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Page 29
Towards evening, after the tents had been struck, packed, and sent on
ahead, and the battalion was waiting in the open for more wagons, a most
violent thunderstorm came on, lasting about two hours. Ten men of one
company which was holding a work on Rifleman's Ridge, between Arcadia
and Ladysmith, were struck by lightning, none, however, being killed.
The battalion eventually reached camp at Star Hill, just above the iron
bridge outside Ladysmith, at 3 a.m. wet to the skin. It was found that
the tents had arrived. These were pitched and the men turned in. The
greater part of the brigade did not reach Star Hill till the following
day.
On the 13th the Gordons and Devons moved camp to Hyde's Farm under
Surprise Hill, the Devons proceeding next day to a camp under
Thornhill's Kopje, throwing out picquets on that hill and also on
another kopje further out towards Nicholson's Nek known as Devon Kopje.
From this time till May 15th the battalion remained quietly encamped
under Thornhill's Kopje. Route marching and field days occupied the men
most mornings, hockey and football most afternoons. The men suffered a
good deal at first from jaundice, which was chiefly the result of
over-eating after their long abstinence, but they got fit and recovered
their strength gradually; it was, however, fully six weeks to two months
before they were really ready to take the field.
In the meantime General Buller had turned the Biggarsberg, and the Boers
had fallen back on Laing's Nek.
The 7th Brigade now formed part of the 4th Division under the command of
Major-General Neville Lyttleton, and on May 16th the Regiment was
ordered to proceed north to Modder's Spruit. Here it remained till the
20th, on which day it continued its march to Elandslaagte, and encamped
near the railway station. On the 23rd, having handed in all tents and
excess baggage, the Regiment marched to Sunday's River, where it joined
up with the divisional head-quarters, and on the following day formed
the rear-guard on the march to Black Craig Farm. Here the division
encamped in the heart of the Biggarsberg.
Halting at Kalabis on the 25th, the division reached Ingagane on the
26th.
[Illustration: Railway Bridge Destroyed by Boers, Ingagane]
The brigade was now split up and placed on the line of communications,
and it was thought probable that the Regiment would see no more fighting
and that the war would soon be brought to a conclusion. Of the four
regiments in the brigade, the Manchester Regiment had been left behind
to garrison Jonono's Kop and the railway line near Elandslaagte, the
Devons were left to garrison Ingagane on the railway, and the Rifle
Brigade was at Newcastle and between that place and Ingogo at the foot
of the Laing's Nek pass. The Gordon Highlanders were at Ingogo and
guarded the railway line still further north.
The Regiment itself was also split up. A detachment of one company under
Captain Travers (increased afterwards to two companies) proceeded to
occupy Dannhauser, and two companies under Captain Bartlett were ordered
to Rooi Pint on the high ground between Ingagane and Newcastle. A
battery of artillery was also stationed at this place.
The remaining companies of the Regiment, including a 9th or K company
which had been created shortly after the siege, were posted on the low
hill overlooking Ingagane railway station.
On June 4th the 1st Cavalry Brigade arrived to form part of the garrison
of Ingagane. This brigade was commanded by Brigadier-General Burn
Murdoch, who was in charge of the line of communication
Newcastle-Dannhauser.
At Ingagane Hill the Regiment found itself again employed in building
stone walls. Entrenchments against attack were considered necessary, for
it was thought probable that the Boers would attempt to break through
from the north-east of the Free State on the west and cross into Utrecht
and Vryheid districts. The real danger, however, lay on the east, for
the Vryheid district long remained a Boer stronghold, and parties of
Boers frequently raided to the Blood River in the immediate
neighbourhood of Dannhauser.
It was owing to this that on June 15th a second company was sent to
reinforce Captain Travers at Dannhauser. The hill selected by Captain
Travers for defence overlooked Dannhauser railway station, and commanded
a large extent of ground to the east of the post. This hill was very
strongly fortified, and the works on it, designed and built by Captain
Travers and his men, were perhaps the best works for protection against
musketry fire constructed by the Regiment during the war.
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