Episode 49 - Total War destroys the ZARPS at Bergendal

We’re in the Eastern Transvaal where Lord Roberts large army mobilised once more in late August 1900 in order to march on Boer General Louis Botha. Robert’s had been joined by General Redvers Buller who’d made his way north from the Natal Colony, pushing the Boers before him. On the 13th Buller took possession of Ermelo. His advance was steady and led to the Standerton commando numbering 182 men surrendered to Clery. Buller’s men continued skirmishing with the Boers, for instance on the 15th, his men were at Twyfelaar, and had taken possession of Carolina. Here and there a distant horseman riding over the olive-coloured hills showed how closely and incessantly he was watched and snipers continued to fire on his flanks. Buller's column had come nearer to the main army led by Lord Roberts, but it was also nearer to the main body of Boers who were waiting in that very rugged piece of country which lies between Belfast in the west and Machadodorp in the east. A note here about the feud between Lord Roberts and General Buller. When the war began in October 1899 Buller had been the commanding officer of the entire British army in South Africa. He was demoted when Roberts had arrived in early 1900 and both neither liked the other. Curiously, they feuded from a distance, their first face to face meeting was on the 7th July. So when Buller joined Roberts in the Eastern Transvaal in August 1900 it was significant for it all boiled to a simple fact. Buller was in charge of what was known as the African British experience, and Roberts was the Indian British experience. Two worlds clashed along with these two men. Louis Botha’s army had grown - there were now 7000 men dug in along the edge of the escarpment and from this rocky stronghold they had thrown out mobile bodies to harass the British advance from the south, and every day brought Buller into closer touch with these advance guards of the enemy. On August 21st he had moved eight miles nearer to Belfast, French operating upon his left flank. Here he found the Boers in considerable numbers, but he pushed them northward with his cavalry, mounted infantry, and artillery, losing between thirty and forty killed and wounded, the greater part from the ranks of the 18th Hussars and the Gordon Highlanders.