LONDON TO LADYSMITH VIA PRETORIA by Winston Churchill 1900

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 MAP OF MR. CHURCHILL'S ROUTE 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 CHAPTER I.  STEAMING SOUTH R.M.S. 'Dunottar Castle,' October 26 and October 29, 1899 CHAPTER II.  THE STATE OF THE GAME Capetown; November 1, 1899 CHAPTER III.  ALONG THE SOUTHERN FRONTIER East London: November 5, 1899 CHAPTER IV.  IN NATAL Estcourt: November 6, 1899 CHAPTER V.  A CRUISE IN THE ARMOURED TRAIN Estcourt: November 9, 1899 CHAPTER VI.  DISTANT GUNS Estcourt: November 10, 1899 CHAPTER VII.  THE FATE OF THE ARMOURED TRAIN Pretoria: November 20, 1899 CHAPTER VIII.  PRISONERS OF WAR Pretoria: November 24, 1899 CHAPTER IX.  THROUGH THE DUTCH CAMPS Pretoria: November 30, 1899 CHAPTER X.  IN AFRIKANDER BONDS Pretoria: December 3, 1899 CHAPTER XI.  I ESCAPE FROM THE BOERS Lourenço Marques: December 22, 1899 CHAPTER XII.  BACK TO THE BRITISH LINES Frere: December 24, 1899 CHAPTER XIII.  CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR Frere: January 4, 1900 CHAPTER XIV.  A MILITARY DEMONSTRATION AND SOME GOOD NEWS Chieveley: January 8, 1900 CHAPTER XV.  THE DASH FOR POTGIETER'S FERRY Spearman's Hill: January 13, 1900 CHAPTER XVI.  TRICHARDT'S DRIFT AND THE AFFAIR OF ACTON HOMES Venter's Spruit: January 22, 1900 CHAPTER XVII.  THE BATTLE OF SPION KOP Venter's Spruit: January 25, 1900 CHAPTER XVIII.  THROUGH THE FIVE DAYS' ACTION Venter's Spruit: January 25, 1900 CHAPTER XIX.  A FRESH-EFFORT AND AN ARMY CHAPLAIN Spearman's Hill: February 4, 1900 CHAPTER XX.  THE COMBAT OF VAAL KRANTZ General Buller's Headquarters: February 9, 1900 CHAPTER XXI.  HUSSAR HILL General Buller's Headquarters: February 15, 1900 CHAPTER XXII.  THE ENGAGEMENT OF MONTE CRISTO Cingolo Neck: February 19, 1900 CHAPTER XXIII.  THE PASSAGE OF THE TUGELA Hospital-ship 'Maine': March 4, 1900 CHAPTER XXIV.  THE BATTLE OF PIETERS: THE THIRD DAY Hospital-ship 'Maine': March 5, 1900 CHAPTER XXV.  UPON MAJUBA DAY Commandant's Office, Durban: March 6, 1900 CHAPTER XXVI.  THE RELIEF OF LADYSMITH Commandant's Office, Durban: March 9, 1900 CHAPTER XXVII.  AFTER THE SIEGE Durban: March 10, 1900 MAPS AND PLANS MAPS MAP OF MR. CHURCHILL'S ROUTE THE THEATRE OF THE OPERATIONS IN NATAL MAP OF THE OPERATIONS OF THE NATAL FIELD ARMY   FROM JANUARY 11 TO FEBRUARY 9, INCLUDING:   THE CAPTURE OF POTGIETER'S FERRY, JANUARY 11   THE PASSAGE OF THE TUGELA AT TRICHARDT'S DRIFT, JANUARY 17   THE AFFAIR OF ACTON HOMES, JANUARY 18   THE ACTION OF VENTER'S SPRUIT, JANUARY 20 AND 21   THE BATTLE OF SPION KOP, JANUARY 24; AND   THE COMBAT OF VAAL KRANTZ, FEBRUARY 6, 7, AND 8 MAP OF THE OPERATIONS OF THE NATAL FIELD ARMY   FROM FEBRUARY 14 TO 28, INCLUDING:   THE RECONNAISSANCE AND CAPTURE OF HUSSAR HILL, FEBRUARY 14   THE CAPTURE OF CINGOLO, FEBRUARY 17   THE ENGAGEMENT OF MONTE CRISTO, FEBRUARY I8   OCCUPATION OF THE HLANGWANI PLATEAU, FEBRUARY 19 AND 20;   AND THE BATTLE OF PIETERS FEBRUARY 21 TO 27 PLANS THE STATES MODEL SCHOOLS POTGIETER'S FERRY POSITION AT MONTE CRISTO THE COLENSO POSITION

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