IV. 23d January, amidst the cheers of the troops, hoisted CHAP. over the parapet of the fort. For two months it continued to fly, and had many bullet-holes to show. N Battery of the 5th Brigade-already so distinguished in previous South African wars-retained possession of and brought to England this interesting relic. The Queen paid the battery the high compliment of causing it to be halted for her Majesty's personal inspection on the 3d July 1882-when on the march, passing near Windsor Castle-and then had this flag shown to her. munica Lieut.-Colonel Winsloe managed to get his report Outer com of the occurrences of the 16th December past the tion. Boer lines the same day1- Colonel Bellairs receiving 1 From Major and Brevet Lieut.-Colonel R. W. C. Winsloe, Royal Scots Fusiliers, commanding troops, Potchefstroom, to the DeputyAssistant Adjutant-General, Pretoria "THE CAMP, POTCHEFSTROOM, "I have the honour to report that I have been menaced by the Boers since yesterday at 12 noon. This morning a party of Boers threatened the fort about 9 A.M., and fired on the mounted infantry. It was rumoured that a proclamation was to be read on the market-square at 9 A.M. to-day announcing a Republic. Major Clarke, R.A., is in Landdrost's office with Captain Falls and about 20 volunteers under Captain Raaf. Lieut. Hay and D.-A. C.-Gl. Dunne are at jail. Major Thornhill is with me here. At about 9 A.M. a party of the mounted infantry was fired upon, and they returned the fire. Almost simultaneously we heard firing from the Landdrost's office, which we occupy. The camp was shortly afterwards vigorously attacked on three sides, and this has continued more or less all day. The enemy have retreated repulsed on all sides, but stray shots have been fired all day into camp from the environs of the town, and firing has been going on continuously from the market-square and jail. It is impossible to hold more than the jail, Landdrost's office, and the camp with the present force, owing to this being a very straggling town. Not a volunteer is forthcoming, and СНАР. IV. it at Pretoria on the 21st; but after that date, though many attempts were made to communicate, none of the messages sent out by natives reached their destination, nor was it known what became of their bearers. A European succeeded in getting as far as the Vaal, a dozen miles off; but, not being able to cross, returned in a half-starved condition. The only successful venture was made by two brothers-Messrs J. and W. Nelson-who, starting on the night of the 19th February, during a thunderstorm, walked to the Vaal, passing three of the enemy's pickets, and swam the river near De Wet's Drift. Passing through the Orange Free State, by way of Kronstadt and Harrismith, they eventually— on the 8th March-after much hardship, managed to reach Sir Evelyn Wood's headquarters at Newcastle. The only communication which reached Lieut. nearly the whole town are to all appearance on the side of the enemy. The enemy occupy the town, with exception of that portion covered by our fire. Communication with the Landdrost's office is very difficult, the whole distance each side being under fire of houses occupied by the enemy. Chevalier Forssman and family, and many ladies and children, have taken refuge in my camp. Probability of water-supply being cut off. Horses can only be watered and water obtained for our use under the enemy's fire. I am sinking two wells (struck water in one of them), and so I don't anticipate much difficulty on that. I consider our position a very grave one, chiefly from the fact that the greater part of the population is undoubtedly hostile to us. Unless affairs take a better turn shortly, I may be forced to take the field, as I am using my ammunition very fast. I am embarrassed by the presence of ladies and children. The soldiers under my command are behaving admirably. Major Clarke has asked me to open communication with him, but I am unable yet to do so. Casualties as known to me up to the present are entered below." Colonel Winsloe, from outside the Boer lines, was a message sent by Colonel Bellairs on the 22d December. This appears to have been intercepted by the Boers, but eventually sent into the fort under a flag of truce on the 4th February. Its purport was, an acknowledgment of the receipt of Lieut. - Colonel Winsloe's report of the 16th December, an allusion to the Bronkhorst Spruit disaster, with instructions that the fort should hold out to the last, and finally destroy arms and guns. The object of the Boer general in now forwarding this letter was to declare that, should the arms and guns not be handed over intact, in case of surrender, the lives of the garrison would not be guaranteed. Lieut.-Colonel Winsloe replied that he had no intention of surrendering. 1 Rigorous measures were adopted by Assistant-General Cronjé against all civilians suspected of aiding the British cause. Major Clarke, Mr Goetz-the Landdrost-and others were kept close prisoners. Commandant Raaf was kept handcuffed. Capital sentences, awarded by Boer courts martial, were carried out during the siege against several of the inhabitants-Messrs Van der Linden and C. Woite, and some natives-accused of being spies, and having given information respecting the Paarde Kraal meeting to the Government. Others who had sided with us, and had occupied the Criterion Hotel and Schirkerling's house adjoining the Court-house, firing on the Boers when the attack commenced, were sentenced to various terms of hard labour. For "mis 1 See ante, note, p. 169. CHAP. IV. IV. CHAP. deeds against the Transvaal Republic," many others were punished with hard-labour sentences or heavy fines, and natives flogged or shot. Both white and black men undergoing hard labour thus awarded were forced to work in the advanced trenches, where many were killed or wounded. Ruse of the enemy. News of Sir George On the 16th January the Boers attempted to obtain possession of the fort by a ruse. A letter said to have been prepared at their headquarters at Heidelberg-expressed in telegraphic cipher or Morse's alphabet, and purporting to emanate from Colonel Bellairs, was sent to the fort, informing Lieut.-Colonel Winsloe that a column was approaching to his relief, and would arrive before Potchefstroom the following morning, when, on a given signal, he should sally out to join it, and together defeat the Boer force. The wording of the letter was, however, clumsily done, the ruse was seen through, and no attention paid to it. No signal was observed; but next morning heavy rifle and cannon firing, heard in a wood a mile away, showed that the Boers were carrying out further their attempt at deception. They were afterwards seen returning to the town, some dressed in red coats, discomfited by the failure of their design, coupled with the drenching they got from a tremendous downpour of rain which was going on at the time. A shell was sent in their direction, which had the effect of quickening their movements. Towards the end of January, anxious looks began to be cast day and night towards the hill-tops around, IV. first re verse. in the hope that signals, giving notice of an advancing CHAP. column, might be discovered; but any idea of such immediate relief was dispelled on the 4th February, when a flag of truce brought a copy of the Staats Courant'-Boer Government Gazette-for the 2d February, giving an account of Sir George Colley's first reverse at Laing's Nek. 29th Enemy's gun re fort. opens. The enemy's gun reopened fire on the January, 500 yards from the front of the Although shells were accurately exploded near its apparent spot, it could not be silenced. The cause for this was only discovered after the siege. The gun was loaded behind a house, the interior of which had been filled up with sacks of earth, thus giving protection from shell; and it was run round the corner only when required to fire. Thick bushes on either side of the house also intercepted any view of the enemy's movements. From this day until the 10th March, the gun was brought into action against the fort almost daily, though doing but little damage. Once, indeed, a shot entered an embrasure while the gun was being worked, killing one man and severely wounding another. amenities. A mutual good understanding arose between the Sunday two contending parties in their employment of Sundays, which is thus felicitously related by Lieut.Colonel Winsloe : "After the first few Sundays, at least during the day-time, little shooting went on, and by mutual |