For
the next four days all was quiet at Donga Spruit.
News was, however, received that a patrol of the 5th
Dragoon Guards from Coetze’s Drift had been fired on,
and that the Boers to the east of Newcastle were in
fairly strong force.
On
the 19th twelve remounts of possibly worse character
than usual, though not much, arrived from the remount
department. Five of these after trial were returned.
Mounted on such useless brutes, the men were at a
most distinct disadvantage when patrolling in a
country known to be full of the enemy.
On
August 20th a message was received from Major
Smithson to the effect that the troop of the Royals
at Duck Pond Farm had been attacked by some 400 Boers
and compelled to retire on Fort Macready. Major
Smithson endeavoured to cut off the Boers, and went
as far as the junction of the Ingagane and Buffalo
rivers, but the Boers retired, and he took on his
troops towards Wool’s Drift. From camp the squadron
turned out and reconnoitred towards the Ingagane and
Buffalo rivers, but no sign of the enemy was visible.
From
Donga Spruit that morning a patrol was kept well
occupied. It appears that about 250 or 300 Boers were
on the flats under Doornkop. They were being watched
by a patrol under Sergeant Miller. The Boers tried to
cut the party off, and to prevent this Lieutenant
Wise turned out with his inlying picket, upon which
the enemy retired. When Sergeant Miller’s patrol in
retirement reached the river, the horse of Private
Graham fell just as he got into the water. Private
Graham hid in some long grass, and eluding the search
made for him by the Boers rejoined Lieutenant Wise on
foot. Lieutenant Wise reported that this patrol
behaved well, and that Sergeant Miller showed
coolness and discretion.
All
the patrols of the 5th Dragoon Guards were fired on
that day, two men being wounded and one taken
prisoner.
On
the 21st news came about 8.30 A.M. that an attack was
being made on Donga Spruit. The squadrons turned out
and went in that direction, but were met by
intelligence that the enemy had retired.
It
seems that the Boers had kept up a very heavy and
accurate pom-pom fire on the post, but the horses
were well concealed in a donga and the men placed
under good cover, so that the only damage done was
two mules killed and a waggon slightly injured.
By
11:30 there were two Royal Field Artillery guns under
Captain Spencer, R.A., and two companies of the
Middlesex Regiment on the ridge west of the railway,
under Windsor Castle. The two squadrons of the 13th
Hussars were then ordered to reconnoitre down to the
Buffalo river. As soon as the advanced scouts had
crossed the stream, the enemy came on in considerable
force. Both squadrons came under a heavy rifle and
pom-pom fire, and retired to the ridge between two
and three miles west of Wool’s Drift. The enemy then
retired towards Doornkop. The casualties that day in
the regiment were Privates Gilchrist and Willis
slightly wounded, and five horses wounded. The
squadron under Major Smithson at Mathew’s Farm was
ordered to be relieved on the following day by Major
Williams’s squadron. About 8 A.M. news came to Major
Smithson that about 200 Boers were crossing the
Buffalo river near Wool’s Drift.
Now
owing to the number of men employed in patrolling,
the squadron was reduced to one weak troop. With
this, however, Major Smithson advanced to a slight
rise, since known as Smithson’s Ridge, and at about
one and a half mile west of Wool’s Drift, the
intention being to check the Boers’ advance. A
message was sent back to Major Williams, who was
unaware that the enemy were attacking, and had
already started for Mathew’s Farm, to give him
information of the state of affairs. This troop
(Lieutenant Lyons’) was attacked heavily on three
sides. Major Smithson gave the order to fall back on
A Squadron, and was almost immediately shot through
both knees. Corporal Cooke also was wounded in the
arm.
Major
Smithson was taken prisoner, wounded, but was very
courteously treated by the Boer Commandant
Opperman,—one of the 13th whose horse had been
shot, and who had been taken prisoner, being sent in
to get an ambulance and guide it to Major Smithson.
But the resistance offered by the troop bore ample
fruit. A Squadron had time to come out and engage the
enemy well away from the town, and the guns also were
able to be brought out. The C and A Squadrons had
practically defeated the attack, and a round or two
from the guns completed the discomfiture of the
enemy. The Boers retired, and were eventually driven
back across the Buffalo river. More than one gallant
action was performed on that day. Private Dempsey of
the A Squadron dismounted and assisted a comrade,
whose horse had been shot, on to his own mount.
Holding on to the stirrup, he was in the act of
retiring when the brave fellow was shot and died
within the hour. The name of this gallant soldier,
had he lived, would have been brought forward for a
Victoria Cross.
Lieutenant
Jenkins, despite the efforts made to bring him in,
was taken prisoner.
The
troop of Lieutenant Jenkins had dismounted to cover
the retirement of the troop of C Squadron. When Major
Williams gave the order for this troop to mount and
take up another position, the horse of Lieutenant
Jenkins, which was being led up to him by Private
Herbert, fell shot. Private Herbert rode to the
officer and offered his own horse, an offer which
Lieutenant Jenkins refused. Private Herbert then
rejoined his troop. Lieutenant Jenkins then took hold
of the stirrup of Sergeant-Farrier Hunt, and ran
alongside for a short distance, but soon fell, and in
falling injured his hip. The enemy were now quite
close. Sergeant-Farrier Hunt then rode up to Major
Williams and reported that all the troop were mounted
and coming away except Lieutenant Jenkins. Major
Williams said to him that as he had a big horse he
might try to pick the Lieutenant up, if he liked to
chance it. Sergeant-Farrier Hunt then rode back to
Lieutenant Jenkins, who, however, still refused
assistance and would not mount Hunt’s horse. It was
perfectly certain that both would be taken prisoners,
and Lieutenant Jenkins was disabled. Sergeant-Farrier
Hunt then galloped back to his troop, running the
gauntlet of a heavy fire. Private Herbert and
Sergeant-Farrier Hunt were both mentioned in
despatches for their behaviour on this occasion, but
while Private Herbert subsequently received a medal,
Sergeant-Farrier Hunt was unrewarded. Lieutenant
Jenkins was released by his captors on October 9, and
rejoined the regiment at Heidelberg on November 1.
Major
Smithson reported to the Officer Commanding as
follows:—
Private
Cooke, who was hit alongside of me, behaved very
well, as also did the others.
Our
casualties on this day were: One man killed,
Major Smithson and one man wounded, Lieutenant
Jenkins missing, four horses killed, sixteen
horses wounded.
Lieutenant
Church, who left with two troops of A Squadron to
relieve Lieutenant Wise and his two troops at
Donga Spruit, was opposed by a considerable
number of Boers, who galloped down to the line
and blew up a culvert near Wessel’s Farm, doing
but little damage. Lieutenant Church undoubtedly
prevented further damage being done. When the
Boers attacking Mathew’s Farm retreated, this
force retired, and Lieutenant Church proceeded to
Donga Spruit.
This
was intended by the Boers to have been the main
attack, and to have ended in the capture of
Newcastle. The enemy under Commandant Opperman
numbered 2000, and were so sure of success that they
wired that Newcastle had been captured, a message
that appeared in some Dutch papers in Europe. That
this was so intended was confirmed later, and also
after peace had been declared. The Boer excuse for
failure was that one commando under Lucas Meyer, the
distinguished commandant, arrived too late, and that
in consequence they were beaten in detail. Colonel
Blagrove was complimented by the General Officer
Commanding on the excellent work done by the regiment
during the day.
Major
Smithson was invalided home in October, and rejoined
the regiment again in August 1901.
From C. R. B. Barrett, History of
the XIII Hussars, 1911