Sir John French: An Authentic Biography

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in"-"We must break through"-The Lancers' Charge

e task which Methuen had failed to accomplish through adverse circumstances-the Relief of Kimberley. When Lord Roberts, with customary precision, had stated exactly what he wanted,

es' energy in the matter. The mere suggestion, however, refutes itself. For Rhodes was the one man who did more than any other to have the defences of the city brought into a state of some sort of efficiency. The fact is that th

undred men. But on February 11, French had barely four thousand eight hundred men, with seven batteries of Horse Artillery at his disposal. Between his camp and the mining city lay Cronje with a mobile force as large as French's own. Add to this that the ground to be covered consisted largely o

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uge blind. Through its bustle and publicity French meant Cronje to conclude that he was about to force the Pass of Magersfontein, and thence to relieve Lad

ft towards the west. Accordingly Macdonald's Highland Brigade spe

t of camp. At 10 o'clock the main body had covered 22 miles, reaching the farmhouse of Ramdam. By that time Cronje's outposts had probably realis

movement the General ordered a halt, until dawn, when he ordered the division to make the feint on Waterval. He was not certain whether the Drift was held in force by the enemy or not. But very soon conviction came in a shel

rift further up stream. The banks proved to be steep and difficult, but a ford was discovered. As the cavalry neared the bank a party of Boers saw the ruse, and a neck-to-neck race for the Drift began. By a piece of daring hor

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d water in which both men and horses could forget the heat of the veldt. All day the weary cavalrymen waited for the supplies, which did not come until

ion was ready to advance. That delay was to be paid for in sweat and suffering. On that day alone over one hundred horses died or fell out from exhaustion. Their tired riders were forced to trudge across the veldt at what pace they could, or to find ignominious relief in the ammunition carts. Shortly after mid-day, however, a welcome well of water was reached. Here, thought the parched

ance. These changes were only accomplished with the greatest difficulty. So tired were the horses that even the General's gallopers, who were continually traversing the column's half-mile front, were often unable to spur their horses to anything better than a walk. Very quickly the enemy returned to the attack, pestering F

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rdon to the left to effect one crossing and Broadwood to the right to effect another, French advanced so rapidly that Cronje was utterly nonplussed. Gordon opened a heavy shell fire which completely disconcerted him, although only a very few of the guns could come into action. Soon afterwards Gordon was crossing the river in pursuit. The Boers fled, in spit

untlet through the camp-amidst roars of laughter, even from the serious General-of lances, bayonets, knives, sticks, boots, water-bottles, anything to hand, and at length was caught by a

the camp. One of French's aides-de-camp, Captain J. Laycock, rode out in solitary peril, and although continually sniped at by the Boers, was able to lead Lord Kitchener and his Staff safely into camp. All day the Boers had been making the men's lives a burden throu

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was blocked; and the road to Kimberley was exposed to a cross fire from the enemy's two positions. This was checkmate with a vengeance. It was thought that some two thousand Boers held the kopjes ahead of French. At once he ordered the guns into position and boldly replied to the enemy's fire. The column was now nearing a plain several miles in width, guarded on one side by a ridge running from north to south, and on the other by a hill. The Boers held both hill and ridge in force. So that whatever the guns might do, the position was difficult-if not impossible. By al

RIFIC

sses. Gordon led his men-the Ninth and Sixteenth Lancers-in superb style. Despite the pitiable condition of the horses, it was a charge worthy of the British Army. A strong fire poured in from the Boer trenches and from the kopjes above. But as the huge masses of armed men gained the inevitable momentum and pounded down upon the enemy in a cloud of sword-lit dust, the Boers fled before these clattering hoofs. Throwing up their guns they begged for merc

The plain once crossed, the smoke stacks of Kimberley came into view. At sight of these dingy symbols of the commerce they had risked all to save, the men raised a tired

ay his victorious advance. But they were driven back with heavy loss. Only the frightful condition of his horses preven

f French. About six o'clock in the evening an officer rode out of the besieged city to meet the soldier who had saved it. At 7-just one hou

ridge, who were covering the army's retreat. Unable to operate vigorously against them owing to the condition of his forces, French forced them to draw in their outposts. But it was impossible

FICENT

urs later a telegram arrived from Lord Kitchener, announcing that Cronje, with ten thousand men, was in full retreat from Magersfontein, with "all his wagons and equipment and four guns, along the north bank of the Modder River towards Bloemfontein,

e utterly unfit for work, but with French the greater the obstacles, the stronger is his determination to win through! Of all his fiv

made straight for Koodoos Rand Drift, the very crossing which Cronje himself had chosen. His horses di

ow he had suddenly appeared 35 miles to the south, and was facing the enemy, determined to cut off his retreat. Swif

him at bay, and made a desperate effort to break through, there would have been little chance of thwarting him. But

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eanwhile the Boers flocked in from every side to endeavour to rescue Cronje from his hopeless position. F

eir work, for they were cheered by the message from Queen Victoria in appreciation of their excellent wor

liant exploit of the British Arms in South Africa-an exploit whose success can be largely traced to the extraordinar

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rley. By Captain Cecil Boyle,