out of pigeon-holes carefully pre- moreover, that the

the forecast pared schemes for the attack which they made, that the of the vulnerable points of the Free State would inevitably enemy and the defence of our throw in their lot with the most assailable possessions, and Transvaal, was as clear and to telegraph orders accordingly; decided as subsequent events and last, but not least, well- have justified. The only quesauthenticated reports of the tion now to be decided is, Why secret plans and designs of were preparations inadequate ? our foe.

In relation to this The answer is simple: we have point, it is satisfactory to note had many precedents for warnfrom the Civil Service Estimate ings being disregarded and inthat the grant for Secret Service formation unheeded—none more has been increased this year remarkable than the manner in from £30,000 to £65,000. which the French Government

One word in conclusion re- treated the despatches of Stöffel garding the information afford- before the '70 War. We have ed by our Intelligence Depart- another parallel: it is stated ment at home in connection that the French officers had with the present war.

From admirable maps of Germany a letter written by the corre- furnished to them, but none spondent of the Standard’ at of their own country, in which Ladysmith, and which ap- they had to fight. Similarly, peared in March, it would

the country south of Ladyappear that, from some means smith, which was the scene of or another, the actual text of so many terrible conflicts and the information and the advice so much loss of life during the given by the Department have last few months, was unmapped become public. It is stated and unsurveyed, the explanathat when General Symons tion being that the home was mortally wounded these authorities considered that this important papers were in his should have been done by pocket, from which they were the Colonial Government, and abstracted in hospital. At all would not incur the expense events, the correspondent says involved by such a survey. that the "précis of the infor- The moral of the whole case mation has become

is this—a moral which recently property to Boer and British,” I endeavoured to impress on and he quotes

the actual the House of Commons (I may text, which apparently he has add in a very empty and a

not very attentive House, as is The quotations fully bear out nearly always the case when the conclusion arrived at, and military matters are discussed) mentioned in the commence- —our Intelligence Department ment of this paper, that the wants strengthening and enIntelligence Department had larging: it requires more offibeen in no way misled, but cers and more money. had given full and accurate

FRANK S. RUSSELL, information on every point :

Major-General.

common

seen.

THE WAR OPERATIONS IN SOUTH AFRICA. - VI.

BY A MILITARY CONTRIBUTOR.

BLOEMFONTEIN-THE TACTICS OF TRIFLES-RESPONSIBILITY FOR FAILURE

-OUR LOST OPPORTUNITIES—THE LADYSMITH RELIEF OPERATIONS :
A CRITICISM FROM THE FRONT-A BROKEN IDOL.

LORD ROBERTS found himself trucks, seven or ten in each, at Bloemfontein, with 30,000 every horse with his hind-shoes men, a fixture : his march had newly on, his nose-bag and his taken the heart out of the head- and heel-ropes round his Boers, the mass of their fight- neck. To feed and water them ing strength had moved north in the trucks was not easy: no and gave no sign, his communi- officer could be spared in charge, cations had been restored and only a half-breed conductor and the Free State through which a few Cape Boys. It is safe to

. they ran had been visited, the say

that many horses never farmers had given up their tasted food or water for the arms and had accepted his whole of those three days' exproclamation; but he was à hausting journey. It is the fixture : he could not move for distances which military operwant of remounts-horses for ations in South Africa have his cavalry, mules for his trans- against them. port. The loss in horse-flesh, So the army remained imespecially in those five days' movable day after day — not march on Kimberley, had been a sign of life to the Boers, who exceptionally heavy: it is said plucked up courage and began that when Bloemfontein was

to look about them. President reached not a battery could go Steyn issued a counter - prointo action faster than a walk, clamation threatening the sternand that 120 horses was all est penalties if his Boers put that many cavalry regiments their faith in Lord Roberts. could muster. Without a strong Kruger published lies about mounted force no bold turning the Russians in London. Four movement would be possible. Zarps scouting south across the So horses were called for: fit, Modder shot some colonels of or partially fit, they must come; the Guards. The colonels in many were

in the remount question would be none the camps recovering from the worse of a change home, if voyage; as they landed they not for their own sakes, cerlooked awful, yet they had to tainly for the sake of others. go forward as fast as they could A commando, growing bolder, be shod to undergo a railway crept down to a line of kopjes a journey of at least three days few miles south of Brandfort and three nights in rough cattle- and required two Divisions to turn them out, with 100 casual- guns, all the waggons,

and ties on our side. Colonel Broad- about 350 mėn remaining in wood, who had been despatched the hands of the Boers. It to Thabanchu to watch Lady- was said that a house on the brand and possibly intercept far side belonged to Pretorius, the Boers retreating north a Free State commandant who along the Basuto boundary, had given up his arms and had remained there without taken the oath, and had then anything to report, when on rejoined the Boers, his family the 30th March the approach after the action helping to loot of two Boer commandoes from the waggons.

Pretorius then north and east determined him made off to the Boer army at to retire on Bloemfontein, which Kroonstadt. Here at all events he did, encamping early next is a case which requires exemmorning at the Water-works, plary punishment. twenty miles east of that town, But so disgraceful an exhibiwhere two companies of mount- tion of carelessness and neglect ed infantry had been left for of orders reflects on the military their protection. The Boers education of our officers, and followed him up and began to gives a handle to every illshell the camp from the rear, meaning critic at our expense. inducing him to send off a con- One report says the escort was voy with baggage, two batter- in rear, meaning probably the ies Royal Horse Artillery, and troops detailed to precede the some mounted men to Bloem- guns. An escort is not refontein-himself with the rest quired except when guns are of the troops remaining as a in, or are going into action.

, rear-guard. After marching Another report says the wagtwo miles the convoy struck gons were at the head of the

affluent of the Modder, column when they were directcalled Koorn Spruit, in which ed to turn aside by the Boers : during the night the Boers had the drivers would have been concealed themselves in Kaffirs, but it is usual that a bush. There appears to have guard should be spread along been no advanced guard, not the line, a man to every one or even a party in front of the two waggons. If this had been guns; the waggons which were done they would have met with leading were allowed to enter the Boers giving orders, would the defile, being guided by have seen that something was armed Boers, right and left, wrong, and would have given so as to clear the road for the the alarm. The blame attaches guns. When these were well to the escort for not being in involved the Boers opened fire: its proper place; to the officer a scene of the wildest confusion commanding the guns for alensued, — men, guns, horses, lowing it to fall in rear; to the

cattle, and waggons were mixed guard for not keeping close to up; many drivers and

men the waggons, and for not warnwere shot down at once, seven ing the column if they were

an

am

6

our

there; and, lastly, most of all, all along that the mobility of to the officer in command of the Boers allowed detached the column for not issuing the bodies to move across country proper orders, or, if issued, for with extreme rapidity, as they not seeing that they were were unburdened with waggons, obeyed. Even with the scanty and the country-people were all materials at hand it is plain, on their side. The force was as the “Times' says, “the dis- infantry, which could only move aster is an excellent subject for at infantry pace, accompanied stern and indispensable military by some mounted men not sufjustice.”

ficient in number to do any Only three days after this extended work. A force so miserable exhibition another constituted was unadapted to disaster befell military carry out duties at any distance assurance. General Gatacre from its base. As separate sent out three companies of Irish bodies each party might have Rifles and two of mounted in- held its own; joined together, fantry, in all about 400 men, to the infantry clogged the Reddersburg, a village twelve mounted men, while they in miles east of the railway at turn were too few to cover the Bethanie, to collect arms. They retreat of the infantry. General appear to have reached Dewets- Gatacre seems to have thought dorp, thirty miles farther east, the state of the country to be when 2500 Boers, with three one of profound peace brought guns, managed at night to get about by the surrender of a between them and their base at dozen old sporting rifles. Reddersburg. They took refuge When will officers learn that in a kopje about eight miles east tactics are not all heroic? Such of that place, where they in- can safely be left in care of that trenched themselves, and held it Staff College officer who threw during some twenty hours, with- a bridge over the canal at out food or water. Then am- Aldershot, and threw it very munition running out, they well, but did not notice that an surrendered. General Gatacre, enemy's battery had helped who had been telegraphed to him in the throwing. Soldiers, by Lord Roberts, arrived an not altogether of the new school, hour and a half too late. It are content to mess round the seems strange again that the “tactics of trifles." The attack General of the line of com- on Belmont was to be a surprise, munications in enemy's so it was timed to commence at country should have taken no daybreak. As that silent precautions to ascertain that column approached, a wire the intervening country was

fence stretched across the way. vacated by the enemy before A pioneer was called, and with detaching so small a force to two vigorous blows of his axe his flank, and then not to upon a supporting stake the arrange for constant communi- wire was cut. The noise of cation with it. It was known those vigorous blows cost Lord

an

Methuen 100 soldiers' lives or accepted in the spirit in which more. A colonel inspected his it was offered. As one who regiment in the early dawn knows the Boers says, “He can previous to a long day's scout- scarcely be considered a civiling, the troopers sitting erectised being. There is a suspicious in their saddles. It took a good look in his eyes, an indifference many pounds out of the horses, to the feelings of dumb animals, who could not go quite up to

a disbelief in, and disregard of, the donga where the enemy truth and honour; while the was, but that dirty button Boer woman is one of the most was discovered. At Stormberg narrow-minded and most anithe column took the wrong

mal - natured of the human turn. A heap of stones with race.” After the retrocession a stick in the middle would of the Transvaal in 1882 the have saved 600 men and three Afrikander Bond had been guns. At Koorn Spruit, if a hatched in Bloemfontein, and company had preceded the guns, had become an article of faith as is most strictly laid down, in the Free State, its avowed the ambush would have failed, object the future confederation and we should have ambushed of all States and Colonies of the Boers. At Reddersburg, if South Africa. “ There is just continual messages had been one hindrance to confederation, sent off to Gatacre by day, cer

and that is the English flag. tainly by night, and not a shot They must just have Simon's fired till the Boers came close Bay as a naval and military to, our men would not have run station on the road to India, and short of ammunition, and the give over all the rest of South relief column would not have Africa to the Afrikanders. been just ninety minutes late. With such a people to deal Baden-Powell at Mafeking has with, was it not rather optiexpended as much common- mistic to accept those two or sense as would have done for three sporting rifles and the the whole campaign. Com- farmer's word that he had no mon - sense is not yet taught more? as a military subject.

But to lay the burden of The renewed activity of the dealing with rebels on existing Boers brought out the true authority means delay: to be character of the “simple far- effective, punishment must be mer.” Lord Roberts had treat- speedy—it is the instant cered him as a civilised being, but tainty which deters. Romanhe is only a savage veneered. Dutch law is very good when When he allowed them to go there is no hurry; trial by jury back to their farms on condi- is safe when the men on the tion of giving up their arms, jury are not bitter partisans : accompanied with an oath not the rebels taken with arms in to take them up again, he did their hands on the 1st January what policy dictated, which in at Sunnyside are still uncona civilised country would be victed. Martial law is incon