BATTLE HONOURS FOR SERVICES IN SOUTH AFRICA, 1806-1879.

Cape of Good Hope, 1806—South Africa, 1835—South Africa, 1846-47—South Africa, 1851-1853—South Africa, 1877-1879.

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Cape of Good Hope, 1806.

This distinction has been conferred on the following regiments:

South Wales Borderers.
East Lancashire.
Highland Light Infantry.
Seaforth Highlanders.
Royal Irish Rifles.
Sutherland Highlanders.

Before touching on the capture of the Cape in 1804, it will be advisable briefly to allude to the previous capture in 1795.

When Holland threw in her lot with revolutionary France, the Cape became a subsidiary base for the French fleets, which put in there for provisions and water, as well as for refit. As the islands of Rodriguez, Bourbon, and Mauritius belonged to France, it became necessary for the safety of our Indian possessions that we should seize all those points which were detrimental to the preservation of the trade route to India. The reduction of the French islands necessitated the employment of a force larger than we at that time could dispose of, but the Dutch settlements presented no such difficulties. It was therefore determined to despatch a joint naval and military expedition from England, which should be reinforced by troops from India.

Admiral Sir Keith Elphinstone was selected for the naval command, his force consisting of the Monarch (74 guns), Tremendous (74), America (64), Stately (64), Ruby (64), Sceptre (64), Trident (64), Jupiter (50), Crescent (50), Sphinx (24), and Moselle (16). Major-General Craig embarked on the fleet with the 78th Highlanders, having instructions to pick up the St. Helena Regiment at that island. Detachments of the 25th and 27th Light Dragoons also embarked, the idea being to horse them on arrival at the Cape.

Commodore Blanket, then commanding the fleet in the East Indies, had instructions to proceed south to co-operate with the Admiral, and he was to convoy a force under the command of Sir Alured Clarke, composed of the 84th, 95th, and 98th Regiments. Leaving Spithead in the Monarch on April 5, Elphinstone arrived at the Cape on July 11, and Craig at once disembarked his troops. Desultory skirmishing took place with the Boers until September 3, when the Indian contingent arrived. The Dutch, seeing the futility of further resistance, surrendered. In the meantime Elphinstone had taken possession of the Dutch fleet of eight fine ships—the Dordrecht (66 guns), Revolution (66), Admiral Tromp (54), Castor (44), Brave (40), Bellona (28), Sirene (28), and Havik (18). The total casualties amounted to 9 men killed, 3 officers and 53 men wounded, and fell, as will be seen, chiefly on the force commanded by General Craig.

Casualties at the Capture of the Cape of Good Hope in 1795.

Cape of Good Hope, 1806.

In accordance with our time-honoured Parliamentary custom, the Cape, which had been captured in 1795, was restored, by the terms of the Treaty of Amiens, to the Dutch, thus necessitating its recapture on the renewal of the war in 1803. It was known that efforts had been made to render this more difficult, and therefore it was determined to employ a larger force. The command of the troops was entrusted to Sir David Baird, a soldier who had shown conspicuous gallantry on several occasions in India, and who had displayed considerable resource when in command of the Indian division of the Egyptian Expeditionary Army in 1801. With him was associated Admiral Sir Home Popham, whose squadron, comprised the Diadem, Raisonnable, Belliqueux, Diomed, Leda, Narcissus, Espoir, and Encounter.

The troops forming the expedition were the 20th Hussars; a Highland brigade, under Brigadier Ronald Fergusson, an officer who had distinguished himself as Lieutenant-Colonel of the 84th at the capture of the Cape in 1795, and had added to that reputation by his conduct in Flanders under Abercromby. This brigade consisted of the 71st (Highland Light Infantry), 72nd (Seaforths), and 93rd (Sutherland Highlanders). The Second Brigade, under General Beresford, afterwards the well-known commander of the Portuguese army in the Peninsular War, under Wellington, consisted of the 24th (South Wales Borderers), the 38th (South Staffords), 59th (East Lancashires), and the 83rd (Royal Irish Rifles).

On January 7 the troops were landed, General Beresford, with the 20th Hussars and the South Staffords, being sent round to Saldanha Bay to effect a diversion, his brigade being handed over to Colonel Baird, of the 83rd. In landing, the 93rd unfortunately lost thirty-six men by the upsetting of a boat. On the following day—January 8—the Dutch were driven from their entrenched position on the Blue Mountain by the Highland Brigade, and on the 9th the General capitulated.

When the order was issued conferring this distinction on certain of the regiments which had taken part in this expedition, the two corps which were detached under Beresford were for some reason omitted from the list. There would seem no reason why the 20th Hussars and South Staffords should not now be allowed to assume the honour. The casualties amounted to 15 killed and 189 wounded, and fell chiefly on the Highland Brigade.

Casualties at the Capture of the Cape of Good Hope in 1806.

South Africa, 1835.

This distinction is borne by the

Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers.
Seaforth Highlanders.
Gordon Highlanders.

Our difficulties at the Cape may be said to have commenced with its first capture in 1795, and to have lasted until the conclusion of peace with the Boers more than a century later. In the year 1819 we had to embark on a campaign with the Kaffirs, and now, in the early part of 1835, there was a general rising of the Kaffirs against the European settlers in South Africa. Delagoa Bay was attacked, the Portuguese Governor killed, and the fort captured. Our own Colony was overrun, and it became necessary to use force against force. The garrison of the Colony had been reduced to a dangerous level. There were but three weak battalions of the line, one company of artillery, and that fine old regiment the Cape Mounted Rifles. Fortunately, we had as Governor a man well qualified to deal with the crisis. Sir B. D'Urban was an officer who had acted as Adjutant-General to Lord Beresford throughout the Peninsular War, and he now had as his Adjutant-General Colonel Harry Smith, subsequently known as the victor of Aliwal, and whose name will be associated with a later war in South Africa.

Leaving the 98th (North Staffords) to garrison Cape Town, General Sir B. D'Urban moved up the 72nd (Seaforths) to Grahamstown, then held by a wing of the 75th (now the 1st Gordons). A laager was constructed round Port Elizabeth, and the inhabitants formed into battalions of irregulars, and placed under the command of regular officers. A similar proceeding was adopted at Grahamstown, and in April Colonel Harry Smith was ready to take the field. His force did not number more than 3,000 men. It was composed of the 72nd (Seaforths), Cape Mounted Rifles, some 1,500 mounted Boers, and two weak battalions of armed Hottentots. Desultory fighting continued for some weeks—indeed, it was not until the month of December that a permanent peace was concluded, our frontiers being pushed still farther to the north.

South Africa, 1846-47.

This distinction commemorates a long-forgotten campaign, and is borne by the

7th Dragoon Guards.
Royal Warwicks.
Scottish Rifles.
Inniskilling Fusiliers.
Royal Highlanders.
Sherwood Foresters.
Argyll Highlanders.
Rifle Brigade.

For some considerable time prior to the outbreak of hostilities our relations with the Gaikas, a powerful tribe on the Natal frontier, had been on the verge of breaking-point; and as no embargo was placed on the importation of arms, it was foretold that as soon as these gentry felt themselves strong enough a struggle for the mastery was inevitable. In the early spring of 1846 the storm broke by the Gaikas attacking a convoy of prisoners and releasing some of their own tribesmen, and for a time Grahamstown was practically besieged. There was but a small force in the Colony to make head against the insurrection, but as the Boers had as much, if not more, to lose at the hands of the Kaffirs, large numbers of them were enrolled for defence. The Governor of the Colony was General Sir Peregrine Maitland, and he promptly moved up to the front with all the available troops. Fortunately, a transport conveying the 90th (Scottish Rifles) from Ceylon to England had put into Port Elizabeth in distress, and the regiment was at once disembarked and sent up to the front.

In April, Colonel Somerset, of the Cape Mounted Rifles, took the field, with the 7th Dragoon Guards, the 91st (Argyll Highlanders), and his own regiment, strengthened by some Burghers and Hottentot levies, and on April 16 inflicted a sharp defeat on the enemy. The 6th (Royal Warwicks), 27th (Inniskilling Fusiliers), 45th (Sherwood Foresters), and the Rifle Brigade were successively sent out to reinforce Sir Peregrine. In the early part of 1847 an advance was made into the Amatole Bush, and after a few trifling skirmishes the Gaikas sued for peace, and our frontier was pushed up to the Kei River.

South Africa, 1851-52-53.

The following regiments are entitled to bear this distinction, for which a medal was granted by an Army Order of November 21, 1854

12th Lancers.
Queen's Royal West Surrey.
Royal Warwick.
Suffolks.
Royal Highlanders.
Oxford Light Infantry.
King's Royal Rifles.
Highland Light Infantry.
Argyll Highlanders.
Rifle Brigade.

Sandilli, the Gaika chief, had never reconciled himself to accepting loyally the terms of the treaty entered into after the war of 1847. In December, 1851, a party of the 45th (Sherwood Foresters) was surprised and cut up, although we were supposed to be at peace with the tribes. The Governor of the Colony, Sir Harry Smith, was a man of energy, and one who knew the country well, for he had been in actual command of the troops during the war of 1835. Since then he had added to his reputation in India, both in the Gwalior and Sikh Wars. He was not the man to sit down tamely under such an insult. He at once proceeded to Grahamstown to judge for himself the necessity of the case, and then wrote home for reinforcements. Without waiting for these, he commenced operations by an invasion of the Amatole Bush with two columns, the one commanded by Colonel Fordyce, of the 74th, the other by Colonel Mitchell; these operations were not unattended with loss, and further movements in the Waterkloof Mountains cost the 74th their Colonel and some thirty men.

In the autumn reinforcements commenced to arrive from England. These included the same battalion of the Rifle Brigade which had done so well in the previous campaign; but this time the Rifles were armed with the MiniÉ, a weapon which ranged up to 1,000 yards. A few of the same weapons were served out to each company of the other regiments, and though perhaps in close Bush fighting the old Brown Bess was effective enough, yet, when it happened, which it often did, that the Kaffirs were holding a position with open country in its front, the long range of our weapons won the day before our men began to suffer any loss.

The policy of Sir Harry Smith did not commend itself to the Home Government, and in the early part of 1852 General Sir George Cathcart was sent out to the Cape to replace him. Sir George had earned a high reputation as a writer on military subjects, and was an officer of considerable experience. He had acted on the staff of his father, who was attached to the Russian army during the campaign of Leipsic, as well as in that of 1813-14 against Napoleon, and he had been Aide-de-Camp to the Duke of Wellington at Waterloo. It was not until the commencement of 1853 that Sandilli sued for peace, when Sir George Cathcart returned home. He subsequently became Adjutant-General of the army, but resigned that position to take command of a division in the Crimean War, and he fell gallantly leading on his men at the Battle of Inkerman on November 5, 1855.

South Africa, 1879.

The regiments entitled to bear this distinction on their colours and appointments are the

King's Dragoon Guards.
17th Lancers.
Buffs.
King's Own Lancasters.
Somerset Light Infantry.
Royal Scots Fusiliers.
South Wales Borderers.
Scottish Rifles.
South Staffords.
Northamptons.
Middlesex.
King's Own Royal Rifles.
Wiltshires.
Connaught Rangers.
Argyll Highlanders.

The campaign was undertaken with a view of punishing the Zulus, a powerful tribe bordering our Colony of Natal, for continual violations of our territory. The Zulus were undoubtedly the most powerful tribe in Southern Africa, and on more than one occasion they had defeated the Boers. We unfortunately entered on the campaign with our usual contempt for the forces opposed to us. The General in command was Major-General Lord Chelmsford, an officer who had considerable war experience, and who had held the highest staff appointments in India, both in war and in peace. He had served in the Crimea, first as a regimental officer in the Grenadier Guards, and subsequently on the staff. Exchanging into the 95th (Derbyshire Regiment), he served with that fine old corps in Central India, and in 1867 he was Adjutant-General to the Abyssinian Expeditionary Force.

The invasion of Zululand was to have been carried out by five columns, the Commander-in-Chief exercising a general supervision of the whole, but at the outset moving with the two centre columns.

No. 1 column was under the command of Colonel Pearson, of the Buffs, and consisted of the 2nd Battalion of the Buffs, the 99th (Wiltshires), a strong naval brigade, and some native levies. It numbered 4,750 men, with four guns.

No. 2 column was under the command of Colonel Durnford, of the Royal Engineers. It consisted entirely of native levies, commanded by British officers, and was 3,300 strong. Its commander had considerable colonial experience, and was generally looked upon as the best officer in South Africa for dealing with native questions.

No. 3 column was under the command of Colonel Glyn, of the 24th (South Wales Borderers). It consisted of both battalions of that unfortunate regiment, one of native levies, with six guns. Its strength was 4,700 men.

No. 4 column was under Colonel (better known as Field-Marshal Sir Evelyn) Wood, V.C., C.B., of the 90th (Scottish Rifles). He had with him the 13th (Somerset Light Infantry), his own corps, and native levies, including a regiment of Frontier Light Horse, under Colonel Redvers Buller, V.C., C.B. Its strength was 2,270 men, with six guns. In composition and leadership there is no doubt that this was the best organized of the five columns.

No. 5 column was under that exceptionally fine soldier Colonel Hugh Rowlands, V.C. It consisted of the 80th (South Staffords), with a number of native levies, bringing up its strength to 1,600 men, with three guns. The duty of this column was to watch the western frontiers of Zululand, and to keep a watch over another recalcitrant chieftain, Sekukuni, who had to be dealt with in the near future.

The army crossed the frontier in three columns—No. 1, under Pearson, following the easternmost road, near the sea, to Etshowe; Nos. 3 and 4, with the Commander-in-Chief, crossing the Tugela River at Rorke's Drift; whilst Sir Evelyn Wood took a more northerly course. On January 22 Lord Chelmsford, leaving Colonel Durnford at Isandhlwana, within the Zulu border, moved forward to reconnoitre. No means were taken to keep touch with Durnford's column, which was attacked by an overwhelming force of the enemy, and the whole force annihilated, the 24th losing no less than 25 officers and 591 non-commissioned officers and men. To the credit of the corps it must ever be remembered that not a man fell back; all died at their post. The colours were borne away at the distinct orders of the commanding officer by two young officers, Lieutenants Coghill and Melville, whose dead bodies were found some days after in the bed of the Tugela River, with the blood-stained standards lying safe beside them. A few hours later the Zulus followed up this success by a vigorous attack on the post at Rorke's Drift, on the Tugela River, held by one company of the 24th. Its commander, Lieutenant Bromhead, came of a famous fighting family, and he was associated with a sapper officer, Lieutenant Chard. The post was defended with unsurpassed heroism. After some hours the Zulus, unable to stand against the accurate shooting of the 24th, fell back, and so the communications with the Cape were maintained, and the Commander-in-Chief, who, although within hearing of the firing, was ignorant of the true state of affairs, was enabled to fall back and to reorganize his army.

Colonels Pearson and Wood held on to their positions. Wood was attacked on the 25th by the Zulus at Kambula, but beat them off after a sharp engagement with but slight loss, his two regiments showing themselves worthy of their high reputations as light infantry corps.

Pearson, on the other hand, was shut up in Etshowe, and was only relieved some days later by the Commander-in-Chief, who on his march to Etshowe inflicted a defeat on the Zulus at Ginghelovo.

The news of the disaster to the 24th caused a strong sensation in England. Reinforcements were hurried out to the Cape, and the command of the forces entrusted to Sir Garnet Wolseley. On his arrival in Natal he reorganized his army, which was now constituted as under:

First Division: Major-General Hope Crealock.

First Brigade—Brigadier C. Pearson: 2nd Battalion 3rd Buffs, 88th (Connaught Rangers), and 99th (Wiltshires).

Second Brigade—Brigadier-General J. Mansfield Clarke: 57th (Middlesex), 3rd Battalion King's Royal Rifles, and 91st (Argyll Highlanders).

Divisional Troops: Naval brigade (800 strong), ten mountain guns, one company of sappers, and two battalions of native troops.