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CHAPTER XXXIX.

THE RETREAT.

O far, in these pages, no comment has the defence ot the summit had been taken S been made on the wisdom or un­ regularly in hand, entrenchments laid out, wisdom of any of the proceedings which gun emplacements prepared, the dead re­ led to the evacuation of Spion Kop at moved, the wounded collected, and, in fact, Colonel Thorneycroft’s order. the whole place brought under regular There was a great conflict of opinion, military command, and careful arrange­ not only amongst all members of the ments made for the supply of water and public, but amongst the commanders in food to the scattered fighting line, the hills South Africa, as to the wisdom of the step would have been held, I am sure. taken by Colonel Thorneycroft when he “ But no arrangements were made. ordered his men to evacuate Spion Kop General Coke appears to have been or­ on the night of 24th January. The facts dered away just as he would have been seemed to be that there was practically no useful, and no one succeeded him ; those communication between Sir Charles Warren on the top were ignorant of the fact that AngloBoerWar.com at the bottom of the hill and Thorneycroft guns were coming up, and generally there on the summit. Warren was making some was a want of organisation and system sort of preparation to send guns up to the that acted most unfavourably on the top of the hill at night, but of this inten­ defence.” tion he had in no way informed Colonel It is probable that Lord Roberts hit Thorneycroft. He was also making pre­ upon the explanation of the muddle when parations to send up supplies of food and he wrote in his despatch, commenting on water, as well as ammunition, all three or the despatch of Sir Redvers Buller :—u It which were quite as necessary as artillery. is to be regretted that Sir Charles Warren For the men at the summit had been did not himself visit Spion Kop during the fighting for seventeen hours without bite afternoon or evening, knowing as he did or sup ; and although British infantry, so that the state of affairs there was very long as it is actively engaged, can put up critical, and that the loss of the position with an absence of creature comforts quite would involve the failure of the operations.” as well as most people, yet there are limits It was all very well for Sir Charles to human endurance. , Warren to summon General Coke from Sir Red vers Buller made severe com­ the summit to make a report as to the ments in his official despatch upon the state of affairs there ; but the old saw conduct of the divisional commander. which says if you want anything to be well “ There was,” he said, “ a want of organi­ done do it yourself applies as much to sation and system that acted most un­ warfare as to anything else in human life. favourably on the defence. If at sundown One knows how difficult it is for any one HISTORY OF THE BOER WAR.508 person to make it clear to any other what able to concur with Sir Redvers Buller in the exact state of affairs is when that state thinking that Colonel Thorneycroft exer­ of affairs happens to be something which cised a wise discretion in ordering the can be seen. You may do very many things troops to retire. Even admitting that by deputy ; but you must see for yourself. due preparations had not been made for Had Sir Charles Warren thought it his strengthening the position during the duty to proceed to the top of Spion Kop, night, reorganising the defence, and bring­ he would immediately, with his soldier’s ing up artillery—admitting also that the eye, have taken in the whole circum­ senior officers on the summit of the hill stances of the case. He would have seen might have been more promptly informed not only that the state of affairs there was of the measures taken by Sir Charles critical, but he would have recognised how Warren to support and reinforce them, I critical it was. He would have learned am of opinion that Colonel Thorneycroft’s something of the conformation of the assumption of responsibility and authority ground on the plateau. He would have was wholly inexcusable.” seen whether or no it was possible to plant What Colonel Thorneycroft ought to guns in position on the summit, and if so, have done, according to Lord Roberts, would have been able to give directions as was to send a messenger to General Coke, to the best spot for the construction of or Sir Charles Warren, asking for permis­ emplacements. On any question of for­ sion to retire, or for such other orders tification his opinion and advice would the)* might have to give. Because, said have been invaluable ; for he AngloBoerWar.com himself was Lord Roberts, the fire of the Boers having an Engineer, and a skilful one to boot. now altogether abated, not to be resumed More than this, there can be no doubt until daylight came, Thorneycroft’s men that his presence would have been useful, could not have incurred any loss during as showing the men who were engaged in the couple of hours it would have taken that desperate struggle that some arrange­ for him to communicate by messenger ments would be made to assist and relieve with his superiors. It should be said here them in holding their hardly won position that the commander-in-chief in South against the tremendous odds of artillery Africa expressed no opinion as to the brought to bear against them. feasibility of holding Spion Kop. Of As to the order given by Colonel course, he could not ; because he did not Thorneycroft to abandon the hill, there know the ground. Sir Charles Warren was a considerable difference of opinion and Sir Redvers Buller were equally in­ as to whether he ought to have done it capable of passing any really valuable or not. Sir Redvers Buller officially ex­ opinion on the wisdom of Thorneycroft’s cused his action. “ Preparations for the action, for they were equally ignorant. second day’s defence should have been It may be assumed that if the position organised during the day, and have been captured by the British on the kop was commenced at nightfall. As this was not tenable at all, then Thorneycroft ought done I think Colonel Thorneycroft exer­ not to have evacuated it. Was it tenable, cised a wise discretion.” On the other even with artillery ? Sir Charles Warren hand, Lord Roberts differed entirely from in his report says that he was making General Buller. “ I regret that I am un­ arrangements for sending guns to the top A QUESTION OF ETIQUETTE. 509 during the night, but there was an almost taken into consideration — something unanimous opinion amongst those who which does not appear in the official had actually been in the position that even despatch, unless, perhaps, it is included if guns had been by superhuman exertions in Sir Redvers Buller’s comprehensive dragged up to the summit, they would phrase, w want of organisation and sys­ immediately have been put out of action tem ”—and that is, that it was most by the Boers. This was owing to the con­ difficult for the officers in command on figuration of the ground. It may safely the summit to obtain any orders at all be assumed of a man of the conspicuous that they could follow. A messenger personal courage of Thorneycroft, a man would be sent to headquarters, and there who sought danger rather than avoided it, would probably return two people, or that he would not have abandoned a perhaps more, with answers to the message position deemed by his commanders of —giving directions generally different and strategical importance if he had thought frequently quite contradictory. It was it could be held at all. lamentable, it was more than lamentable, There was a story told of him which that gallant fellows should be sent to storm illustrates the nature of the man. A a steep and high mountain and left to hold certain major in a Line regiment com­ it when the task was almost impossible, plained to him that the men of Thorney- and that their difficulties should have been croft’s Horse did not salute him (the increased tenfold by the incompetence of major) every time they met him. “ Not the persons who ought to have been able salute you, eh ? Why, they don’tAngloBoerWar.com salute to render them every assistance. me. But they’re the devils to fight ! ” said On the morning of the 25th January Thorneycroft. Sir Redvers Buller posted from Spearman’s What ought to have been done, un­ Camp to Trichardt’s Drift. When he doubtedly, was for the troops who had arrived—for the purpose of arranging a clung to their position so tenaciously all day plan of action with Warren—he was met to deliver a bayonet attack in the dark, and by the news, “ Spion Kop was abandoned so make themselves masters of the whole in the night.” Buller could hardly believe top of the mountain. But Thorneycroft his ears. Still more incredulous did he had no real idea of the facts of the case. grow when he was told that Thorneycroft He did not know but that if he secured the had abandoned it without orders. And top he might not find his position as bad then Sir Redvers Buller took over the as ever ; for he would still have been command of Warren’s force. He was exposed to the fire of the Boer guns. He going to do something which must have was not to know that Botha had given up caused him many a pang, and something the game. He only knew that if the Boers that entailed an effort of courage more held on, and no guns came up to deal admirable than military courage. For it with the Dutchmen’s artillery, it was was courage of the moral order. simply murder to keep the men up there. On the setting out of the Relief Force Still, it is a thousand pities that the from Frere Camp to Springfield, the “ fighting man ” did not adopt a more general had issued an order, signed by his heroic course. chief of the staff, Colonel Wynne, of a And there is one other matter to be kind rarely published by a British general. AngloBoerWar.com

AFTER THE RETREAT: BOERS ROBBING THE DEAD. THE CAUSE OF BULLER’S FAILURE. 511 It reminds one rather ot an order pub­ Buller himself, but imposed upon him by lished by the great Napoleon when he the Home Government. This divisional intended to make a supreme effort and was commander had substituted for a carefully appealing to the devotion of his troops to- devised scheme an immature and crude ensure its success. It ran somewhat in plan of his own. That plan was strateg­ this wise : (< The Army is advancing to the ically sound ; but if it had succeeded it relief of Ladysmith, where your comrades would have been pure luck. For the have galiantly held out for more than details had not been worked out at ten weeks in very trying circumstances a ll; which was folly. And he had against a clever and unscrupulous enemy not even shown in the execution of his who greatly outnumbers them.” After, hare-brained policy common prudence or warning the troops to be careful, and the ordinary skill to be expected of a especially to be suspicious of the enemy general officer. when he showed the white flag, the ordei The result was that at 6 a.m. on the went on, “ There will be an attempt to 25th, when Buller arrived at Trichardt’s mislead our troops by means of false, Drift to take over the command of the orders, bugle calls sounding 4 Cease fire ’- operations by the left flanking force, he and 4 Retire,’ but there is only one order found to his amazement that Spion Kop, which our generals give, and this, if im­ which Sir Charles Warren had assured plicitly and loyally obeyed, must ensure him was the key to the position, the the complete success of our armies. That taking of which the same general had in­ order is 4 Advance.’ ” Yet within AngloBoerWar.com a fort­ formed him had rendered the enemy’s night the general by whose commands position untenable, had now been aban­ these words were published gave an order doned by the British and was again in to retire! And there is no act in Sir the possession of the Boers. Whereupon Redvers Buller’s career which calls for General Buller, wasting no time in vain greater praise than this. He was—and he regrets, decided that the left flanking knew he would be—made the subject or force must re-cross the Tugela, and that some jeers and sneers by people who said, the effort to relieve the beleaguered gar­ “ This general, whose one order was to be rison must be made in some other manner 1 Advance,’ is now in ignominious retreat.” and from some other quarter. All that But Buller had one characteristic that day of the 25th, oxen and waggons and endeared him to his countrymen. He horses defiled over the pontoon bridges tried to do his duty manfully, and he cared from the north side of the river to the nothing of what might be said of him by south. The troops remained on the north critics, well or ill informed. bank until the whole of the transport had Of course, he knew that he was not in crossed over. It was thought most prob­ the least to blame for the failure of his able that when the Dutchmen found advance. He had devised a plan. The that we were in retreat they would make plan was scientifically sound and, in the some effort to harass us during that opera­ words of Lord Roberts, 44 it ought to have tion. But, to the surprise and relief of succeeded.” That plan had been shattered, the British, no such attempt was made. not by the enemy, but by the wilfulness There are few instances in warfare where of a divisional commander not chosen by an army that has been repulsed and is HISTORY OF THE BOER WAR. crossing within a few miles, and within evening of the 24th. He had only left behind full view of a victorious foe, has been a small force of picked sharpshooters and allowed to cross such an obstacle as the two or three guns to fight a rear-guard Tugela River without let or hindrance. action and to delay the British as long as But it was so in this case. The Boers sat possible. For Botha imagined that the silent on their hill tops. Not even a round British, having taken one end of the of shrapnel dropped into the long line ot hill by surprise and having held it against ox-drawn waggons. Not a shot was fired enormous odds the whole day, would as mile after mile of vehicles strung out devote the night to capturing the other along the rutty roads. end. He expected the morning light to There was reason for this, and one show him line after line of entrenchments, wonders that it did not at the time strike row after row of sangars, and perhaps the experienced British commanders. For several gun emplacements, and at least the Boers to harass our convoy they must field artillery in position. And he ex­ have left their hills to some extent and pected that with this force Warren would showed their strength. And the fact is attack the remaining positions of the that their line was so thin that they could mountain and carry them with the bayonet not afford to show the British how thin under cover of artillery fire. it was. They had, while hidden behind So, on the night of the 24th, one whose their boulders and in their entrenchments, eyes could pierce the darkness might have appeared to be quite five times as nu­ seen the extraordinary sight of two armies merous as they really were ; but once they in retreat from each other. Judge the had come from behind these AngloBoerWar.com shelters, it delighted surprise of the Boer rear-guard would have become obvious to Sir Charles when, in the morning, they found the Warren that the two divisions under his summit of the kop quite empty except for command, numbering nearly 20,000 men, the bodies of the slain. With instant had been held in check for a week by a decision Botha recalled his commandoes, line of not more than 5,000. The Boer and the watchers from the heights of commandoes defending the line of the Ladysmith saw to their amazement the Tugela were under the leadership of Com­ long trains of waggons, which had been mandant Botha, a young man of little trekking north in the evening, returning more than thirty years of age, who until south the next morning. Sir George this campaign had had no experience White could not understand the phe­ whatever of warfare. And it says a great nomenon in the least. It never occurred deal for him, as well as for the troops he to him that the British had abandoned commanded, that twice within six weeks the hill-top, and he chuckled somewhat he had repulsed, with loss, disciplined when he saw the Boers returning to their troops outnumbering him by three or five old position. He thought in the innocence to one, and that with scarcely any loss to of his heart that the Dutchmen had re­ himself. turned to make a last stand—to fight the Botha had really intended to retreat matter out to the finish ; and he doubted from the Spion Kop position, and had, in not that within twenty-four hours Sir fact, broken up his laager and sent away Redvers Buller would grind every Dutch­ his waggons during the afternoon and man of them to powder. BULLER SUPERINTENDS THE RETREAT. 513 It took the commander of the Lady­ The British retreat across the Tugela smith garrison a good many hours to realise was conducted in a fashion that could only that Buller had failed in his second at­ be described as perfect. Sir Redvers Buller tempt. When White had seen that the knew what a difficult operation it wrould summit of Spion Kop was in possession of be. He expected it to be even more the British, he had felt so absolutely certain difficult than it actually was, for, like

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CARRYING AWAY THE WOUNDED FROM SPION KOP. of the success of our arms and the speedy everyone else, he supposed that the enemy relief of his garrison that he put every­ would seek to harass him in the crossing. body in Ladysmith on full rations. It was So he took charge of all the arrangements counting chickens before they were hatched himself. He superintended the packing with a vengeance, for before the 26th of the waggons, the harnessing of teams, January an order had to be issued cutting gave directions as to distance to be ob­ down the food allowance to something served between this waggon and the next, less than it had been before the Lanca­ and generally performed—and that with shire lads rushed the Boer position. skill—the duties of a transport officer. R HISTORY OF THE BOER WAR. For twenty-four hours there was a rumbling each ; ninety-eight waggons drawn by of waggons, bellowing of oxen, a kicking of ten mules each ; 107 drawn by six mules mules, a snorting of traction engines along each, and fifty-two drawn by four ; in all the road to the drift across the river and 489 waggons. Besides these, there were along the banks on the other side. As to ambulances and guns, including thirty-six the fighting men, both horse and foot, field guns and four howitzers. these were kept under arms. For although It was not until the very last company the army was retreating, the men had not of infantry was nearly across the pontoon been beaten, and would have been only bridge that the Boers made a move. too glad to come to blows with their Then half a dozen shells dropped peril­ elusive enemy. The artillery unlimbered ously close to the bridge. This was its guns and placed them in position. The already thin enough, worn by the wheels battalions deployed and covered the road of so many waggons and the tramp of so along which the miles of convoy toiled, many feet, and if the shells had not been the mounted troops stood ready for the much worse aimed than usual, there would 14 boot and saddle," hoping that the enemy have been a very ugly disaster ; but for would descend from his hill-tops and try once the British infantry was in luck, and to strike a blow. There was no muddle. the retreat was accomplished within easy You have read how long it took for the reach of the enemy the whole way with­ waggons to cross the drift on the way out the loss of a single man or beast, or to the front. They occupied much less even a pound of stores. time in traversing a longer distance to the When the retirement occurred it had rear, for in thirty-two hours fromAngloBoerWar.com the time been impossible, owing to the darkness, to the order was given to retire every bit of collect all the wounded, much less to bury the baggage of the 5th Division was on the dead. Wherefore on Thursday, Fri­ the south bank. The whole of the night day and Saturday (January 25th, 26th and the Army Service Corps were hauling and 27th) parties had to be sent from the dragging and swearing and thumping the British camp to the fatal plateau. stupid beasts of burden. After the trans­ Our medical officers and clergy were port had crossed the stream came the much impressed by the conduct of the cavalry*, then the guns, and, last of all, the Boers whom they met on the battle-field. infantry. While the foot men were filing When the British doctors arrived upon the over, guns were placed on the south bank spot they found there before them medical to cover their retirement. By four a.m. men, Germans and Hollanders and Boers, on the 27th all the troops were over, and already engaged in attending the British within four hours after that the pontoons wounded. The Boers spoke with respect had been packed up on their waggons, and and admiration of the courage of our men. everything and everybody was ready to They frankly admitted that they did not start for the new camp. This was reached expect it—that, indeed, they did not think by ten a.m. on the 27th. it possible for men to do what the British One may have some idea of the infantry had done. They spoke, many enormous organisation of the army ser­ of them, of “ the un-Christian war,” and, vice when one knows that there were to their credit be it said, displayed no 232 ox-waggons drawn by eight oxen signs of undue exultation over their BURYING THE DEAD. 515 success. They uncovered reverently when of Dutchmen, of Hollanders, and of the the British chaplain read the burial service Transvaal foreign legion about half that over the bodies of their slain, and many number. It was a terrible price which even joined in repeating “ Our Father.’’ the British army had to pay for a series of It was a strange meeting on that blunders and procrastinations. mountain. Three or four British clergy­ The soldiers knew someone had blun­ men, half a dozen tireless doctors, dered. Who it was exactly they did not together with men of the Engineers with know. But they were still unconquered ; the tools of their ghastly business ; and still they asked nothing better than to there were brown-bearded, grey-headed be led against the enemy. Their confi­ Dutchmen and solemn Germans, with dence in their commander had abated not here and there a Frenchman, all speak­ one iota—if anything they adored him the ing softly and gravely in the presence of more. For the common soldier is not so much death. For some of the Boers altogether without understanding ; and had spades also. They, too, had come to this time he had seen how, when every­ bury their dead. But there was this thing had gone wrong with the left difference between the men who lay in flanking force, Buller had come to take the trenches and those who lay upon the charge at the most critical moment—we edges of them. Everyone of the British mean at the moment of retreat. It is not had been shot by shell or bullet, while of uncommon for a superior to come in at the Boers who lay there three out of four the last moment, when his juniors have had been killed with the bayonet.AngloBoerWar.com It done something creditable, and secure the showed the character of the conflict as glory for himself. But Sir Redvers Buller well as the methods of Agluing of the had done precisely the opposite to this. combatants. He had appeared on the scene when there But whether torn by splinter or shell, was no glory or credit to be gained, but or riddled by Mauser bullet, or pierced when, on the other hand, a vigorous through and through by British steel, they and determined assault by Botha’s men were in the same plight. They had been would have resulted in heavy loss, for cut off suddenly. Not slaves driven to which he would have to be responsible. battle by kings and emperors to fight in Tommy Atkins had seen 44 Old Bulldog ” some quarrel regardless of its merits, but exposing himself like a young fire-eater men of two free nations, each convinced near the lost guns at Colenso, and Tommy of the righteousness and justice of its had admired him for it. But now the quarrel. There would be mourning in troops fairly worshipped their commander. St. Helen’s ; there would be weeping in They believed he would peg away until Vryheid. Many a Lancashire lass would victory came, that he would never cease turn pale as she read the war news. Many his efforts until he had broken through to a bright-eyed Dutch girl would watch in Ladysmith, and they were prepared to vain for the familiar face of the youth she follow him anywhere and everywhere at loved, would strain her ears to catch the any time and all times. The general’s sound of his horse’s hoofs across the veldt. irequent crossing and re-crossing of the Of England’s sons two hundred and forty- Tugela earned him in time among the three found their graves upon Spion Kop ; small and sorry wits of the London clubs the name of “ the ferryman.” It would general, so al?o did the general appreciate have gone ill with these humorous distri­ the ungrudging and unstinted labours of the butors of cognomens if they had vented rank and tile. “ The men are splendid.” their sarcasm in the neighbourhood of he telegraphed to the War Office, after Spearman's Camp. Once a rumour flew re-crossing the Tugela. And so they were. down the lines that, in consequence of the They had had a ten days’ bivouac, most of two failures, the War Office had decided to them, and their food had been the poorest of

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IN THE TRENCHES. recall their general. The effect was tre­ army rations—bully-beef and biscuit. But mendous. Wrathtul privates gathered in they were, nevertheless, in splendid health groups and spoke angrily together. Some and in high spirits. They knew that of them asked their officers if there was Buffer would lead them one day to victory, any truth in the report, and an officer of and were resolved not to be cast down. great experience said that, in his opinion, But the Devon general, though he was if the report had been true and General careful not to show it, was sore cast down Buffer had been recalled or superseded, by liis second failure. He had lost all con­ there \vould have been something like a fidence in Warren ; and it grieved him mutiny in the army of Natal. much to be obliged to throw his men time If the army loved and appreciated its and time again at the Boer entrenchments.