was the passing of the Guards, the dandy troops of England, the body-servants of the great Queen.  Black with sun and dust, staggering after a march of thirty-eight miles, gaunt and haggard, with their clothes in such a state that decency demanded that some of the men should be discreetly packed away in the heart of the dense column, they still swung into the town with the aspect of Kentish hop-pickers and the bearing of heroes.  She, the venerable mother, could remember the bearded ranks who marched past her when they came with sadly thinned files back from the Crimean winter; even those gallant men could not have endured more sturdily, nor have served her more loyally, than these their worthy descendants.

It was just a month after the start from Ramdam that Lord Roberts and his army rode into the enemy’s capital.  Up to that period we had in Africa Generals who were hampered for want of troops, and troops who were hampered for want of Generals.  Only when the Commander-in-Chief took over the main army had we soldiers enough, and a man who knew how to handle them.  The result was one which has not only solved the question of the future of South Africa, but has given an illustration of strategy which will become classical to the military student.  How brisk was the course of events, how incessant the marching and fighting, may be shown by a brief recapitulation.  On February 13th cavalry and infantry were marching to the utmost capacity of men and horses.  On the 14th the cavalry were halted, but the infantry were marching hard.  On the 15th the cavalry covered forty miles, fought an action, and relieved Kimberley.  On the 16th the cavalry were in pursuit of the Boer guns all day, and were off on a thirty-mile march to the Modder at night, while the infantry were fighting Cronje’s rearguard action, and closing up all day.  On the 17th the infantry were marching hard.  On the 18th was the battle of Paardeberg.  From the 19th to the 27th was incessant fighting with Cronje inside the laager and with De Wet outside.  From the 28th to March 6th was rest.  On March 7th was the action of Poplars Grove with heavy marching; on March 10th the battle of Driefontein.  On the 11th and 12th the infantry covered forty miles, and on the 13th were in Bloemfontein.  All this was accomplished by men on half-rations, with horses which could hardly be urged beyond a walk, in a land where water is scarce and the sun semi-tropical, each infantryman carrying a weight of nearly forty pounds.  There are few more brilliant achievements in the history of British arms.  The tactics were occasionally faulty, and the battle of Paardeberg was a blot upon the operations; but the strategy of the General and the spirit of the soldier were alike admirable.

CHAPTER 21.

Strategic effects of Lord Roberts’s march.