London to Ladysmith via Pretoria

London to Ladysmith via
Pretoria
by Winston Spencer
Churchill

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Title: London to Ladysmith via Pretoria
Author: Winston Spencer Churchill
Release Date: December 23, 2004 [EBook #14426]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
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LONDON TO LADYSMITH VIA PRETORIA
BY
WINSTON SPENCER CHURCHILL
AUTHOR OF 'THE STORY OF THE MALAKAND FIELD FORCE,
1897', 'THE RIVER WAR: AN HISTORICAL ACCOUNT OF THE
RECONQUEST OF THE SOUDAN', 'SAVROLA: A ROMANCE'
LONGMANS, GREEN, AND CO. 39 PATERNOSTER ROW,
LONDON NEW YORK AND BOMBAY 1900

DEDICATION
THIS COLLECTION OF LETTERS IS INSCRIBED TO
THE STAFF OF THE NATAL GOVERNMENT RAILWAY
WHOSE CAREFUL AND COURAGEOUS DISCHARGE OF THEIR
EVERY-DAY DUTIES AMID THE PERILS OF WAR HAS MADE
THEM HONOURABLY CONSPICUOUS EVEN AMONG THEIR
FELLOW COLONISTS

INTRODUCTORY NOTE
This small book is mainly a personal record of my adventures and
impressions during the first five months of the African War. It may also
be found to give a tolerably coherent account of the operations
conducted by Sir Redvers Buller for the Relief of Ladysmith. The
correspondence of which it is mainly composed appeared in the
columns of the Morning Post newspaper, and I propose, if I am not
interrupted by the accidents of war, to continue the series of letters. The
stir and tumult of a camp do not favour calm or sustained thought, and
whatever is written herein must be regarded simply as the immediate
effect produced by men powerfully moved, and scenes swiftly

changing upon what I hope is a truth-seeking mind.
The fact that a man's life depends upon my discretion compels me to
omit an essential part of the story of my escape from the Boers; but if
the book and its author survive the war, and when the British flag is
firmly planted at Bloemfontein and Pretoria, I shall hasten to fill the
gap in the narrative.
WINSTON S. CHURCHILL. March 10, 1900.

CONTENTS
I. STEAMING SOUTH R.M.S. 'Dunottar Castle,' October 26 and
October 29, 1899
II. THE STATE OF THE GAME Capetown; November 1, 1899
III. ALONG THE SOUTHERN FRONTIER East London: November 5,
1899
IV. IN NATAL Estcourt: November 6, 1899
V. A CRUISE IN THE ARMOURED TRAIN Estcourt: November 9,
1899
VI. DISTANT GUNS Estcourt: November 10, 1899
VII. THE FATE OF THE ARMOURED TRAIN Pretoria: November
20, 1899
VIII. PRISONERS OF WAR Pretoria: November 24, 1899
IX. THROUGH THE DUTCH CAMPS Pretoria: November 30, 1899
X. IN AFRIKANDER BONDS Pretoria: December 3, 1899
XI. I ESCAPE FROM THE BOERS Lourenço Marques: December 22,
1899

XII. BACK TO THE BRITISH LINES Frere: December 24, 1899
XIII. CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR Frere: January 4, 1900
XIV. A MILITARY DEMONSTRATION AND SOME GOOD NEWS
Chieveley: January 8, 1900
XV. THE DASH FOR POTGIETER'S FERRY Spearman's Hill:
January 13, 1900
XVI. TRICHARDT'S DRIFT AND THE AFFAIR OF ACTON
HOMES Venter's Spruit: January 22, 1900
XVII. THE BATTLE OF SPION KOP Venter's Spruit: January 25,
1900
XVIII. THROUGH THE FIVE DAYS' ACTION Venter's Spruit:
January 25, 1900
XIX. A FRESH-EFFORT AND AN ARMY CHAPLAIN Spearman's
Hill: February 4, 1900
XX. THE COMBAT OF VAAL KRANTZ General Buller's
Headquarters: February 9, 1900
XXI. HUSSAR HILL General Buller's Headquarters: February 15,
1900
XXII. THE ENGAGEMENT OF MONTE CRISTO Cingolo Neck:
February 19, 1900
XXIII. THE PASSAGE OF THE TUGELA Hospital-ship 'Maine':
March 4, 1900
XXIV. THE BATTLE OF PIETERS: THE THIRD DAY Hospital-ship
'Maine': March 5, 1900
XXV. UPON MAJUBA DAY Commandant's Office, Durban: March 6,
1900

XXVI. THE RELIEF OF LADYSMITH Commandant's Office, Durban:
March 9, 1900
XXVII. AFTER THE SIEGE Durban: March 10, 1900
CHAPTER I
STEAMING SOUTH
R.M.S. 'Dunottar Castle,' at sea: October 26, 1899.
The last cry of 'Any more for the shore?' had sounded, the last
good-bye had been said, the latest pressman or photographer had
scrambled ashore, and all Southampton was cheering wildly along a
mile of pier and promontory when at 6 P.M., on October 14, the Royal
Mail steamer 'Dunottar Castle' left her moorings and sailed with Sir
Redvers Buller for the Cape. For a space the decks remained crowded
with the passengers who, while the sound of many voices echoed in
their ears, looked back towards the shores swiftly fading in the distance
and the twilight, and wondered whether, and if so when, they would
come safe home again; then everyone hurried to his cabin,