Churchill
Page 25
But ‘The Dream’ is more than an ironic little fantasy. Throughout it I sensed Churchill’s own political philosophy in his father’s words. It was Lord Randolph’s reference to the Anglo-Boer War which caught my keenest attention: ‘England should never have done that. To strike down two independent republics must have lowered our whole position in the world.’
Had there been a change of heart, as he grew older, in the young man who had so readily pursued the Boer in what he had called ‘a just war’? Had half a century of wars, in which he had always been centre stage, caused him to revise his views? Had the mature statesman, half American by birth and recently intimately involved with America during the titanic struggle of World War Two, been influenced by the memory of his audiences in Chicago and Boston nearly fifty years before?
I cannot say for what reason, but I do believe that in the course of that half-century Churchill’s innermost thoughts on the Anglo–Boer War underwent a considerable change. His way of expressing them was through the ghost of his father: ‘England should never have done that.’
REFERENCE NOTES
ABBREVIATIONS
AHD Aylmer Haldane, diary, Haldane papers
CAC Churchill Archives Centre
DMP WSC’s dispatches to the Morning Post. Dated as printed in London to Ladysmith and Ian Hamilton’s March
EL Winston S. Churchill, My Early Life
NAR National Archives Repository, Pretoria
RSC Randolph S. Churchill, Winston S. Churchill, Vol. I: Youth
WSC Winston Spencer Churchill
ONE: Gateway
2 ‘He was nay’ RSC, p.283
2 ‘endless forests’ EL, p.89
3 ‘a mere social’ Sandys, From Winston with Love and Kisses, p.182
3 ‘to scenes of’ CAC
4 ‘the desire for’ EL, p.118
4 ‘She is the’ CAC
5 ‘I should advise’ CAC
5 ‘When I think’ CAC
6 ‘I rode forward’ CAC
6 ‘I have faith’ CAC
6 ‘I rode my’ CAC
6 ‘Bullets are not’ CAC
6 ‘We were to’ EL, p.158
7 ‘I saw the’ ibid.
7 ‘in our path’ ibid., p.189
7 ‘like a race’ ibid., p.190
7 Battle of Omdurman: ibid, p.201
8 ‘Had the army’ CAC
TWO: Preparing for War
9 ‘Please understand’ History of the English Speaking Peoples Vol IV, p.296
10 ‘Our Account with’ RSC, p.499
11 ‘a practical political’ EL, p.240
11 ‘He is a’ ibid.
12 ‘able to write’ ibid., p.241
12 ‘inhuman slaughter’ CAC
12 ‘passed from hand’ Churchill, The River War, Vol. II, p.212
12 ‘a bit of’ EL, p.241
13 ‘Harmsworth telegraphed me’ CAC
13 Boer War correspondents: Read, The Power of News, p.106
14 ‘most happy to’ CAC
14 ‘He would have’ EL, p.244
15 ‘I fear the’ CAC
15 ‘It is definitely . . .’ CAC
16 ‘About the Cinematograph’ CAC
16 ‘My dear Winston’ CAC
16 ‘a very clever’ Manchester, The Last Lion, p.242
16 Randolph Payne & Sons: CAC
17 ‘I saw Winston’ CAC
18 ‘I send you’ CAC
18 ‘I see no earthly’ Halle, The Irrepressible Churchill, p.29
18 ‘I see the American’ CAC
18 ‘Dear Sandys’ collection of Steve Forbes, New York
THREE: Cruising to a Catastrophe
21 ‘Redvers Buller has’ Black and White Budget, 30 December 1899
22 ‘acquired no reverence’ Incidents and Reflections, Atkins, p.122
22 ‘We have had’ CAC
23 ‘Buller was a’ EL, p.247
24 ‘I am very’ CAC
24 ‘What an odious’ DMP, 26 October 1899
25 ‘This morning we’ DMP, 29 October 1899
26 ‘It looks as’ EL, p.250
26 ‘I dare say’ ibid.
27 ‘It is a long’ and subsequent WSC quotations, DMP, 1 November 1899
29 ‘a cat’ CAC
29 ‘I write you’ CAC
30 ‘misgivings were dispelled’ EL, p.254
FOUR: The Station Yard
33 ‘They have never’ DMP, 6 November 1899
34 ‘quite ready to’ Menpes, War Impressions, pp.124–7
35 ‘Go to hell’ Hurst, Winston Churchill: War Correspondent South African War, p.46
36 ‘He wanted to’ Estcourt Gazette, 14 December 1940
36 ‘Mark my words’ Derek Clegg to the author
36 ‘We had found’ Chaplin, Winston Churchill and Harrow, p.66
37 ‘How many more’ DMP, 9 November 1899
38 ‘We soon reached’ ibid.
39 ‘I did that’ Atkins, Incidents and Reflections, p.127
39 ‘bought the ground’ DMP, 10 November 1899
39 ‘the State may’ CAC
41 ‘It is a great’ Magnus, Kitchener: Portrait of an Imperialist, p.287
41 ‘When I left’ Churchill, The World Crisis (abridged edition 1931), p.140
42 ‘a lonely, young’ Stevenson, ‘Correspondence with Colonel W. Park Gray’, unpublished manuscript
42 Norgate: Liz Burrow (great-granddaughter), letter to the author
FIVE: Knight Errant
45 ‘Wilson’s death trap’ DMP, 20 November 1899
46 ‘We started at’ ibid.
46 ‘I do not’ Haldane, A Soldier’s Saga, p.142
46 WSC’s admission: WSC, conversation with Major-General Hilyard, quoted in Pakenham, The Boer War, p.278
47 ‘As the train’ DMP, 20 November 1899
47 ‘Keep cool’ Atkins, The Relief of Ladysmith, p.75
47 ‘The Boers held’ DMP, 20 November 1899
48 ‘quick witted and’ Haldane, A Soldier’s Saga 143
48 ‘Mr Winston Churchill’ CAC
50 ‘A very brave’ Martin, The Durban Light Infantry, p.73
50 ‘All the time’ Contemporary Review, December 1901, p.872
50 ‘I have had’ DMP, 20 November 1899
50 Botha and artillery: Martin, The Durban Light Infantry, p.73
51 ‘The Boers maintained’ CAC
51 ‘There was a’ DMP, 20 November 1899
52 ‘As many wounded’ ibid.
52 ‘The armoured engine’ Natal Advertiser, 15 November 1899
52 ‘Seeing the engine’ DMP, 20 November 1899
53 ‘I can’t leave’ R.E. Clegg, Escourt Gazette, 14 December 1940
53 ‘My mind retains’ EL, p.264
54 ‘When one is’ ibid., p.265
55 ‘What have you’ ibid., p.266
56 ‘Not many, perhaps’ DMP, 24 November 1899
56 ‘like cattle’ Atkins, The Relief of Ladysmith, p.193
57 ‘very young, unshaven’ Outspan, 26 May 1944
57 ‘We don’t catch’ DMP, 24 November 1899
SIX: The Botha Legend
59 ‘He also refused’ NAR
59 ‘Who may my’ Mrs Yvonne Knowles to the author
59 ‘We talked of’ EL, p.267
60 ‘Publish this’ No Charge for Delivery, C.W.L. de Souza, p.88
60 ‘I was captured’ RSC, p.474
61 ‘Few men that’ EL, p.267
62 ‘something interesting’ RSC, p.209
62 Muriel Wilson to Churchill: ibid., p.210
62 ‘It was so’ Sunday Express, 22 October 1967
SEVEN: Into Captivity
64 ‘the only war’ Extra edition of Natal Advertiser, 15 November 1899
64 ‘in the most’ Natal Advertiser, 17 November 1899
64 ‘I had a’ Leslie papers
65 ‘Churchill is a’ CAC
65 ‘gave glowing details’ Cornhill Magazine, July 1900
6
5 ‘Mr Churchill is’ Truth, 23 November 1899
66 ‘I came down’ RSC, p.467
67 ‘He has received’ CAC
69 ‘I would point’ CAC
69 ‘It has occurred’ CAC
71 ‘two strangely long’ and subsequent WSC quotations, DMP, 24 and 30 November 1899
75 ‘a small young’ Karl Kohler, letter to the author
79 ‘Morning Post, London’ de Souza papers
EIGHT: The States Model School
80 Details of States Model School: C.W.L. de Souza, unpublished manuscript, Chapter 2
80 Layout of school: NAR
81 ‘Cox’s should be’ CAC
82 ‘a far seeing’ DMP, 3 December 1899
82 ‘He is no’ Marie de Souza’s diary, de Souza papers
82 Godfray’s unpopularity: Haldane, How we Escaped from Pretoria, p.60
82 ‘rather a poor’ DMP, 3 December 1899
83 ‘I do not imagine’ CAC
83 ‘I expect to’ CAC
83 ‘Mr Winston Churchill’ NAR
84 ‘skilful pious soldiers’ NAR
84 ‘persistent jingoistic attitudes’ de Souza papers
86 ‘blessed with less’ Haldane, A Soldier’s Saga, p.161
86 ‘One is reminded’ EL, p.281
86 ‘In my view’ NAR
86 Question of parole: NAR
88 ‘The Government does’ NAR
88 ‘courtesy, courage and’ CAC
88 ‘I am 25’ CAC
89 ‘a kind hearted’ DMP, 3 December 1899
91 ‘received them sitting’ ibid.
92 ‘Unless I am’ CAC
93 ‘He suggested coming’ Haldane, How we Escaped from Pretoria, p.53
94 ‘any parole that’ NAR
94 ‘I do not’ de Souza papers
95 ‘if I accept’ NAR
97 ‘You’re afraid’ AHD, note 29 October 1935
97 ‘That damned fool’ ibid.
NINE: Controversy
99 ‘Great excitement’ Hofmeyr, The Story of my Captivity, p.132
99 ‘Wednesday 13th’ Marie de Souza diary, de Souza papers
100 ‘In my view’ NAR
100 Stephan Schotel’s version of WSC’s escape: Pamela Holst, letter to the author
101 ‘Escape not due’ NAR
101 Godfray and Haldane: Haldane, How we Escaped from Pretoria, p.60
103 ‘Englishman, 25 years’ NAR
103 de Haas reward: Ambassador du Buisson to the author
103 ‘I enclose a’ CAC
104 Formal inquiry: Davy, Churchill and Pretoria; NAR
105 ‘A man gives’ Hofmeyr, The Story of my Captivity, p.136
105 ‘I think I’ RSC, p.498
106 ‘I wonder whether’ NAD
106 ‘He was not’ CAC
106 ‘threw quite an’ AHD, Chapter X
108 ‘“Twice Captured”’ Morning Post, 26 October 1900
108 ‘[I] contradict absolutely’ CAC
108 ‘The enclosed correspondence’ CAC
108 ‘believing him to’ AHD, Chapter X
109 ‘I see by’ ibid.
110 ‘what I honestly’ quoted in Sunday Times, 1 June 1997
110 ‘I have a lot’ CAC
111 ‘I must allow’ AHD, Chapter X
111 ‘Had Churchill only’ ibid.
113 ‘sneering allusions’ ibid., Chapter IX
114 ‘I think you’ ibid.
114 ‘slipped off without’ and subsequent quotations, Sunday Times, 1 June 1997
TEN: Wanted Dead or Alive
116 ‘Just received the’ CAC
117 ‘The night was’ and subsequent WSC quotations, DMP, 22 December 1899
121 ‘I just felt’ EL, p.294
122 ‘Still the odds’ ibid., p.295
122 ‘Wie is daar?’ ibid.
123 ‘like a drowning’ ibid., p.297
124 ‘They’ll all vote’ ibid., p.298
125 ‘My four friends’ ibid., p.299
125 ‘The patter of’ ibid., p.301
126 ‘shot into the’ ibid., p.298
126 Mineworker and cigar: Johannesburg Star, 11 December 1923
126 Ada Blunden and Ellen David: Mrs Mary Swan to the author
127 Burnham and escape plan: Mr John Burnham to the author
127 ‘The hazards of’ EL, p.304
128 ‘Now, Dan, I’ Oldham Chronicle, 22 October 1961
128 ‘And again, after’ EL, p.307
128 ‘I well remember’ Johannesburg Star, 2 September 1907
129 Haldane’s amazement: Haldane, How we Escaped from Pretoria, p.186
131 ‘the excitement of’ EL, pp.308–11
131 ‘We drove to’ Johannesburg Star, 22 December 1923; EL, pp.310–11
131 Telegram to Standard and Diggers News, 23 December 1899
132 ‘nearly a dozen’ DMP, 22 December 1899
ELEVEN: A Soldier Again
134 ‘Why weren’t we’ Black Watch Museum
136 ‘Your gallant son’ Pakenham, The Boer War, p.241
137 ‘We are in’ Natal Mercury, 25 December 1899
138 ‘He said we’ Natal Witness, 30 December 1899
138 ‘From the Town’ ibid.
139 ‘all this pruning’ DMP, 24 December 1899
140 ‘Glory to God’ DMP, 4 January 1900
140 ‘I will do’ Brenthurst Library
140 ‘I am sending’ Durban Municipal Library
141 WSC note to secretary: CAC
141 ‘When my dad’ note in the possession of J. McLachlan
142 Letters to WSC from Howard, Burnham, McKenna and Addams: CAC
142 ‘after the heroic’: CAC
143 ‘The Buck and’ EL, p.317
143 ‘Winston Churchill turned’ CAC
144 ‘A commission, please’ and subsequent conversation EL, p.319
145 ‘I stitched my’, ibid.
145 ‘the long plume’ ibid., p.320
145 ‘Alas dearest we’ CAC
146 ‘Sir Redvers Buller’ DMP, 13 January 1900
146 ‘Boom. Thud, thud’ and subsequent WSC quotations, DMP, 8 January 1900
TWELVE: A General on Spion Kop
150 ‘I have never’ DMP, 13 January 1900
152 ‘Very few of’ DMP, 25 January 1900
153 ‘aroused the most’ DMP, 22 January 1900
153 ‘The stony face’ ibid.
154 ‘Old and grey’ DMP, 25 January 1900
158 ‘that acre of’ Atkins, The Relief of Ladysmith, p.237
159 ‘We appear to’ Pakenham, The Boer War, p.299
160 ‘one self-appointed’ ibid., p.303
161 ‘perhaps the reader’ and subsequent WSC quotations, DMP, 25 January 1900
163 Captain Levita’s account: Pemberton, Battles of the Boer War, p.194
164 ‘fully believing’, Reitz, Commando, p.78
165 ‘the soldiers lay’ ibid., p.79
165 ‘We Boers would’ Atkins, The Relief of Ladysmith, p.245
165 ‘five very dangerous’ CAC
THIRTEEN: Into Ladysmith
167 ‘free from all’ and subsequent WSC quotations, DMP, 4 February 1900
169 ‘My Mother and’ CAC
170 ‘I did not’ The Reminiscences of Lady Randolph Churchill, p.423
170 ‘You must not’ letter in the possession of Winston S. Churchill
171 ‘Buller had not’ EL, p.336
171 ‘We never get’ DMP, 15 February 1900
172 ‘Here is an’ CAC
172 ‘It seemed as’ Relief of Ladysmith, Atkins, p.270
173 ‘Now at last’ DMP, 19 February 1900
173 ‘We have passed’ DMP, 4 March 1900
174 ‘It was a’ DMP, 5 March 1900
174 ‘was about to’ ibid.
174 ‘My nerves were’ CAC
174 ‘The neglect and’ DMP, 5 March 1900
174 ‘We arose’ DMP, 6 March 1900
176 ‘Damn pursuit
’ EL, p.340
176 ‘Damn the prize’ ibid.
176 ‘The evening was’ DMP, 6 March 1900
177 ‘suggest your firing’ Pakenham, The Boer War, p.239
178 ‘Never before had’ ibid.
178 ‘I, personally, was’ Martin, Diary of the Siege of Ladysmith
179 ‘a brave fighting’ and subsequent WSC quotations, DMP, 10 March 1900
FOURTEEN: A Lull in the Storm
182 ‘After the tumults’ WSC, Savrola, p.211
182 ‘It is clear’ CAC
182 ‘All my philosophy’ CAC
182 ‘I have consistently’ EL, p.165
182 ‘About twenty miles’ Cornwallis-West, The Reminiscences of Lady Randolph Churchill, p.438
183 ‘after viewing and’ ibid., p.446
183 ‘to cover the’ letter in the possession of Elliott H. Costas
183 ‘Make sure I’ CAC
184 ‘for such a’ CAC
184 ‘I will write’ CAC
184 ‘stand any war’ CAC
184 ‘five years of’ CAC
185 ‘People must forgive’ EL, p.345
186 ‘imported social Capetown’ and subsequent WSC quotations, DMP, 13 April 1900
187 ‘rather funny’ CAC
187 ‘that the resolve’ CAC
188 ‘Lord Roberts desires’ CAC
188 ‘You will form’ CAC
188 ‘So I left’ DMP, 13 April 1900
188 ‘an irreverent subaltern’ ibid.
189 ‘I am exceedingly’ letter in the possession of Mr W.H. Mackay
189 ‘The Market Square’ DMP, 16 April 1900
190 ‘the Queen’s greatest’ ibid.
191 ‘little time to’ EL, p.349
FIFTEEN: Return to Pretoria
192 ‘But while the’ and subsequent WSC quotations, DMP, 16 April 1900
193 ‘sometimes quite alone’ EL, p.350