The Boer War

by Thomas Pakenham

  Maxse, Leo, editor of National Review, 90

  Maxwell, Capt Frank, VC, ADC to Kitchener, 497, 539

  Maxwell, Maj.-Gen. John, In charge of concentration camps in Transvaal, 494

  May, Drummer, of Gordons, 139

  measles, in concentration camps, 516, 518

  Merriman, J. X., South African statesman, 521, 545, 553

  Metcalfe, Lt-Col C. T. E., CO Rifle Brigade, 455, 456

  Methuen, Lt-Gen. Lord, CO 1st Infantry Division, 163, 165; to Kimberley, 165, 175, 176–81; Cronje moves to block, 399; minor victories of, at Belmont and Graspan, 188–9; at Modder River, 190, 195–6, 198–9; at Magersfontein, 201, 202–3, 2o6, 313; Lansdowne orders dismissal of, 238; Cronje and proposed attack on, 257; precarious position of, 281; Roberts demotes, 318; to rescue of Spragge at Lindley, 436; leads column against De Wet, 447, 450, 514; taken prisoner at Tweebosch, 549; GOC South Africa (1908), 574

  Meyer, General Lucas, 106, 171, 291; at Talana, 128, 130, 132, 169

  Middelburg, Transvaal: abortive peace talks at (Feb. 1901), 487, 488–91, 499, 500, 504

  Middelburg Commando, 222, 529

  Middlesex Regiment, 296, 298, 299, 304

  Mildmay, Capt, at Blood River Poort 531

  Miles, Col H., Assistant Adjutant-General: commanding at De Aar railway junction, 165; sent to help Methuen, 213

  Miller-Wallnut Maj., of Gordons, 274, 275

  Mills, Sydney, of Rifle Brigade, 274

  Milner, Sir Alfred (later Lord), High Commissioner for South Africa (1897-1905), and Governor of Cape Colony (1897-1901), 11–14; and mining magnates, xv-xvi, 35, 56, 89, 119; and Jameson Raid, 19–20, 22–3; long-term ‘forward’ policy of (reform, with Transvaal as Crown Colony, or war), 23–4, 64, 577; puts case to Chamberlain for ‘working up a crisis’, 31–2, 54; and public opinion on South Africa, 32–3, 56, 57; and ‘Cécile’, 33-4. 59’. Uitlanders in policy of, 34–5, 54–5, 56, 64, 122; despatches to Chamberlain from, 58—9, 62, 79; and Cabinet’s decision to intervene on side of Uitlanders, 60; meets Kruger at Bloemfontein, 60, 63, 65–8; wants troops sent into north of Natal, 68–9, 71; gap between Chamberlain and, on policy, 78–9, 85; Chamberlain on, 78; Lord Salisbury on, 83; appeals to Chamberlain for troops to be sent 90–1; and Lady Edward Cecil, 90, 116–17, l66, 483, 484, 490, 500, 578; at arrival of Gen. White, 98; his part in mutual distrust between Boer leaders and Chamberlain, 101–2; hears of Kruger’s ultimatum, 117; on his responsibility for the war, 115, 118; starts fund for Transvaal refugees, 116; his vision of Union of South Africa, 118–19; on ‘sacrifice’ of Africans, 119–20, 121, 418; at arrival of Buller, 157–8, 161–3; Rhodes and, 159; fears Afrikaner rising in Cape Colony, 158–9, 160, 162, 165, 211, 215, 249, 253, 281, 315, 317, 341, 485-0; at Bloemfontein, 384–5; on ‘Augean stables’ of Pretoria, 430; and possible peace terms, 449, 490–1, 499–500; aims at total victory, 488; on policy for ending war, 468–9, 470, 483; and his ‘Kindergarten’, 484, 553; and Kitchener, 484–5, 535; and concentration camps, 493–5, 518; home on leave, 500–1, receiving welcome and peerage, 502; and Cabinet policy for ‘localizing’ the war, 510–12; and peace negotiations, 551–2, 552–3, 560–1, 562, 563–4, 565, 568; signs terms of surrender, 569, preventing Kitchener from putting date for restoration of self-government, 570; and rights of Africans, 576–7; sets out to rebuild Transvaal and Orange River Colony on British lines, 575; vote of censure on, in Parliament; resigns (1905), 575; goes into international banking; in war Cabinet (1916), 576; death of, 578

  mobile columns, ‘bags’ of Boers by, 498–9, 512, 537, 538, 540, 544, 549

  Modder River: Boers entrenched on, at junction with Riet, 189; battle of (Tweeriviere: 28 Nov. 1899), 194–200, 334, 33s; repair of bridge over, 202; at Paardeberg, 334

  Modderfontein, Transvaal, Africans killed by Boers at, 566, 573

  Modderspruit, Boer council at (9 Nov. 1899), 169–70

  Moedwil, Kekewich’s column mauled by De la Rey at (30 Sept 1901), 556

  Möller, Lt-Col, CO 18th Hussars: at Talana, 126, 128, 129, 153; surrender of, 132, 134, 144, 150

  monopolies, Kruger’s policy of granting, 40, 43–4, 49; see also dynamite monopoly

  Monte Cristo, near Ladysmith, 346; taken by British, 347–9, 360

  Monypenny, Times correspondent, late editor of Johannesburg Star, 129, 136

  Morant, Lieut ‘Breaker’, of Australian contingent, 539

  Morgendal, Boer collaborator with British, executed, 488

  Morley, John, Liberal statesman, 465

  Mount Alice, 281; view from, across Tugela, 283, 296

  Mount Impati, near Ladysmith, 125, 128, 142, 143; Long Tom on, 142, 143, 146

  mounted infantry: Boer forces virtually all, 164; colonial contingents as, 249; Buller appeals for, 252; Roberts’s plan to make regulars into, 312, 381

  Mozambique, African mine labour from, 554

  Mpefu, African chief, 36, 38

  mules, for Buller’s Army Corps, 82, 161, 164, 381

  Murchison, Maj., half-mad murderer of Pars-low, 403, 412

  Murray, Lord George, of Gordons, 137

  Murray, T. K., member of Natal Parliament, organizes corps of African guides for Bullet, 211

  Myburg, Commandant, 526

  Naauwport, Cape Colony, railway junction, 65, 117, 164

  Naauwport, Transvaal: Dingaan’s Day at (1900), 481

  Naauwport Nek, Brandwater Basin, 441, 442

  Napoleon, on general who makes fewest mistakes, 302, 329

  Natal: British annexation of, xxi, 17; Milner wants troops sent into north of, 68–9, 71, so does Chamberlain, 112; Buller advises no movement into, see under Buller; support for Uitlanders in, 80; Joubert’s strike towards south of, 170–4; Boer intention of invading, 473; Boer attempt on, a fiasco, 528–32; clear of guerrillas (Oct. 1901), 537

  Natal Artillery, 134

  Natal Carbineers, 270–1, 365

  Natal Mounted Rifles, 134

  Natal Volunteers, 365

  National Scouts (Boers fighting with British), 542, 571

  Naval Brigade and naval gunners: at Pepworth Hill, 154; in Ladysmith, 161, 261, 266, 267, 365; at Modder River, 197, 199;atMagersfon-tein, 203; at Colenso, 217, 218, 220, 225, 229, 230, 234; at Wagon Hill, 272, 274–5; at Hart’s Hill, 363

  Naval Gun Hill, Colenso, 225, 228

  Neilly, Emerson, Pall Mall Gazette correspondent, 408

  Netherlands Railway Company, run Transvaal railways, 40

  Netley, Gunner William, of 13th Battery, RFA, 142–3; at Talana, 126, 131, 132; on retreat to Ladysmith, 145, 148; at Pepworth Hill, 154; during siege of Ladysmith, 261–3, 351, 364, 365

  Nevinson, Henry, Daily Chronicle correspondent, 136, 139, 140; in Ladysmith, 351–2, 354, 364, 366

  New Zealand contingents, in South Africa, 249, 496, 545

  Newbigging, Capt W. P. E., Adjutant, Manchester Regiment, 137, 138, 139

  Newnham, Lieut, at Spion Kop, 295

  newspapers: Milner and, 23, 32–3, 56, 87–9; and South Africa, 57, 91; and ultimatum, 109; Anglophobe Continental, 250; Rhodes and, 327; Roberts and, 372; Baden-Powell and, 403

  Nicholson’s Nek, near Ladysmith: cavalry patrol towards, 271; White plans attack on Boer position on, 152–3; attack fails; column surrenders (30 Oct. 1899), 155, 157, 161

  Nixon, Lieut, of Royal Lancasters, 295

  Nooitgedacht: release of British prisoners at, 456

  Nooitgedacht (Magaliesberg), Boers surprise British in gorge of (13 Dec 1900), 476–81, 493

  Norcott, Maj.-Gen., CO 4th Brigade, 363

  Norfolk, Duke of, 448

  Northumberland Fusiliers, 478

  Norvals Pont concentration camp at, 507, 516

  Nugent, Capt, of 60th Rifles, 131–2

  Nurse, Cpl G. E., at Colenso, 235

  nurses, Roberts asks for, 383

  Observation Hill, in Ladysmith defences, 273

  Ogilvy, Lieut. F. C. A., with naval guns, 230, 234

  Olifant’s Nek, Magaliesberg: De Wet e
scapes over, 447, 450–1

  Olivier, General J. H.: passes behind British lines, 379–80, 387; De Wet joins with, 390; in running fight with Broadwood’s cavalry, 391; escapes from Brandwater Basin, 444; at Blijdschap council, 542

  Omdurman, battle of (1898), 73, 139, 213

  O’Meara, Maj. W. A. J., Intelligence Officer, Kimberlcy garrison, 321

  Ommaney, Sir Montague, Permanent Secretary, Colonial Office, 564

  Opperman, Commandant: at Spion Kop, 293, 296, 301, 302, 30s; killed at Bakenlaagte, 536

  Orange Free State (Orange River Colony): founded as voortrekker republic, 16; independence guaranteed by Britain (1854), 17; Uitlanders in, 40; makes pact with Transvaal, 40–1; ammunition for, 69, 86; mobilizes, 103; possible neutrality of, no; forces of, join those of Transvaal, 151, but refuse to go south of Tugela, 170; complaints about troops of, 199; Roberts’s offer of amnesty to, 377, 378, 387; British aim to annex, 388; annexed, and proclaimed as Orange River Colony, 419; attitude to war in, 471, 513; annexation not negotiable (Kitchener), 489; promoted from Crown Colony to self-government (1906), 575

  Orange River, railway bridge over, 117, 176, 178, 180, 317

  Orange River Station, military hospital at, 383

  oxen: for Buller’s Army Corps, 161, 164, 170; on Wagon Hill, 272; Buller’s draught, stampeded by Boers at Waterval Drift, 319–20

  Oxfordshire Light Infantry, 336

  Paardeberg Drift: Cronje’s force entrenched at, 329–30; attack on (18 Feb. 1900), 331, 333–9; question of renewing attack, 341–2; De Wet’s diversion at Kitchener’s Kopje, 332–3, 339–41, 342; Cronje surrenders, 342

  Packer, Pte Joe, of Middlesex Regiment, 288

  Page, Sgt, throws improvised bombs at Mafeking, 401–2

  Paget, Maj.-Gen. A. H., CO 20th Brigade, 439, 441, 442

  Palmer, General, acting C-in-C, India, 492

  Paris, Pte Prosper, of Manchesters, 133

  Park, Maj. C. W., acting CO Devons, Elandslaagte, 136–7; Col., CO Devons, Wagon Hill, 275

  Parslow, Daily Chronicle correspondent, 403

  Parsons, Lt-Col L. W., of Royal Field Artillery: at Colenso, 217, 229, 232; at Spion Kop, 285, 296; and new offensive tactics, 361

  Paterson, ‘Banjo’, Sydney Morning Herald correspondent, 372

  peace negotiations: abortive, at Middelburg (Feb. 1901), 487, 488–91, 499, 500, 504; at Pretoria (Apr.-May 1902), 551–3, 560–9; terms of surrender signed, 569–70

  Peel, Hon. Sidney, of Imperial Yeomanry, 420

  Pepworth Hill, near Ladysmith: White plans attack on Boer position on, 152; attack fails (30 Oct. 1899), 153–4, 157, 161

  Phillipps, Lieut L. March, of Rimington’s Tigers, 419, 420, 425, 440, 442

  Phillips, Capt, staff officer to Coke, 305

  Phipps-Hornby, Maj. E., CO Royal Horse Artillery at Korn Spruit, 393–4

  Pickwoad, Col E. H., CO artillery, Talana, 132

  Pieters plateau, taken by British (27 Feb. 1900), 361, 362, 363

  Pitsani, Bechuanaland, Jameson’s camp at, 1, 2, 4

  Plomer, William, quoted, 572

  Plumer, Lt-Col H. (later Field-Marshal Lord), special service officer: CO Rhodesian mounted infantry, outside Mafeking, 397, 399, 407; attempts entry into Mafeking, 409; joins with Mahon for relief, 414–15; Kitchener and, 497

  Pole-Carew, Maj.-Gen. R.: CO 9th Brigade, Modder River, 196, 197, 198; CO 11th Infantry Division, 427, 433, 455

  police: Rhodesian mounted, in Jameson Raid, 1, 2; ‘Zarps’ in Transvaal, (and Uitlanders), 44, 45. 50, (at Bergendal) 455, 456

  polo, at Pretoria HQ, 448

  Poplar Grove, battle at (7 Mar. 1900), 373–5, 381

  Porter, Col T. C, CO cavalry brigade, replaces Kekewich as garrison commander at Kimberley, 328

  Potgieter, Andries, leader in Great Trek, 39

  Potgieter, Field-Cornet, 567

  Potgieter, General, 558–9

  Potgieter’s Drift, Tugela River, 208, 211–12, 214; British cross at, 281, 282

  Power, Sir John, of Imperial Yeomanry, 436

  Powerful, HMS: gunners from, 154

  Pretoria: forts at, 42, 430; British prisoners in, 248, 254, (release of) 434, 437; state funeral of war dead at, 254–5; after surrender of Johannesburg, 430–1; surrender of, 433–4; Roberts’s HQ at, 448; clearing of ‘protected area’ round, 536; peace negotiations at, 551–3, 560–9

  Pretoria Commando, 105, 290, 291, 292, 293

  Pretoria Convention (1881), 19, 28

  Pretorius, General Marthinus, 17, 105; and peace feelers, 489

  Pretyman, Maj.-Gen. G. T., Military Governor at Bloemfontein, 506

  Prieska, Cape Colony, Afrikaner rising at, 379, 388, 486

  Price-Davies, Lieut, VC, of 60th Rifles, 531

  Prinsloo, Commandant Henrik, at Spion Kop, 290, 293, 296

  Prinsloo, Marthinus, Commandant-General of Orange Free State forces, 170, 174; joins Cronje and De la Rey at Modder River, 192–3; entrenches on south of Modder and Riet Rivers, 195; at Modder River battle, 197, 199; at Brandwater Basin, 443; surrenders, 444, 445, 454

  Prinsloo, Gen. Michael, 542, 567

  Prior, Melton, artist for Illustrated London News, 136

  prisoners: Boers send back naked, 544, 549; British in Pretoria, 248, 254, (release of) 434, 437; shooting of, 538–9

  Pym, Lieut (later Sir) Charles, of mobile column, at news of peace, 570

  Queen’s (West Surrey) Regiment, 234, 348, 360

  Railway Hill, near Ladysmith, 362, 363

  railways: of Transvaal, built and manned by Dutch, 40, 258; of Transvaal, workshops service Boer guns, 258, 323; single-track, from Cape to Rand, 65, 178, 180, 380–1, 387, 422; of Natal, linked with Pretoria, 454; truck-loads of Boer women and children on, 507; guerrilla attacks on, 513

  Ralph, Julian, Daily Mail correspondent, 178–9, 196

  Rand Mines, Wernher-Beit’s company, 48

  Rangeworthy Hills, see Tabanyama

  Rankin, Lieut C, of Rimington’s Tigers, 376

  Rautenbach, Commandant, 542

  Rawlinson, Col Sir Henry (later General Lord), 574; on staff of Gen. White, 96, 154, 155; favours withdrawal behind Tugela, 107; in Ladysmith, 265, 269, 272, 352, 354, 364; plans attack on Boer guns, 270, 271; and Boer attack, 273, 275, 276; at relief, 366–7, 368, 370; staff officer to Roberts, 369, 392; forecasts guerrilla war, 421; on Hamilton, 451; Kitchener and, 497, 499; CO mobile column, 514, 540–1, 545, 546, 549, 556, 557, 558, 559; on killing of Africans by Boers, 534; armed Africans with mounted infantry of, 547; and peace negotiations, 561, 570

  Reddersburg, garrison surrenders to De Wet (4 Apr. 1900), 395, 445, 472

  Redmond, John, Irish nationalist leader, 465

  Reed, Capt. H. L., of 7th Battery RFA, 236

  Reinecke, R., Boer at Spion Kop, 292

  Reitz, Deneys, son of Francis, 105, 106, 168, 431; at Spion Kop, 291–2, 301, 302, 305; with ‘Dandy Fifth’ in Smuts’ raid into Cape Colony, 519, 520, 521, 523, 524

  Reitz, Francis (former President of Orange Free State), State Secretary, Transvaal, 85, 103, 291, 386; leaves Pretoria, 430

  Reitz, Orange Free State: British surround Steyn’s laager at (July 1901), 513; in De Wet’s base area, 542

  Remounts, Director of, 381

  Retief’s Nek, 441; battle at (23-4 July 1900), 442, 443

  Rhenoster River, 420; surrender of British force at, 435, 445, 450

  Rhodes, Cecil, xxii, 39; and Jameson Raid, 1, 2, 5, 20, 21–2, 28, 29; Chamberlain and, 30–1; Smuts and, 43; on Kruger, 58, 89; and Uitlander relief fund, 116; at Kimberley, 118; during siege, 156, 176, 183–4, 185–6, 202; Lady Edward Cecil acts hostess at Groote Schuur during his absence, 166; pressure for relief from (‘begging and bullying’), 159–60, 175, 312, 316, 317; struggle between Kekewich and, 187, 321–3; informed of Roberts’s approach, 319; allows women and children to shelter in diamond-mines, 326–7; celebrates relief of Kimberley, 327, 328; death of, 574

  Rhodes, Col Frank, brother of Cecil, 99;
in Ladysmith, 268–9, 270; Intelligence Officer to Mahon, 416

  Rhodesia, xxii

  Rhodesian Regiment, 399, 409

  Riddell, Lt-Col H. E. Buchanan, CO 60th Rifles, 302

  Ridley, Col C. P., CO mounted infantry, 423, 439, 446

  Rietfontein, action at (26 Oct. 1899), 150–1

  Rifle Brigade, 95, 232, 271, 273–4, 358, 456

  rifles: law requiring Transvaal burghers to own, 41; Lee-Metford 10-shot, of British, 179, (changed for Lee-Enfield) 251; Mauser 5-shot, of Boers, 41, 77, 131, (fired unaimed from the saddle) 538; new long-range smokeless magazine, favour defence, 179, 229, 257, 334, 574; use of ‘dum-dum’ ammunition for, 188, 251, 475–6, 525, 544

  Rifles, 60th, 95, 109, 125, 129–30, 152, 154, 274, 300

  Rimington, Col, CO Royal Artillery Mounted Rifles, 545

  Rimington, Maj. M. F. (later Col), special service officer: raises corps of colonial guides (‘Rimington’s Tigers’), 180, 189, 545

  Rimington’s Guides (Tigers), 180, 189, 311, 312, 328, 391, 394, 419, 438, 442

  Ripon, Lord, Secretary for the Colonies (1892-5), 28

  Roberts, Field-Marshal Lord: and Lansdowne, 73–4; on news of Colenso, cables from Ireland to Lansdowne, 242–3; appointed to succeed Buller, 244, 245; hears of his son’s death at Colenso, 245–6; on news of Spion Kop, 307; advances on Bloemfontein, 311, 314–15; and transport, 312, 318–19; his mobile HQ on train, 319; his messages to Rhodes, 319, 322; puts Kitchener over Kelly-Kenny at Paardeberg, 333; after Paardeberg, 341–2; and White, 370; and the Press, 372; enters Bloemfontein, 372–3; starts newspaper, 375–6; writes to Queen Victoria, 377; underestimates Boer strength and overestimates British, 377–80; not interested in military administration, 380, 384; Milner’s toast to, 385; offers amnesty to Free State citizens, 377, 378, 387, 388; congratulates Baden-Powell in Kimberley, 398; marches from Bloemfontein to the Rand, 419–23; and Hamilton, 423; agrees to allow Boer army to withdraw from Johannesburg (leaving gold-mines unharmed), 428; enters Pretoria, 433; engages Boers at Diamond Hill, 434; his message demanding unconditional surrender of Boers in Brand water Basin fails to reach Hunter, 443–4; predicts imminent capture of De Wet and Steyn, 447; meets Buller for first time in Pretoria, 454; watches Belfast action, 456; leaves for England, regarding war as practically over, 458, 485, 502; succeeds Wolseley as C-in-C, 456–7; impatience as defect of, 458; Milner on, 468, 469; cables to Kitchener, and despatches Hamilton as Chief of Staff, 535–6; voted £100,000, 504; death of, 573