That The Latter Were Not Far More
Numerous Was Due To The Fact That Many Had Already Shredded Off To
Their Farms.
Besides Cronje, Wolverans of the Transvaal, and the
German artillerist Albrecht, with forty-four other field-cornets
and commandants, fell into our hands.
Six small guns were also
secured. The same afternoon saw the long column of the prisoners on
its way to Modder River, there to be entrained for Cape Town, the
most singular lot of people to be seen at that moment upon
earth - ragged, patched, grotesque, some with goloshes, some with
umbrellas, coffee-pots, and Bibles, their favourite baggage. So
they passed out of their ten days of glorious history.
A visit to the laager showed that the horrible smells which had
been carried across to the British lines, and the swollen carcasses
which had swirled down the muddy river were true portents of its
condition. Strong-nerved men came back white and sick from a
contemplation of the place in which women and children had for ten
days been living. From end to end it was a festering mass of
corruption, overshadowed by incredible swarms of flies. Yet the
engineer who could face evil sights and nauseous smells was repaid
by an inspection of the deep narrow trenches in which a rifleman
could crouch with the minimum danger from shells, and the caves in
which the non-combatants remained in absolute safety. Of their dead
we have no accurate knowledge, but two hundred wounded in a donga
represented their losses, not only during a bombardment of ten
days, but also in that Paardeberg engagement which had cost us
eleven hundred casualties. No more convincing example could be
adduced both of the advantage of the defence over the attack, and
of the harmlessness of the fiercest shell fire if those who are
exposed to it have space and time to make preparations.
A fortnight had elapsed since Lord Roberts had launched his forces
from Ramdam, and that fortnight had wrought a complete revolution
in the campaign. It is hard to recall any instance in the history
of war where a single movement has created such a change over so
many different operations. On February 14th Kimberley was in danger
of capture, a victorious Boer army was facing Methuen, the lines of
Magersfontein appeared impregnable, Clements was being pressed at
Colesberg, Gatacre was stopped at Stormberg, Buller could not pass
the Tugela, and Ladysmith was in a perilous condition. On the 28th
Kimberley had been relieved, the Boer army was scattered or taken,
the lines of Magersfontein were in our possession, Clements found
his assailants retiring before him, Gatacre was able to advance at
Stormberg, Buller had a weakening army in front of him, and
Ladysmith was on the eve of relief. And all this had been done at
the cost of a very moderate loss of life, for most of which Lord
Roberts was in no sense answerable. Here at last was a reputation
so well founded that even South African warfare could only confirm
and increase it.
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