The Boer War

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The Boer War Page 110

by Thomas Pakenham


  Roberts, Lieut. Frederick, son of Field-Marshal: galloper on Clery’s staff, 214; killed at Colenso, 235, 237, 241, 245–6, 315, 349, 454, 458

  Roberts, Lady (Nora), 242; flag made by, 373, 416, 433; in Bloemfontein and Pretoria, 448, 449

  Roberts (‘Indian’) and Wolseley (‘African’) Rings in British Army, xv, xvi, 73–4, 76; and appointments and policy for war in South Africa, 96, 243, 250, 458; and conduct of war, 380, 423, 454; at War Office on Roberts’s return, 457

  Robertson, Capt. (later Field-Marshal Sir William), Intelligence Officer, 317, 574

  Robinson (later Dawson), Geoffrey, of Milner’s ‘Kindergarten’, 553

  Robinson, J. B., Uitlander millionaire, 46, 56, 85, 116

  Rochfort, Col, A. N., CO mobile column, 556, 557

  Romer, Capt, of Dublin Fusiliers, 228

  Roodewal (OFS), De Wet raids supplies stacked at (7 Jun. 1900), 435–6

  Rooiwal (Roodeval, Transvaal), battle at (11 Apr. 1902), 557–60

  Rosebery, Lord, Liberal statesman, 30, 33, 465, 468, 510

  Rosmead Drift, Modder River, 193, 195

  Ross, Capt. Charles, of Canadian Scouts, 538; Maj., 545

  Ross, Maj. C, of Royal Lancasters, 295

  Ross, Lt-Col W., CO mounted infantry, 475

  Rothschild, Lord (Nathaniel), 89, 201

  Rothschild family, 33

  Rouliot, Georges, director of Wernher-Beit’s South African subsidiary, 46, 89

  Roux, Boer general, 443, 444

  Rowntree, Joshua, sent to inspect concentration camps, 505

  Roy, Maj., of mounted infantry, 558

  Royal Artillery Mounted Rifles, 545

  Royal Canadians, 331, 339

  Royal Commission on South African War, 71, 320

  Royal Dragoons, 226

  Royal Engineers, 272, 285, 287, 297, 303

  Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, 224, 228, 357, 358, 452, 455

  Royal Irish Fusiliers, 95, 125, 129, 130, 145

  Royal Irish Rifles, 395, 441–2, 445

  Royal Lancaster Regiment, 295, 299, 304, 362

  Royal Navy, organizes transport of Buller’s Army Corps, 163; see also Naval Brigade

  Royston, Col W., CO Colonial troops, Lady-smith, 273, 365

  Rundle, Lt-Gen. Sir Leslie, CO 8th and Colonial Divisions, 439, 441, 442, 542, 543

  Russell, Lord John, 17

  Russia, rumours of move against India by, 388

  Saki (H. H. Munro), quoted, 463

  Salisbury, Marquis of, Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary (1895-1908), Prime Minister and Lord Privy Seal (1900-2): and Chamberlain, 26, 27, 29, 80, 83; and army budget, 73; and War Office estimate of time required to put force on Transvaal frontier, 82; on Milner, 83; Selborne and, 87; at Cabinet meeting authorizing despatch of troops, 92–4; would have accepted compromise with Kruger, 101; and reason for war, 112; and replacement of Buller by Roberts: insists on Kitchener as Roberts’s Chief of Staff, 244, 245; and management of war, 246; letter from Kruger and Steyn to, 388; and election, 463, 468

  Salisbury, Lady, illness and death of, 92, 246, 403

  Sand (Zand) River Convention (1852), 17, 39 Sandbach, Lt-Col A. E., Buller’s Intelligence Officer, 285, 297, 299, 347, 350, 359; on Buller, 368

  Sandeman, Capt, of 17th Lancers, 524, 525

  Sandspruit, near Volksrust: Boer concentration at (1899), 104

  Sannah’s Post (Bloemfontein waterworks on Modder): De Wet plans to attack, 390; De Wet’s victory at, 392–4, 409, 448, 472

  Sargeant, Lieut, of Thorneycroft’s mounted infantry, 295

  Sauer, J. W., Cape politician, 521

  Scheepers, Capt. Gideon, CO Boer Scout Corps, 447; on raid into Cape Colony, 526; executed, 561

  Schoeman’s Drift, De Wet crosses Vaal at, 447, 450

  Schofield, Capt H. N., ADC to Buller, 235

  Schreiner, William: Attorney-General, Cape Colony, 21–2, 116; leader of Cape Afrikaners, 60; Cape Prime Minister, 62, 63; Milner argues with, about defence of Cape, 85–6, 116, 117, 162

  Scobell, Col H., CO column in Cape Colony, 527–8

  Scott, C. P., MP, and concentration camps, 505

  Scott-Turner, Maj., commanding sortie of mounted troops from Kimberley, 186–7

  Scots Fusiliers, 348, 362

  Scots Greys, 328, 448, 472

  Scots Guards, 195, 196

  Scott, Capt, of Cape Police, at Vryburg, 184

  Scottish Rifles (Cameronians), 299, 300, 304, 441

  scouts, De Wet’s two special corps of, 447, 476

  scurvy, in Kimberley, 325

  Seaforth Highlanders, 202, 203, 205, 206, 337, 438, 442

  Seele, Capt. Molyneux, staff officer to Col Ridley, prisoner with De Wet, 445–6

  Selbome, Lord, Under-Secretary for Colonies (1895-1900), 32, 55, 89, 468; a Milnerite, 79, 87, 90, 101, 118; complains of lack of Cabinet committee to handle the war, 246

  Sergeant Lieut, at Spion Kop, 295

  Shangan mine boys from the Rand, in Mafeking, 402, 408

  Sherston, Col J., Brigade-Major at Dundee, 132

  Shropshire Regiment, 339

  signal lamp, fails at Spion Kop, 305, 306

  Sheridan, Lieut, of 17th Lancers, 524, 525

  Sikobobo, Zulu chief, 567

  Sim, Lt-Col G. H., CO Royal Engineers, Spion Kop, 303, 305, 367

  Simonstown naval base, 576

  Sims, of naval gunners, 272, 274–5

  Slabbert’s Nek, Brandwater Basin, 439, 441–2, 443

  Slachter’s Nek, hanging of Afrikaner rebels at (1815), 15, 40, 101

  slaves, emancipation of, xxi, 16

  Smartt, Dr, with Rhodes in Kimberley, 184

  Smith, Sir Harry, Governor of Cape Colony (1847-52), 16, 17

  Smith, Pte, of Black Watch, 201

  Smith-Dorrien, Maj.-Gen. H. A. (later General Sir Horace), CO 19th Brigade, 313, 331, 334, 337, 338; CO mobile column, 447, 450; criticizes Kitchener, 498

  Smuts, Jan: State Attorney, Transvaal, 42–4; on Jameson Raid, 9; his interview with British Agent in Pretoria, 44–5, 50; his ‘Great Deal’ offer to mining houses and Uitlanders, 53, 54, 55; at Bloemfontein meeting with Milner, 61, 62, 63, 69–70; at prospect of war, 100, 101; Milner in mutual distrust of Chamberlain and, 102; his plan for offensive into Natal delayed by Steyn, 102–3; at surrender of Johannesburg, 430, 431, 432; on battle of Diamond Hill, 434; at Cypherfontein council, 470–4; as Assistant Commandant-General, regroups commandos, 476; at Nooitgedacht, 478, 479, 480; speaks on Dingaan’s Day, 481; foresees British loss of patience with Kitchener, 482; and Boer peace feelers, 488; his raid into Cape Colony, 519–25, 532–3; at peace negotiations, as delegate for Transvaal, 551, 561, 562, 563, 565, 567–8; as imperial statesman, 576

  Snyman, General J. P., besieging Mafeking, 379, 400, 409, 410; and Eloff, 411

  Solomon, Sir Richard, Attorney-General, Cape Colony, adviser to Milner at Pretoria, 563

  South Africa, Union of: Milner’s vision of, 118–19; negotiated (1909), with colour bar included, 577

  South African Association (in England), 87

  South African Constabulary, raised in Britain, 496, 559

  South African League, 50, 52, 55 South African Light Horse, of Uitlander refugees, 108, 165, 347

  South African Women and Children Distress Fund, 503, 508

  South Lancashire Regiment, 362

  spade, secret weapon of Boer commandos, 193, 200

  Spender, J. A., editor of Westminster Gazette, 88

  Spion Kop, 282, 283; Warren’s decision to attack, 284; taken by night march, 285; battle at (24-5 Jan. 1900), 288–307; battle as seen and heard from Ladysmith, 351–2

  Spragge, Lt-Col B., CO Imperial Yeomanry at Lindley, 436–7

  Spurling, Trooper, of Bechuanaland Protectorate Regiment, on Baden-Powell, 397

  Spytfontein Ridge, 180, 181, 186, 189, 192, 199, 200

  Standerton, Transvaal: Buller captures railway engines at, 454; Boer council at (June 1901), decides to invade Cape and Nata
l, 520, 529

  Standerton Commando, 221, 222

  Stead, W. T., editor of Pall Mall Gazette, 87–8

  steam traction engine, pulls ox wagons out of river, 279

  Steavenson, Capt. C. J., Adjutant of Liverpools, in Ladysmith, 265, 267, 351, 353

  Steenkamp, General, starts Afrikaner rising at Prieska, 379, 388

  Steevens, George, Daily Mail correspondent, 136, 153, 265, 266

  Steinberg, Pte, of 60th Rifles, 351

  Stellenbosch, main base camp at, 179; Director of Remounts at, 381

  Stephenson, Brig.-Gen. T. E., CO 18th Brigade, 334, 338

  Stewart, Col ‘Bimbash’, 541

  Stewart, Lt-Col H. K., of mounted infantry, 530

  Steyn, Commandant, at Paardeberg, 339

  Steyn, Marthinus, President of Orange Free State, 40–1, 60, 65, 69; as obstacle to Smuts’s plan of offensive into Natal, 102–3; to front after Modder River battle, 199; after Colenso favours offensive, 257; leaves Bloemfontein, 372; at Kroonstad council, 386; letter to Salisbury from Kruger and, challenging Britain to state intentions, 388; ‘we shall never surrender’, 412, 443; crosses Vaal with De Wet, 447; at Cypherfontein council; takes over role of Kruger, 471–4; narrowly escapes at Bothaville, 474–5; as obstacle to peace moves, 513, 537; in north-east corner of Orange River Colony; escapes to join De la Rey, 549; at peace negotiations, 551

  Stopford, Col F., Military Secretary to Buller, 210, 213, 230, 368

  Stormberg: railway junction at, 117; battle of (10 Dec 1899), 214–15, 248

  Stormberg Mountains, escape of Smuts’s commando from, 522

  Strachey, St Loe, editor of Spectator, 244

  stretcher-bearers, 224–5, 237, 343

  Surprise Hill, Ladysmith, raid on Boer howitzer on (11 Dec. 1899), 271

  Swaziland: question of Boer control of, 67; fate of Boer commando in, 498

  Swaziland Commando, 222

  Sydney Bulletin, quoted, 240

  Symons, Maj.-Gen. Sir W. Perm, appointed GOC Natal, 76, 82, 93, 95; moves brigade north of Ladysmith, 98, 107; allowed by White to remain, 108, 113, 122; 2, 000 men under, at Ladysmith and Dundee, 105, 108–9; at Talana, 126, 128, 129; fatally wounded, 130, 147, 157

  Tabanyama ridge (Rangeworthy), near Spion Kop, 283, 284, 289, 291, 292, 296, 297, 300

  Talana Hill, near Dundee, action at (20 Oct. 1899), 123–32, 169, 248

  Taylor, Maj., of U Battery, RHA, at Korn Spruit, 393

  telegraph wires: Jameson’s party and, 3, 4; Boers cut, 117; British military, tapped by Boers, 471

  telephones: in Ladysmith, 273, 275; in Mafeking, 412

  Thackeray, Lt-Col T. M. G., CO Inniskillings, 228,233

  Theron, Capt. Danie, CO Boer Scout Corps, 432, 447; in raid into Cape Colony, 526

  Thesiger, George, of Rifle Brigade, 274

  Thompson, Lieut. S. A. (later Lt-Col), CO firing squad at execution of Australian officers, 539

  Thorneycroft, Lt-Col A., special service officer: CO mounted infantry, 285, 286; at Spion Kop, 295, 298–9, 302, 303, 304–5

  Tongaland, British forestall Boers in, 39-40 trains, armoured, 134, 213, 343; carrying Winston Churchill, 167, 171–2, 278; at Modder River, 197; Roberts’s, 319; at Mafeking, 405; Kitchener’s, 546, 556

  transport: Roberts and Kitchener reorganize, 312, 318–19, 335; failure of, during advance on Bloemfontein, 373, 374, 3 8o-i;old system partly restored, 422

  Transvaal (South African Republic): founded as voortrekker republic, 16; independence guaranteed by Britain (1852), 17; annexed by Britain (1877), then restored as republic, xxi, 18–19, 70, 93; explosion in wealth of, from gold, 20–1; united behind Kruger by Jameson Raid, 40; makes pact with Orange Free State, 40–1; arming of, after Jameson Raid, 31, 41–2, 50, 69; police in, 44–5; mobilizes, and issues ultimatum, 103; independence of, as Kruger’s aim, 25$; British aim to annex, 388; Roberts proclaims annexation of, 458; annexation not negotiable (Kitchener), 489; anxious for peace, 573; census (1904) shows equal numbers of Boers and Britons, 375; promoted from Crown Colony to self-government (1906), 575

  Trench, Lieut Max C, of 69th Battery, RFA, 100, 143

  trenches: De la Rey’s, in banks of Modder and Riet Rivers, 193, and under Magersfontein ridge, 200, 206; Botha’s, at Colenso, 217, 219, 220, 226, 232; Cronje’s, at Paardeberg, 334, 335; Baden-Powell’s, at Mafcking, 402; dug by Boers at successive rivers, but outflanked, 420–1

  Treves, Dr (Queen’s surgeon): in charge of hospital train, 209; in charge of Field Hospital, 224–5; at Colenso, 237, 238

  Trichardt, Commandant, 360

  Trichardt’s Drift, across Tugela, 281, 282, 283, 306

  Trotter, Capt. Algy, ADC to Buller, 156, 207, 229,230

  Trotter, Capt. Gerald, of Grenadier Guards, 188

  Tucker, Maj.-Gen. C, CO 7th Infantry Division, 313, 427

  Tugela River: Buller advises no movement to north of, 97, 98, 107, 113, 149, 151, 212; Joubert crosses, 171; Botha fortifies line of, 174–5; Buller considers trying to cross, at Potgieter’s Drift, 208, 211–12, 214; changes to Colenso, 215; fords across, 216; Botha has fords concealed by removing stones, 220, 222; British cross, 281

  Tweebosch, De la Rey captures Methuen at (7 Mar. 1902), 549, 556

  Tweefontein (Groenkop), De Wet’s success at (25 Dec. 1901), 542–4

  typhoid fever: at Ladysmith, 149, 262, 266, 353; in Bloemfontein, 381–3; casualties caused by, 382, 422; in concentration camps, 516, 518

  Uitlander Council, pays fares of poorest refugees from the Rand, 116

  Uitlanders, in Orange Free State, 40

  Uitlanders, in Transvaal, xxii, 21, 28, 30, 31, 35, 42; Kruger and, 43; police and, 44, 45; British and, 45; question of franchise for, xxii, 49–50, 54. 56. 57, 58, 60, 61–2, 63, 64, 80; petitions to Queen Victoria from, 52, 53, 56, 58; Kruger’s offers to, on franchise, 54, 66–7, 68, 78, 80, 81, 83, 84, 86, 92, 100; Cabinet agrees to intervene on side of, 60, 63–4; pro-British, as refugees from Transvaal, 99, 115–16; image of, in Britain, 112; relief fund for, 116; pro-Boer, as cornerstone of Kruger’s state, 258, 259; administer British Johannesburg, 429–30; return from Cape and Natal, 554; share Milner’s forebodings about peace, 570

  uniforms: of British army, changed to khaki, 78; of officers, 179, 312; British, worn by Boers, 519, 524; order that Boers wearing British, were to be shot, 525, 560

  Vaal Krantz, 282, 283; Buller’s reverse at (5-7 Feb. 1900), 307, 314, 320, 344

  Vaal River, Hamilton crosses, 424

  Van Coller, Commandant, 542

  Van der Venter, Commandant, 523

  Van Leggelo, Transvaal State Prosecutor, 140

  Ventersburg, burning of, 504–5

  Vereeniging, 61; Boer delegates at, choose negotiating team, 562, report on situation in their districts, 565–6, and vote to accept peace terms, 569

  Vertue, Capt. N. H., Woodgate’s Brigade-Major, 293

  Verwoerd, Dr, takes South Africa out of Commonwealth (1961), 576

  Victoria, Queen, 30, 33, 464; and replacement of Buller by Roberts, 245; to Baden-Powell, 398; Roberts writes to, 447, 448; disapproves of Lady Roberts’s presence in South Africa, 448; and Kitchener’s ambition to become C-in-C, India, 492

  Viljoen, Commandant Ben, of Johannesburg Commando, 101, 134, 140, 425, 430, 493

  Villebois-Mareuil, Col Georges Comte de, serving with Boers, promoted to General, 389

  Villiers, Col, CO South African Light Horse, 165

  Vivian, Captain Lord, of 17th Lancers, 524, 525

  Vlakfontein, guerrilla attack on (29 May 1901), 513–14

  Von Donop, Lt-Col S. B., De la Rey swoops on wagon convoy of, 549

  voortrekkers, xxi, 16

  Vorster, B. J., 577

  vrouw (Boer housewife), as cornerstone of Kruger’s state, 259–60, 481

  Vryburg: Cape Police garrison surrender at, 184; Mahon’s relief column at, 412–13

  Vryheid Commando, 222, 288

  Wade, Lieut, of Royal Lancasters, 295

 
Wagon Hill, ridge with Caesar’s Camp (Plat-rand), near Ladysmith, 270; Boer plan to storm, 260, 271; White relocates guns on, 272; Boer attack on, is repulsed (6 Jan. 1900), 272–8, 290; Hamilton’s failure to fortify, 369

  wagon trains: De Wet’s decision to do without, 387; burghers refuse to abandon, 446; Roberts’s, on march to Rand, 420; Hunter’s, 439, 441, 444; Boer speed in loading and moving off with, 446

  Wakkerstroom Commando, 106, 172, 221, 222

  Walrond, Ozzy, private secretary to Milner, 11, 59, 117, 122

  War Office, 71–2, 73; and despatch of troops to South Africa, 82, 95, no; Intelligence Department of, prepares secret handbook, Military Notes on the Dutch Republics, 77, 96, 143, (captured by Boers at Dundee) 147, 388, and Secret Journal of the war, xiv; and problems of expanding army, 246, and of supplying army, 251; established system of transport and supply maintained by, disrupted by Roberts and Kitchener, 318–19

  Warren, Lt-Gen. Sir Charles, CO 5th Infantry Division, 238, 279; given independent command at Tugela crossing, 282–3, 283–4, 291, 293; during battle of Spion Kop, 291, 293, 295–6, 298, 299; snatches defeat from victory, 302, 303, 306; Churchill and, 304, 305; Buller on, 307; and Buller’s new tactics, 346, 347; on relief of Ladysmith, 367, 368

  Waterval Drift, Riet River: Boers stampede Roberts’s draught oxen at, 319–20, and capture stores (15 Feb. 1900), 332, 375, 381, 387, 450

  Watney, Lieut., of Middlesex Yeomanry, 544

  Wauchope, Lieut. A. G., ADC to Gen. Wauchope, 204

  Wauchope, Maj.-Gen. A., CO Highland Brigade, 201, 202, 203, 204, 206

  Webb, Beatrice, 504

  Weil, contractors and profiteers, in Mafeking, 495

  Weldon, Maj., Wolseley’s ADC, at Hart’s Hill, 363

  Welch Regiment, 334, 336

  Wepener, Brabant’s Horse besieged at (Apr. 1900), 395, 448

  Wernher, Julius, diamond and gold magnate, 35. 55. 74. 88; and ‘Great Deal’, 55, 56; supports Milner, 89, 119; and Uitlanders, 112, 116; in secret alliance with Milner, to reduce cost of African labour on Rand, 258–9; Kitchener on Boer fears of influence of, 490; knighted, 575; estate of, 577

  Wernher-Beit (Wernher, Beit & Co.), 23, 3 5, 46, 48, 49; in alliance with Milner, xv-xvi, 88–9; and Kruger’s ‘Great Deal’, 57; finance Uitlan-der army, 108, and Imperial Yeomanry, 252; house belonging to, at Johannesburg, selected as residence by Milner, 501; guarantee war contribution (£30 million), 575; and South African governments, 577

 

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