug. 7th, 1900. the redistribution* of the guards and garrisons of the Natal— tion o/troops. Standerton line took effect. To recapitulate—Sir F. Clery, with the Ilnd division, was responsible for the section Heidelberg to Kromdrai ; the Headquarters 4th brigade being at Heidelberg, that of the 2nd brigade at Standerton. Hildyard's troops joined hands with those of Sir F. Clery by Kromdrai, and held the line to Coetzee's Drift ; the Headquarters nth brigade being at Platrand, and that of the 10 th at Ingogo. Sir F. Clery himself was in personal command of a column which early in August was composed of one squadron 13th Hussars, three companies Thor- neycroft's mounted infantry, four guns 63rd battery Royal Field artillery, one 5-in. gun Royal Garrison artillery, 17th Field company Royal Engineers, ist Durham Light Infantry, and a Naval detachment manning two 12-prs. The month of August passed in improving the defences of the posts along the line, in entrenching positions upon the hills to the north of Paarde Kop, Zandspruit and Volksrust, in accumu- lating reservesAngloBoerWar.comof supplies at the posts, and in repairing the frequently interrupted railway in order that the flow of stores to Pretoria along this, the shortest, the least exposed, and therefore the most reliable artery of supply for the army in the Transvaal, should not be checked.