[Transcriber's note: Obvious printer's errors have been corrected, all other inconsistencies are as in the original. The author's spelling has been maintained.
The sign + around words have been used to mark bolded text.
The errors noted in the errata have been corrected in the text.]
HISTORY OF THE WAR IN SOUTH AFRICA
1899-1902
COMPILED BY DIRECTION OF HIS MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT
BY
MAJOR-GENERAL SIR FREDERICK MAURICE, K.C.B
WITH A STAFF OF OFFICERS
VOLUME I
LONDON
HURST AND BLACKETT LIMITED
1906
All rights reserved
PREFACE.
The decision of His Majesty's late Government, mentioned on the first page of this history, was not finally given till November, 1905. It was, therefore, not till December 12th, 1905, that I was able to obtain approval for the form in which the political facts connected with the war are mentioned in the first chapter. Since then the whole volume has necessarily been recast, and it was not possible to go to page proof till the first chapter had been approved. Hence the delay in the appearance of the volume. I took over the work from Colonel Henderson in July, 1903. He had not then written either narrative of, or comments on, the military operations.
F. MAURICE.
May 22nd, 1906, London.
CONTENTS.
VOLUME I.
CHAP. PAGE
I.--Preparation for War 1 II.--The Outbreak of the War 35 III.--The Theatre of War 54 IV.--The Boer Army 68 V.--The British Army 87 VI.--The Navy in the Boer War 96 VII.--Talana Hill 123 VIII.--The Retreat from Dundee, and the action of Rietfontein 142 IX.--Elandslaagte 157 X.--Lombards Kop 172 XI.--The Arrival of Sir Redvers Buller 196 XII.--Advance from the Orange River 211 XIII.--Belmont 218 XIV.--Graspan 229 XV.--The Battle of the Modder River 243 XVI.--The Raid on Southern Natal 261 XVII.--Operations round Colesberg up to the 16th December 275 XVIII.--Stormberg 285 XIX.--Halt on the Modder River before Magersfontein 304 XX.--The Battle of Magersfontein 316 XXI.--Sir Redvers Buller in Face of Colenso 332 XXII.--Colenso, December 15th, 1899 351 XXIII.--Lord Roberts' Appointment to the Command in South Africa 376 XXIV.--Operations Round Colesberg--December 16th, 1899, to February 6th, 1900 389 XXV.--Lord Roberts at Capetown; reorganises 408 XXVI.--The Army Moves Forward 428
APPENDICES.
No. PAGE
1. Reinforcements sanctioned on 8th September, 1899 453 2. Distribution of British Forces on 11th October, 1899, in Cape Colony 455 3. Distribution of British Forces on 11th October, 1899, in Natal 456 4. Strengths of the Forces of the Transvaal and Orange Free State 457 5. List of H.M. Ships and Vessels serving on the Cape Station, October 11th, 1899, to June 1st, 1902 460 6. Approximate Strength and Casualties at Various Engagements described in Volume I 462 7. The Expeditionary Force as originally organised and sent to South Africa 471 8. The Composition and Distribution of British Troops in Southern Natal, 23rd November, 1899 477 9. Reinforcements Landed in South Africa up to the 13th February, 1900, other than those given in Appendices 1 and 7 478 10. Distribution of Troops in South Africa on 11th February, 1900, when the March from Ramdam began 485
Glossary 492
Index 497
LIST OF MAPS AND FREEHAND SKETCHES.
(In separate case.)
MAPS.
General Map:--South Africa. Special Maps:-- No. 1. INDEX MAP. No. 2. RELIEF MAP OF SOUTH AFRICA, to show Topographical Features and Theatre of War. No. 3. NORTHERN NATAL. No. 4. SOUTHERN NATAL. No. 5. TALANA. October 20th, 1899. No. 6. ELANDSLAAGTE. October 21st, 1899. No. 7. RIETFONTEIN. October 24th, 1899. No. 8. LOMBARDS KOP. October 30th, 1899. _Situation before 7 a.m._ No. 8 (A). LOMBARDS KOP. October 30th, 1899. _Situation from 7 a.m. to Close of Action._ No. 9. NORTH CAPE COLONY and PART of the ORANGE FREE STATE. No. 10. BELMONT. November 23rd, 1899. _Situation prior to Capture of Gun Hill._ No. 10 (A). BELMONT. November 23rd, 1899. _Situation prior to Capture of Mont Blanc._ No. 11. GRASPAN. November 25th, 1899. Situation at 9 a.m. No. 12. MODDER RIVER. November 28th, 1899. _Situation at about 3.30 p.m._ No. 13. MAGERSFONTEIN. December 11th 1899. _Situation at 4.30 a.m._ No. 13 (A). MAGERSFONTEIN. December 11th 1899. _Situation at 8 a.m._ No. 13 (B). MAGERSFONTEIN. December 11th, 1899. _Situation at 3.30 p.m._ No. 14. STORMBERG. December 10th, 1899. No. 15. COLENSO. December 15th, 1899. Situation at 8 a.m. No. 15 (A). COLENSO. December 15th, 1899. _Situation at 11 a.m._ No. 16. OPERATIONS AROUND COLESBERG. No. 17. SOUTH AFRICA. Map showing the approximate situation on the 31st December, 1899.
FREEHAND SKETCHES.
Talana. Rietfontein. Modder River. Magersfontein. Stormberg. Colenso.
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS USED ON THE MAPS.
A. & S. Highrs. Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders. Art. Artillery. Art. Pos. Artillery position. B.M.I. Bethune's Mounted Infantry. Bn. Battalion. Border. Border Regiment. Br. Brigade. Car. Carabineers. Cav. Cavalry. Cold. Gds. Coldstream Guards. Co. Company. Devon. Devonshire Regiment. D.G. Dragoon Guards. Dns. Dragoons. Durh. L.I. Durham Light Infantry. E. Surr. East Surrey Regiment. Fus. Fusiliers. Glouc. Gloucester Regiment. Gordon., or Gordon Highrs. Gordon Highlanders. Gren. Gds. Grenadier Guards. Gds. Guards. Highrs. Highlanders. Hosp. Hospital. How. Howitzers. Hrs. Hussars. I.L.H. Imperial Light Horse. King's King's Liverpool Regiment. K.O.Y.L.I. King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry. K.R. Rif. King's Royal Rifle Corps. Lrs. Lancers. L.I. Light Infantry. Liv'rp'ls King's Liverpool Regiment. Manch. Manchester Regiment. M.B. Mountain Battery. M.I. Mounted Infantry. N. Car. Natal Carabineers. N.F.A. Natal Field Artillery. N.M.R. Natal Mounted Rifles. North'd Fus. Northumberland Fusiliers. North'n. Northamptonshire Regiment. N. Lan. Loyal North Lancashire Regiment. Prs. Pounders (e.g., Naval 12-prs.). Queen's Queen's Royal West Surrey Regiment. R.E. Royal Engineers. R.F.A. Royal Field Artillery. R.H.A. Royal Horse Artillery. Rif. Brig. Rifle Brigade. R.I. Rif. Royal Irish Rifles. R. Irish Fus. Royal Irish Fusiliers. R. Innis. Fus. Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers. R. Fus. Royal Fusiliers. R. Muns. Fus. Royal Munster Fusiliers. R. Sc. Fus. Royal Scots Fusiliers. R. Welsh Fus. Royal Welsh Fusiliers. S.A.L.H. South African Light Horse. S. Gds. Scots Guards. Sco. Rif. Scottish Rifles. T.M.I. Thorneycroft's Mounted Infantry. W. Yorks Prince of Wales's Own West Yorkshire Regiment.
MAPS TO VOLUME I.
Pains have been taken to embody in the maps all topographical information existing up to date. A very considerable amount of valuable triangulation has been executed over portions of South Africa, but no systematic detailed survey has ever been made by any of the South African colonies or states. Maps have, however, been compiled by both Cape Colony and Natal. The former has prepared and published a map extending north as far as Lat. 26° 30'; this includes the Bechuanaland Protectorate and the Orange River Colony, but the topographical detail shown over these two areas is exceedingly scanty. The scale of the map is one inch to 12.62 miles.