History of the War in South Africa, 1899-1902

335 CHAPTER XIV. OPERATIONS IN THE WESTERN TRANSVAAL* (continued). THE PURSUIT AND ESCAPE OF DE WET. The westward drift of hostile forces from Rustenburg, and the surrender of Klerksdorp, made Lord Roberts anxious for the safety of the small isolated posts on the route to Mafeking. A runner was sent to Lieut. -Colonel CO. Hore at Elands River, directing him to call in the detachment of sixty men from Wonderfontein, and warning him to prepare for a siege. The garrisons of Lichtenburg and Zeerust were also ordered to Otto's Hoop. AngloBoerWar.comThese changes, and the presence of a commando near Woodstock, half-way between Magato Nek and Elands River, increased the difficulty of supplying Baden-Powell's force ; and the retention of Rustenburg had to be reconsidered. The Proposed evacuation of this stronghold of the old Boer spirit would mean Rustenburg. a great revival of hope amongst the despondent enemy, and would probably lead to the re-establishment of a new seat of government in the heart of the Transvaal, with consequent per- secution of all who had sided with the British. These views Baden-Powell insistently laid before Lord Roberts, pointing out that the holding of Rustenburg and Zeerust was necessary alike for moral effect, to give sanctuary to peacefully disposed Boers, and to provide bases of supply for mobile columns. In the eyes of the Commander-in-Chief the strategical gain of evacuation outweighed the political loss. He judged that the force at his disposal was best employed in guarding the railway, and in beating the enemy in the field. Despite the temporary * See map No. 38. - 336 THE WAR IN SOUTH AFRICA. loss of prestige involved in withdrawing from Rustenburg, he ordered Baden-Powell to evacuate it. Writing later to Baden- ** Powell, the Field-Marshal gave his reasons : Had I not to send Ian Hamilton's force with supplies for you, I should have employed it with Broadwood's against De Wet [in the Orange River Colony], and should practically have been able to surround him. Moreover, I have not a single battalion to spare to garrison Rustenburg, nor can I undertake to supply it, as all troops are required for what, I venture to think, is more important duty." Sir F. Carrington had reached Mafeking on July 26th, in advance of his troops. He there received orders to move on Rustenburg, and co-operate with Ian Hamilton. He was not Ian ready to march till August ist, on which date Ian Hamilton's from Pretoria on Rustenburg to begin. march aioi movement was The the " order for Hamilton ran : You will occupy and hold Commando aga les rg. -^^j^^ leaving there a suitable force as garrison to entrench themselves. ... As soon as you are in touch with Baden Powell, you should arrange to evacuate Rustenburg and Olifants Nek, withdrawing the battalion at Olifants Nek vid Hekpoort and theAngloBoerWar.comsouth side of the Magaliesberg, if this can be conveniently arranged. ... It is important that you should be back in Pretoria not later than the 9th or loth of August." Sir F. Carrington was told that Baden-Powell had supplies up to August loth, and must be relieved before that date. When it was decided to let Rustenburg go. Sir F. Carrington was directed not to go further east than Elands River. The garrison on the river was to be withdrawn when Rustenburg was given up. The concentration at Otto's Hoop of Colonel the Earl of ErroU's small force, which was now placed under Sir F. Carrington's orders, had been made in anticipation of the march to Elands River. Ian Hamilton's force, numbering about 7,600 men, was made up of Brigadier-General B. T. Mahon's and Colonel T. E. Hick- man's mounted forces, and Brigadier-General G. G. Cunning- ham's infantry brigade, with the 75th battery Royal Field artillery, the Elswick battery, and two companies of Garrison artillery. The infantry brigade, recently formed, consisted of OPERATIONS IN THE WESTERN TRANSVAAL. 337 four strong battalions (ist King's Own Scottish Borderers, ist Border regiment, 2nd Royal Berkshire regiment, and ist Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders), with S. section of Vickers- Maxims. Mahon's force comprised M. battery Royal Horse artillery, the Imperial Light Horse, Lumsden's Horse, a batta- Hon of Imperial Yeomanry, the 3rd corps of mounted infantry, the New Zealand Mounted Rifles, with detachments of Queens- landers, Bushmen and i8th Hussars, about 1,700 mounted men altogether. The mounted infantry, under command of Colonel T. E. Hickman, was composed of details from the 2nd brigade of mounted infantry, of released prisoners, and convalescents from all irregular horse in South Africa, formed into two complete regiments, under Major S. B. Von Donop, R.A. and Lieut.-Colonel A. N. Rochfort, R.A. The 3rd Queensland Imperial Bushmen and a Vickers-Maxim section were afterwards added to the force, which at the beginning of these operations numbered about 1,500 men. Starting on August ist, Hamilton's main body, with Hickman's Aug. ist, 1900. lan Hamilton force as advance guard, marched along the Rustenburg road, starts. while Mahon's mountedAngloBoerWar.comtroops moved in a parallel direction, north of the Magaliesberg. Desultory firing from the crest of the mountains did not delay the advance of the main column, but Mahon's march was somewhat obstructed. In order to keep touch with his northern force, Ian Hamilton considered it necessary to break through the mountains next day, and he selected Zilikat's Nek, the first gateway west of the neighbourhood of Pretoria. The pass was believed to be held by three or four hundred of the enemy, without guns, under Commandant Coetzee, who was acting under the orders of General De la Rey. The enemy's main body, about 1,500 strong with four guns, was reported near the Sterkstroom river, five-and-twenty miles distant. The road across the Nek penetrates through walls of sheer cliffs which run east and west for many miles. The ground open to frontal attack was therefore limited, and a turning manoeuvre difficult. Cunningham was ordered to force the pass with his brigade and a Field battery, whilst Hickman sent a small VOL. III. 22 338 THE WAR IN SOUTH AFRICA. party of his mounted infantry to a point some three miles to He forces the east, where it appeared possible for men to scale the cliffs Ziiikat's Nek. ^^^ ^^^^ ^^^ attack. The battery sheUed the enemy from 3,000 yards to the south, assisted by the Elswick and 5-in. guns in rear, which fired at groups of men visible on the bluffs each side of the Nek. Advancing with the 2nd Royal Berkshire on the right, under cover of a long shoulder, and the Argyll and Sutherland High- landers working through thick bush on the left, the brigade made good progress till 9.15 a.m., when Hamilton, seeing that the heights must be crowned, kept Cunningham back till this had been done. At 10.30 a.m. fifty men sent eastward by Hickman had reached the summit of the range, and moved unopposed along the top towards the Nek. Half an hour later two companies of the Royal Berkshire managed to climb, under a heavy cross-fire, up the very steep cliffs on the east of the pass, Sergeant A. Gibbs, the first man up, being shot down as he reached the top.* The centre now resumed its advance, the defenders were forced backward, and a number of horses and wagonsAngloBoerWar.comcaptured, the casualties being four men killed and two officers and thirty-five men wounded, nearly all belong- ing to the Royal Berkshire regiment. Meanwhile Mahon's troops on the north side of the pass had been delayed by a party of the enemy, and the orders heUographed from Hamilton not being received till 9.15 on the morning of the action, when the cavalry were still some six miles away, the Nek was carried before they arrived. Touch with Mahon's force was duly made. Leaving Hickman's troops, with the ist King's Own Scottish Borderers and a section of the Elswick battery, to garrison Commando Nek, the column marched towards Rustenburg without sign of the enemy. At Kroondal, Baden-Powell's force came under Hamilton's orders. Before starting for Pretoria, Hamilton, on August 5th (4.15 p.m.), had telegraphed to Lord Roberts, forwarding Baden-Powell's proposal to retain Rusten- Private W. House, Royal Berkshire regiment, was awarded the Victoria Cross for gallantry in attempting to succour a wounded sergeant, and for his coolness in warning his comrades not to come to his assistance when he himself was severely wounded. - OPERATIONS IN THE WESTERN TRANSVAAL. 339 burg, which, Baden-Powell believed, could be held by a battalion, a squadron and four guns, even if Olifants Nek were abandoned. Lord Roberts the same day ordered the evacuation and the Orders for the abandonment of Ohfants Nek. OlifantsnT?"%'-''vt]Nek. The troops holding Elands River, which had been originally a post on the line of communication between Mafeking and Rusten burg, were commanded by Lieut. -Colon el C. O. Hore, and consisted of 140 Australian Bushmen, 80 men of the Rhodesia regiment, and 80 Southern Rhodesia Volunteers, with a 2.5-in. Mountain gun and two machine guns. They had skilfully applied the lessons learned from adventurous life in the open to the trenches and shelters, and Here's experience in the siege of Mafe- king served him well. The camp was at Brakfontein, about half a mile east of the river, which here cuts the Zeerust road north and south ; but as there are numbers of easy drifts above and below the road, the river, which was the only water supply, offered no efficient barrier against attack.

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