On The Same Day Upon Which Botha Applied For Leave To Use The
British Cable, A Letter Was Written By Reitz, State Secretary Of
The Transvaal, To Steyn, In Which The Desperate Condition Of The
Boers Was Clearly Set Forth.
This document explained that the
burghers were continually surrendering, that the ammunition was
nearly exhausted, the food running low, and the nation in danger of
extinction.
'The time has come to take the final step,' said the
Secretary of State. Steyn wrote back a reply in which, like his
brother president, he showed a dour resolution to continue the
struggle, prompted by a fatalist conviction that some outside
interference would reverse the result of his appeal to arms. His
attitude and that of Kruger determined the Boer leaders to hold out
for a few more months, a resolution which may have been
injudicious, but was certainly heroic. 'It's a fight to a finish
this time,' said the two combatants in the 'Punch' cartoon which
marked the beginning of the war. It was indeed so, as far as the
Boers were concerned. As the victors we can afford to acknowledge
that no nation in history has ever made a more desperate and
prolonged resistance against a vastly superior antagonist. A Briton
may well pray that his own people may be as staunch when their hour
of adversity comes round.
The British position at this stage of the war was strengthened by a
greater centralisation. Garrisons of outlying towns were withdrawn
so that fewer convoys became necessary. The population was removed
also and placed near the railway lines, where they could be more
easily fed. In this way the scene of action was cleared and the
Boer and British forces left face to face. Convinced of the failure
of the peace policy, and morally strengthened by having tried it,
Lord Kitchener set himself to finish the war by a series of
vigorous operations which should sweep the country from end to end.
For this purpose mounted troops were essential, and an appeal from
him for reinforcements was most nobly answered. Five thousand
horsemen were despatched from the colonies, and twenty thousand
cavalry, mounted infantry, and Yeomanry were sent from home. Ten
thousand mounted men had already been raised in Great Britain,
South Africa, and Canada for the Constabulary force which was being
organised by Baden-Powell. Altogether the reinforcements of
horsemen amounted to more than thirty-five thousand men, all of
whom had arrived in South Africa before the end of April. With the
remains of his old regiments Lord Kitchener had under him at this
final period of the war between fifty and sixty thousand
cavalry - such a force as no British General in his happiest dream
had ever thought of commanding, and no British war minister in his
darkest nightmare had ever imagined himself called upon to supply.
Long before his reinforcements had come to hand, while his Yeomanry
was still gathering in long queues upon the London pavement to wait
their turn at the recruiting office, Lord Kitchener had dealt the
enemy several shrewd blows which materially weakened their
resources in men and material.
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