The Boer War
Page 96
4 M–Rosebery 12 Dec 1898, Rose Box 75/160–4
5 M’s diary 31 Mar 1899, Mil (dep 69). Fitzpatrick–Wernher 6 Apr 1899, Fitz. Menpes 99
6 Fitzpatrick–Greene, M–C 3 Mar 1899, Mil 13 (SA 27). MP I, 319–32. See also MP I, 329. Fitzpatrick Memories 171–4. Marais 248–56
7 M–C 4 Mar 1899, CO 879 (Af 572 11). C’s min 8 Mar 1899 etc, CO 417/259/557
8 M–Greene 14 Mar 1899, Mil 13 (SA 27)
9 Fitzpatrick–Greene 3 Mar 1899, MS cit Copy of Fitzpatrick’s speech Mil 13 (S A 27)
10 Selborne’s min 9 Mar 1899, CO 417/259/561. Marais 250–1
11 M–C 11 Mar and C’s min 14 Mar 1899, CO 417/259. Marais 252–3
12 Greene–M 18 Mar 1899 and typescript copy of speech Mil 13 (SA 27). Marais 253
13 Fitzpatrick–Wernher 6 Apr 1899, Fitz. See M–Fiddes 1 Apr 1899, MP 1, 3 31. And see M’s earlier comments in M–Selborne 8 Mar 1899, MP I, 324–5; and later note M–Selborne 14 Jun 1899, MP I, 437
14 Fitzpatrick–Wernher 6 Apr 1899, Fitz
15 Ibid
16 Ibid. Cf M–Fiddes 3 Jan 1899, Mil 45 (SA 37)
17 M–Selborne 5 May 1899, MP I, 348
18 16 M–Greene 3 Apr 1899, MP I, 345–6
19 Greene–M 5 May 1898, C 9345. Marais 257, 263–4. Fitzpatrick Transvaal 360, 364
20 Fitzpatrick–Wernher 1, 8 May 1899, Fitz
21 E. Hamilton diary 1899, BM 48764/ 99–102
22 M–C 29 Mar 1899, CO 417/260/9383–5, 9398–9
23 M–Hely Hutchinson 8 May 1899, MP I, 358: ‘before the bomb bursts’
24 M–C CO 417/260/9969
25 M–C 19 Apr 1899, CO 417/260/11467. Wilde 102–3
26 MP I, 347–8- Wilde 97–8. Marais 266
27 C 9545/209–12 edited version. MP I, 349–53 gives full text
28 M–Selborne 5 Apr 1899, MP I, 348
29 M–Gell 18 Jun and nd 1899, Gell 533, 534. M–Selborne 24 May 1899, MP 1,400
30 O. Walrond–Gell 26 Apr, 7 May 1899, 1 Mar 1898. Gell 502, 529, 530
31 Walrond–M 28 Dec 1898, Mil 31 (S A 25)
32 M’s diary 13 Apr 1897, Mil (dep 67). No refs in the diary for 1899
33 M’s diary 28 Apr, 1, 2, 5 May 1899, Mil (dep 69)
34 Fitzpatrick–Wernher 6 Apr 1899, Fitz
35 M’s diary Apr–May 1891, Mil (dep 59)
36 M’s diary 9 May 1899, Mil (dep 69)
37 C–M (tel) 8 May 1899, Mil 14 (SA 28)
38 M–Gell 22 May 1899, Gell
CHAPTER 6: ‘IT IS OUR COUNTRY YOU WANT’
Head of chapter Major H. Williams–DMI 31 May 1899, CO 417/275/363
1 Volksstem 31 May, Express (Bloemfontein) 2 Jun, Cape Times (weekly edition) 3 Jun, Standard & Diggers News 30 May 1899
2 Volksstem 31 May 1899
3 Fisher Kruger 218–19 quoting Rompel Uit den Tweeden Vryheidsoorlog
4 Volksstem 31 May 1899 (indirect speech in original)
5 Smuts–Hofmeyr 10 May 1899, SP I, 233–5
6 Ibid
7 Smuts–Leyds 30 Apr 1899, SP I, 227–9
8 Schreiner–Smuts 6 May 1899, SP I, 229–30
9 Hofmeyr–Smuts 6, 10, 15 May 1899, SP I, 230, 236–7
10 Schreiner–Smuts 19 May 1899, SP I, 237–9
11 Smuts–Hofmeyr 10 May 1899, SP I, 231–5
12 Volksstem 31 May 1899
13 Cape Times (weekly edit) 3 Jun, Standard and Diggers News 30 May 1899
14 See note 1
15 M’s diary 30 May 1899, Mil (dep 69). M–C 25 May 1899, Mil 14 (SA 28)
16 C–M 10 May 1899, C 9345 226–31
17 For ‘screw’ see M–C 8 May 1899, CO 417/261 and M–Gell 18Jun 1899, Gell 533
18 See Marais 1–3, Wilde 112–13. Cf Bal–four-C 6 May 1899, Cham s/s/39
19 Selborne–M 7 Oct 1899, Mil 17 (SA 31)
20 M–Gell 9 Aug 1898, Gell 511
21 M–Dawkins 4 Jan 1902, Mil 28 (SA 46)
22 M–Bertha Synge 19 Dec 1901, Mil 28 (SA 46)
23 M–C 8 Jul 1898, MP I, 267
24 M–Dawkins 4 Jan 1902, Mil 28 (SA 32) 2 5
25 The evidence that Milner already wanted a war is circumstantial. See esp. M–Bertha Synge 20 Apr 1898 Mil 8 (SA 45) “The Boer Govt is too great a curse to all S. Africa to be allowed to exist, if we were not too busy to afford the considerable war, wh. alone can pull it down.’ Cf M–Selborne 17, 24 May 1899, MP I, 384–5, 400–3
26 M–Gell 18 Jun, Gell 533
27 M’s diary 3 Apr 1898, Mil (dep 68)
28 See M–Selborne 24 May 1899, MP 1,400. Express (Bloemfontein) 2 Jun 1899
29 TH I, 102–3
30 Express (Bloemfontein) 2 Jun 1899
31 Standard and Digger’s News 31 May 1899
32 Maj Hanbury–Williams-WO 31 May 1899, CO 417/275/363
33 C 9404/14–15
34 M–C 31 May, CO 417/261/13894
35 C 9404/15–19
36 C 9404/20–1
37 Maj. Hanbury–Williams-Intell Dept c. 1 Jun 1899, CO 417/275
38 C 9404/25–7
39 M quoted MP I, 418
40 C 9404/34
41 TH I, 186–7
42 Selborne confid min 17 Feb 1898, Sel Box 9/8
43 C–M 5 Jun 1899, CO 417/262 (Af 572/84). Chamberlain was annoyed. See Wilde 110–11
44 M–C CO 417/262/14169
45 Ibid
46 See H. W. Just’s min of 4 Jul 1899, CO 417/262
47 C 9404/38–41
48 MP I, 418–19
49 M–C 4 June 1899, CO 417/262
50 Standard and Diggers News 3 Jun 1899
51 M–C 14 Jun 1899, MP I, 423–4
52 C–M 5 Jun 1899, CO 417/262 (Af South 572/83–4)
53 MP I, 407 pres from M’s notes of conference. These words are not in C 9404
54 C 9404/44
55 M–Gell 18 Jun 1899, Gell 533
56 M–Selborne 17 May 1899, MP I, 384–5 (‘material’ mistake for ‘military’?)
57 M–Selborne 24 May 1899, MP I, 400–2
58 Selborne–M 25 Jun 1899, MP I, 445–6
59 DMI report on captured docs re Schneider’s orders, CO 417/335/96–113
60 Hofmeyr–Smuts 17 Jun 1899, SP I, 254–6. MP I, 449, 502
61 Smuts–Hofmeyr 13 Jun 1899, SPI, 248–9
62 Smuts-‘Lappie’ (S.M.) Smuts 1 Jun 1899, SP I, 242
63 Smuts–Hofmeyr 13 Jun 1899, SP I, 248–50
64 Smuts–Merriman 18 Jun 1899, SP I, 257–8 (‘nobodies’ in orig.)
65 Smuts–Hofmeyr 9 Jul 1899, SP I, 264–5
CHAPTER 7: MILNER’S THREE QUESTIONS
Head of chapter RCSAW I, 22–3
1 M–Selborne 24 May 1900, MP I, 400–3
2 W’s min 8 Jun and L’s comments and W’s calmer reply 16, 17, 18 Jun 1900, WO 32/7846, 7, 9. Note C–M 16 May 1900, CO 879/56
3 H. Wilson With the Flag I, 210
4 See WO clerk’s account in Standard & Diggers News 3 Feb 1900. See also LCC Survey of London XXIX, XXX, and H. Gordon The War Office (London 1935)
5 RCSAW I, 31–4
6 Newton Lansdowne 1–9
7 Ibid 9–126. DNB
8 For a satirical view of Lansdowne see ‘ Saki’ quoted at the head of Pt IV chap 3 6
9 Newton 138–9. Maurice etc Wolseley’s Life, 308–13. For the calibre of recruits see RCSAW I 41–6
10 Sir J. Fortescue memo for B 1902, Brod 9/494–8
11 Newton esp 139. L–Balfour Bal BM
12 B (memo on WO) Bal 49720/221–45. RCSAW I 31–4
13 RCSAW I, 34. 217, 249–56
14 B–Brackenbury 15 Dec 1899, Brod. RCSAW I 278–9
15 Brackenbury was, however, an ‘Indian’, and Lansdowne was described as ‘Brackenbury–ridden’ by C, C–Balfour Cham 5/5/81
16 See R–Ian Hamilton (then his ghost-writer) 18 May, 2 Jun, 15 Aug 1893, Ham Misc Box/4–6. I. Hamilton Listening for the Drums 160–70. James Roberts 238–50. J. Symons Buller 3–54
17 For Buller’s
own difficult position see Buller–CB 18 Jun 1895,28 Jun 1899, CB 41212/227, 230
18 L–W 29 May, L–C 14, 28 Jun 1900, Lan 5/31, 26–7
19 L’s minutes 16, 17 Jun, WO 32/7846–7. For estimate of Boers’ force see Military Notes (cy) PC 48 (including allies)
20 L–Butler 21, 27 Jun, WO 32/7849 (079/8686)
21 Butler–L 23 Jun 1899 quoted W Butler 440–50 and SM 21/
22 W–wife 6 Sep, 13 Jul, 24 Jun 1899, Wol 28/50, 40, 30
23 W–wife passim esp Arthur etc Wolseley Letters 272. W’s ev to RCSAW II, Q 9080–3, 9035
24 Sir J. Fortescue Following the Drum (London 1932) 121–62. DNB
25 W–wife 24 Jun etc. 1899, Wol 28/30
26 W’s note of 2 Apr 1898, Wol SSL 10/1/230
27 W–wife 4 Jun 1898 and 1894 quoted Arthur Letters 362, 316
28 See note 17
29 W’s minutes 4–12 Jul 1900 & L’s comment, WO 32/7847. See also L–C 21 Aug 1899, Cham JC 5/51/67
30 W. P. Symons’s view reported by Gov of Natal 16 Jul 1899, SM 1/2
31 Sir J. Ardagh ev RCSAW II, Q 5126
32 See the series of Intelligence reports in 1899, CO 417/275
33 Military Notes (cy) PC 19–38, 48, 51-RCSAWl, 174–5
34 SM
35 Military Notes 52 fn
36 See Prof Oman’s comment in National Review vol. 37 1901. See also RCSA W I, 174–80
37 Military Notes 49–52 (cy) PC
38 Buller’s ev RCSAW III, 169–70. Buller–Bigge 19 Feb-15 Mar 1900, Big. Buller’s aim and statement 6,18 Jul 1899, RCSAW I, 263–4
39 Times 19 Jul and W–wife 19 Jul 1899, Wol
40 W–wife n Jul 1899, Wol 28/38
41 W–wife 26 Jul, 24 Jun 1899, Wol 28/30
42 W–wife 13 Jul 1899, Wol 28/40
43 W–wife 13 Jul 1899, Wol 28/40. W–wife 10 Sept 1894 quoted Arthur Wolseley Letters 321
44 Times 27 Jun 1899 p 10 cols 4–6. He sent a summary to M. See CO 879/56/55
45 C–M 5 Jun 1899, CO 879/56. Wilde 110–11
46 C’s min 5 May 1899, CO 417/279/12596. C 9345
47 Wilde 103
48 C–Selborne 26 Jun 1899, Cham JC/10/4/2/42
49 M–C 23 Jun, CO 879/56/110
50 Graham’s min, CO 417/262/16194
51 C–M 6 Jul 1900, CO 417/279/17501
52 C 9415/41. C 9518/17–21
53 See CO/879/59/251
54 C 9518, 9521. Hely–Hutchinson 26 Jul 1899, CO 879/56/150–1. Marais 294–5. MP 1, 462–4
55 Times 18 July 1899. CO 417/263/18070. Wilde.119. Marais 290–2, 295–9
56 Garvin III, 418–19
57 Salisbury–C 19 Jul 1899 Cham JC/5/67/ 114
58 C–Salisbury 18 Jul 1899, Sal E/154
59 SJ 1 Jul 1899. See L–C 11, 15 Aug 1899, Cham JC/5/51/59, 61
60 C–M 27 Jul 1899, CO 879/59/245–9. Salisbury–C 20 Jul 1899, Sal E/155. Wilde 122–3. Marais 303–4
61 Kruger–Steyn 2 Aug 1899, MP 1,483. Cd 369/3. J. H. Hofmeyr 546, 548–9. Marais 305–6
62 See Garvin III, 224, 237
63 Hansard LXXV 28 Jun-4 Aug 1899
64 Hely–Hutchinson-C 25 Jul 1899, CO 879/59/240. SM 1/2
65 L’s min 2 Aug, W’s min 3,18 Aug 1899, RCSAW I, 266–7
66 L’s min for Cabinet 12 Aug 1899, RCSAW III, 507–8
67 Goschen–C 23, 28 Aug 1899, C–Selborne 14 Aug 1899, C–Salisbury 15 Aug 1899, Sal E/156. Garvin III, 454–5
68 Salisbury–C 16 Aug 1899, Cham JC/5/67/115
69 C–Salisbury 16 Aug 1899, Sal E/157
70 M–C 15 Aug 1899, CO 417/264. Marais 308–12
71 Salisbury–C 17 Aug 1899, Cham JC/5/67/116
72 Dugdale Balfour I, 192, 194
73 See Lansdowne papers passim
74 Mrs Chamberlain 25 Aug 1899, Garvin HI, 437
CHAPTER 8: PREPARING FOR A SMALL WAR
Head of chapter C–Hicks Beach 7 Oct 1899, Cham JC 10/4/2/53
1 M’s diary 18 Jul 1899, Mil (dep 69)
2 M’s diary 23 Jul 1899, Mil (dep 69)
3 SJ Jul–Aug 1899. The Manchesters and Ministers did not sail till 23 and 24 Aug
4 Fleetwood Wilson–M 22 Jun 1899, Mil 15 (SA 31)
5 Walker Schreiner 87–90 (Central News Agency paperback edi nd)
6 M–Garrett 15 Jul 1900, Mil 28 (SA 46)
7 See Marais 295–7
8 Trotter’s report 29 Jul 1899, SM 2/1–2. Trotter’s ev RCSAW III, Q 13873–8
9 M–C 4, 24 Aug 1899, CO 879/56/174, 223. M’s diary 7 Aug 1899, Mil (dep 69). Walker W. P. Schreiner 88–90. See also C 9521/3
10 M–C 30 Aug 1899, MP I, 503–4. Walker 92–3
11 M–C 22 Aug 1899, C 9521/44–6
12 Selborne–M 7 Oct 1899, Mil 17 (SA 31). See letter to Grey 7 Aug 1899, MP t 476–9
13 M–Greene 17 Aug 1899, MP I, 490–1
14 M–C 22, 23 Aug 1899, C 9521/46, 60–4. CO 417/264/21624. CO 417/265/22484, 22259, 22260. Wilde 129/136
15 C–M 28 Aug 1899, C 9521/49–50
16 See esp M–R 6 Jun 1900, Bobs 45. And see M–Bertha Synge 20 Apr 1898 Mil 8: ‘considerable war’
17 M–Ly Ilbert 7 Dec 1897, Mil (kept separately at New College)
18 Selborne–M 27 Jul 1899, MP I, 4732
19 Wyndham–M 18 May 1899, Mil 14 (SA 30)
20 M–Grey 7 Aug 1899, MP I, 476–9. Asquith–M 17 Jul 1899, Mil 15 (SA 31). Robbins Grey 76–7. H. Matthew Liberal Imperialists (London 1973) 171–5
21 See Margot Asquith–M 9 Jul 1900, Mil 29 (SA 32) ‘I cd have wished that you & you alone in the beginning had had the presentation of the case ...’
22 MP I, 13–17. Cook Rights and Wrongs of the War passim. Cook Edmund Garrett 151–6. And see Review of Reviews, Daily News, Westminster Gazette, Cape Times Jul–Aug 1899
23 Morning Post 23 Aug 1899. See also 20 Jul and the signed articles in the paper by Wilkinson in July 1899
24 Times 24, 26 Aug 1899. Buckle–M 18 Aug 1899, MP I, 497
25 House Paper 311. Fort Alfred Beit 145–62. The Raid etc cost Beit £300,000 acc Lockhart and Woodhouse Rhodes 367
26 H. W. Just (of the CO)-M 6 May 1899, Mil 14 (SA 30)
27 See series of letters in 1898–9 Wernher–Eckstein, Fitzpatrick–Eckstein and Rouliot–Wernher, Eck HE 167, 116 and 175. See also Rhodes–Beit 23 Aug 1899, Eck 67
28 Fitzpatrick Memories 181–7
29 Hobson War in South Africa (from articles published in Manchester Guardian) 189–240
30 Wernher–Rouliot 6 May, 9, 13 Jun 1899, Eck HE 167
31 Gell–M 2 Jun [1899], Gell 532. Eck–stein-Wernher, Beit & Co. 22 Jul 1899; ‘apparent weakness of Imperial Government’, Eck 121. See also Rouliot–Wernher 7 Aug 1899: ‘life is becoming intolerable’, Eck HE 175
32 Wernher–Rouliot 15 Sep 1899, Eck HE 167
33 Eckstein–Evans 21 Sep l899, Eck HE 130
34 Fitzpatrick–Eckstein 24 Nov 1899, Eck HE 116
35 Cf J. Grenville Lord Salisbury and Foreign Policy (1970) 267
36 Selborne—C re Fitzpatrick’s visit on 3 Jul 1899, Cham JC/10/4/2/43
37 Intell note 28 Jul 1899, CO 417/275/ 513–21. Fitzpatrick also claimed OFS would be neutral
38 Balfour-[Bryce?] 2 Dec 1899, Bal 49853/138–43
39 Margot Asquith Autobiography (London 1962) 227
40 Rhodes–Beit (cy) 23 Aug 1899, Eck 67
41 Rothschild–Balfour 8 Sep 1899, Bal 49746/136
42 M–Dawkins 16 Jan 1902, Mil 28 (SA 32). Cf Cook Rights 265
43 See esp Rouliot–Wernher 17 Apr, 17 Aug 1899 and Wernher–Rouliot, Eck HE 175, 167
44 L–Butler 7 Jul 1899, WO 32 (079/8686)
45 M–Ly E. Cecil, MP I, 164. Ly Milner Picture Gallery 125, 132
46 Margot Asquith–M 9 Jul 1900, Mil 29 (SA 32)
47 M’s diary 25, 26, 27 Jul, 3,5,6,7,14 Aug 1899, Mil (dep 69)
48 M’s diary 1 Sep 1899, Mil (dep 69)
49 M–C 30 Aug (letter), 31 Aug 1899 (tel), MP I, 499, 500
50 M–Selborne 30 Aug 1899, MP I, 498–9
51 M’s diary 5 Sep 1899, Mil (dep 69) ‘Eckstein came to see me with a private telegram from Beit’
52 Garvin III, 438, 460. Times 25 Aug 1899
53 M–C 2 Aug 1899, MP I, 513–14
54 CO 417/264/21624. Wilde 130–2
55 W’s memo 18 Aug 1899, SM 1/4 (note 27 copies ptd). L–C 21 Aug 1899, Cham JC/5/51/67
56 C–Selborne 14 Aug 1899, Garvin III, 454–5
57 C–L 24 Aug 1899, Lan X 15–17
58 Garvin III, 438–9
59 Times 26 Aug 1899
60 Garvin loc cit
61 C 9521/49. Wilde 134. Marais 312–16
62 C–Salisbury 2 Sep 1899, Sal E/159
63 See Salisbury–C 18 Sep 1899, Cham JC/5/67/122, Selborne–M 11 Aug 1899, MP I, 486–7. Askwith Lord James of Hereford (London 1930) 255. Daily News 9 Sep 1899 etc.
64 L–Balfour 22 Apr 1900: ‘Devonshire’s yawns’, Bal 49727/129–30
65 Times 9 Sep 1899
66 C’s memo of 6, 7 Sep 1899, Cab 37/50/70–1. Wilde 140–1
67 Ibid. Cf Salisbury’s memo on subject 5 Sep 1899. Cab 37/50/64. Garvin III, 441–2
68 See C–L 5 Oct 1899, Cham JC/5/51/87; when C still believed Boers would not take offensive
69 Salisbury–C 29 Aug 1899, Cham JC/5/67/116
70 Buller’s min 5 Sep 1899 (with C’s, L’s, W’s comments) Cab 37/50/62–8. L’s further comments on above to C, L–C 9 Sep 1899, Cham JC/5/51/80
71 L–C 15, 21 Aug 1899, Cham JC/5/51/ 61–7. L–G Wyndham 15 Aug 1899, Lan VIII 17–20
72 Hicks–Beach-Salisbury 24, 31 Aug 1899, Sal E/
73 Hicks–Beach Life 106. A. G. Gardiner Life of Sir William Harcourt II, 498
74 Balfour’s memo quoted Drus Documents 173—5 and Wilde 99–101. Balfour–C 6 May 1899, Bal 49773/162–5
75 Asquith–Bryce 28 Sep 1899, Bry UB 1. Balfour–Bryce 2 Oct 1899, Bal 49853/ 120–2
76 SM 1/3. SJ 8, 9 Sep 1899. Times 9 Sep 1899
77 C 9521/64. Salisbury–C 19 Sep 1899, Cham JC/5/67/122
78 Goschen–Salisbury Sep 1899 Sal E/: ‘I agreed with all you said in emphatically warning us of the big character of the job before us.’
79 Salisbury–L 30 Aug 1899, Newton Lansdowne 157
80 Cape Times II Sep (London 9th) 1899
81 SJ 8, 9 Sep 1899
82 See esp W’s min 8 Jun 1899, RCSAW I, 262: ‘Operations should begin in South Africa as soon as possible, so as to be over by next November.’
83 W–wife 6 Sep 1899, Wol 28/50