Elria Wessells account
The First Shots of the War – 12 October 1899
My sincere thanks to Elria Wessels, of the Bloemfontein museum, who wrote and translated this article which I’ve used as a supplement to The Ultimatum
It is Wednesday, 11 October 1899. In the telegraph office in Lichtenburg Neel Martins and Oswald Frank await the answer on the ultimatum that was handed to the British agent Conyngham Greene by the Zuid Afrikaansche Republics government two days before. Early in the afternoon the answer comes: “Its war!”
Maartins, one of Gen. JH de la Reys men and later a lieutenant in Danie Therons scouts, and Frank, both members of Therons Wielrijden corps, jumped on their bicycles and rushed to Gen. Piet Cronjés camp at Polfontein west of Lichtenburg.
The general was busy with bible study when the two young burghers arrived there. After a short prayer the officers had a meeting. Gen. De la Rey, who took a strong stand during the Parliamentary session, was instructed to damage the railway at Kraaipan and to attack the English garrison.
Gen. De la Rey accepted the task with a heavy heart, because he felt it was not their purpose to extend their territory and to start the war. But he realised that what was the hardest, would be the hardest. Within half an hour 800 men of the commandos of Potchefstroom and Lichtenburg left for Moshette village in Brits-Betsjoeanaland. Capt. PJ van der Merwe, a divisional artillery and four cannons followed them.
Three o’clock the afternoon (12 October), they reached Kraaipan, a station and a shop next to the railway between Vryburg and Mafeking. There was no sign of the policemen who manned the outpost. Baden-Powell sent a train the previous night to fetch them and bring them to Mafeking. Only the owner of the shop, a certain Wright, and the stationmaster had not left.
The commando commenced immediately to the stationmaster’s consternation. The rail was damaged for half a mile on both sides of the station. Under supervision of field-cornet JC Coetzee the rails were carried off some distance. The telegraph connection between Mafeking and Vryburg was also cut.
Thereafter each field-cornet chose a suitable place to pitch camp. Izak Claassen and his men occupied the area west of the rail and Coetzee and his men hid in a trench east thereof. A single guard watched the damaged railway.
The previous afternoon the British commanding officer in Mafeking, Col. RSS Baden-Powell sent a armoured train, the Mosquito, to collect two seven pound cannons in Vryburg. Lieutenant RH Nesbitt of Col. Hore’s B Squadron Protectorate Regiment and a division of 15 men among whom the only cannoneer, EJ Collins, with his Vickers Maxim had to protect the train with his load.
The train with the cannons only arrived in Vryburg the evening of 12 October. Nesbitt was already informed at 15:15 by the Magistrate of Vryburg that great numbers of Boers were observed at the railway between Kraaipan and Madibogo, but due to the damaged telegraph line this message could not be conveyed to Baden-Powell in Mafeking.
Nesbitt did not take notice of the warnings. He received instructions from Baden-Powell the previous night, as well as a warning that attempts had to be made to stop him. The instruction was: “You must do your best to get through”
After a railway inspector, a certain Hensell, and a number of workers were picked up, the train left Vryburg at 18:45. The Mosquito and the wagon with two cannons and ammunition were accompanied by an armoured train that was sent from Kimberley and left the station shortly before the Mosquito.
At the Madibogo-pan Nesbitt was awaited by Sergeant Mathews of the Cape police with the information: the Boers damaged the railway approximately 14 km further on, just south of Kraaipan. And they have artillery, which makes it even more dangerous to proceed with the trip. However, the determined lieutenant took no notice of it. He had to reach Mafeking.
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Before he left Madibogo, he tried in vain to establish a telegraphical connection with Baden-Powell in Mafeking. Then he instructed Flowerday, the machinist of the train in front, to proceed at 2 miles per hour and no lights had to be visible. Just before ten the locomotive in front derailed where the railway was damaged. Flowerday jumped out to warn the machinist of the other train with his red lantern. In stead of sending the Mosquito back, there was more than enough time to do so, Nesbitt let the train proceed to the derailed locomotive. Nesbitt did not see or hear any Boers. Cautiously the jack was placed under the derailed train in the light of lanterns. Half an hour passed.
Oswald Frank and Neel Maartins, who slept in a cart next to the breach in the rail, only realised that the train was on its way when they heard the whistle. A certain A Roos also heard it and saw the lantern lights. Someone gave the alarm and the Boers took up position on the left and the right of the rail.
At 22:45 Field-cornet Coetzee fired the first shot of the war. The other men immediately started shooting.
The jack and other tools were thrown down in haste and everybody ran to the train for safety. Shortly thereafter Collins answered the Boers? shooting with his Maxim, without visible success. Coetzee had already sent men to damage the rail behind the Mosquito, but Nesbitt never thought of giving up. He hoped that a patrol would hear the shooting and come and assist them, but he was shot in the mouth. Corporal Williams took over the command and instructed them to go back immediately.
The Boers, however, shot so efficiently that it was impossible. In addition to this, the machinist of the Mosquito was also wounded. At one o? clock the moon went down and Coetzee and his men reached the Mosquito in the dark. In spite of sporadical shooting they damaged the steam pipe of the train to such an extent that the break could not be loosened.
In the dark the English fought bravely, but at daybreak, especially after the arrival of Captain van der Merwe and his four cannons, matters changed. Van der Merwe started shooting 2 000 feet from the train. The steam kettle was hit with the third shot. Collins lied down on the footplate and tried to get the train going, but with Van der Merwe?s first shot over his head, it became too much for the English. Three men with a flag came forward and De la Rey and his men surrounded the train.
Flowerday jumped from the train and hid in a trench when the white flag was hoisted. When the others gave up, he was lying unseen in the sand. Only later that evening he reached Madibogo.
De la Rey immediately had the wounded tended to. Apart from Nesbitt and the machinist, who was wounded in the hand, Collins incurred burns when the steam kettle was hit. Six others were also wounded, four of whom were railway workers. None of the Boers were hit.
The three cannons, 30 Lee-Metford guns, an number of cases with ammunition, lyddite bombs, a few cases of dynamite, wire and other material and tools fell in the hands of the Boers. The loot, prisoners of war and wounded were loaded on the wagons and taken to Lichtenburg. Jan Visser and some of the Lichtenburgers stayed behind at Kraaipan.
Gen. De la Rey with the remaining burghers advanced to Mafeking. The war has started.
Worth knowing:
At the start of the war there were 22 104 British soldiers in South Africa or on their way here. Their rankBefore he left Madibogo, he tried in vain to establish, telegraphically, a connection with Baden-Powell in Mafeking. Then he instructed Flowerday, the machinist of the train in front, to proceed at 2 miles per hour and no lights had to be visible. Just before ten the locomotive in front derailed where the railway was damaged. Flowerday jumped out to warn the machinist of the other train with his red lantern. In stead of sending the Mosquito back, there was more than enough time to do so, Nesbitt let the train proceed to the derailed locomotive. Nesbitt did not see or hear any Boers. Cautiously the jack was placed under the derailed train in the light of lanterns. Half an hour passed.
Oswald Frank and Neel Maartins, who slept in a cart next to the breach in the rail, only realised that the train was on its way when they heard the whistle. A certain A Roos also heard it and saw the lantern lights. Someone gave the alarm and the Boers took up position on the left and the right of the rail.
At 22:45 Field-cornet Coetzee fired the first shot of the war. The other men immediately started shooting.
The jack and other tools were thrown down in haste and everybody ran to the train for safety. Shortly thereafter Collins answered the Boers, shooting with his Maxim, without visible success. Coetzee had already sent men to damage the rail behind the Mosquito, but Nesbitt never thought of giving up. He hoped that a patrol would hear the shooting and come and assist them, but he was shot in the mouth. Corporal Williams took over the command and instructed them to go back immediately.
The Boers, however, shot so efficiently that it was impossible. In addition to this, the machinist of the Mosquito was also wounded. At one o’clock the moon went down and Coetzee and his men reached the Mosquito in the dark. In spite of sporadical shooting they damaged the steam pipe of the train to such an extent that the break could not be loosened.
In the dark the English fought bravely, but at daybreak, especially after the arrival of Captain van der Merwe and his four cannons, matters changed. Van der Merwe started shooting 2 000 feet from the train. The steam kettle was hit with the third shot. Collins lied down on the footplate and tried to get the train going, but with Van der Merwe’s first shot over his head, it became too much for the English. Three men with a flag came forward and De la Rey and his men surrounded the train.
Flowerday jumped from the train and hid in a trench when the white flag was hoisted. When the others gave up, he was lying unseen in the sand. Only later that evening he reached Madibogo.
De la Rey immediately had the wounded tended to. Apart from Nesbitt and the machinist, who was wounded in the hand, Collins incurred burns when the steam kettle was hit. Six others were also wounded, four of whom were railway workers. None of the Boers were hit.
The three cannons, 30 Lee-Metford guns, an number of cases with ammunition, lyddite bombs, a few cases of dynamite, wire and other material and tools fell in the hands of the Boers. The loot, prisoners of war and wounded were loaded on the wagons and taken to Lichtenburg. Jan Visser and some of the Lichtenburgers stayed behind at Kraaipan.
Gen. De la Rey with the remaining burghers advanced to Mafeking. The war has started.
Worth knowing:
At the start of the war there were 22 104 British soldiers in South Africa or on their way here. Their ranks were supplemented by reinforcements from Britain, Natal the Cape Colony, Australia, New- Zealand and Canada. Britain and the colonies of the British Empire had a collective army of 1 053 865 men in October 1899.
On the Boer side there were 54 667 able-bodied men between 16 and 60 years, 32 353 from Transvaal and 22 314 from the Free State. They received support from Netherlands, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Austria, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, America, Russia, Bulgaria, Poland, Montenegro and Switzerland. Most of the volunteers were from Netherlands (approximately 500) and from Germany (approximately 790).
Burghers between 18 and 34 years were recruited first; thereafter those above 34 and 50 and lastly those above 50 and under 18.
Gen. Piet Joubert was the Commandant-general of the Zuid Africhaansche Republic with the outbreak of the war. His salary was approximately R5000 per year.