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With the Mounted Infantry in South Africa

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With the Mounted Infantry in South Africa
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Author(s): Frederick Maurice Crum
Date Published: 2011/09
Page Count: 148
Softcover ISBN-13: 978-0-85706-756-2
Hardcover ISBN-13: 978-0-85706-755-5

Riflemen on horseback

The latter part of the 19th century returned to service a type of soldier who could trace his antecedents to the first dragoons—mounted men who would also fought on foot. Cavalry had specific roles to play, but in theatres of war involving huge distances or against fast moving, mobile and especially mounted enemies the requirement for the horse mounted infantryman ready to meet these challenges had become paramount. Never was the necessity for mounted infantry more apparent than upon the veldt of South Africa and against the flexible mounted commandos of the Boers. Several British infantry regiments included mounted contingents and the author of this book fought with one of the most highly regarded—the Kings Royal Rifles. There were few conflicts where the Rifles were not called upon to serve that did not see them involved in the thick of the action and the Boer War was no exception. All first hand accounts are invaluable source works, but in Crum the reader is fortunate to have a narrator who was involved in fierce close quarters skirmishing throughout most of his service. His descriptions of the fighting in which he and his riflemen were involved makes gripping reading. This Leonaur edition has been enhanced by the inclusion of several contemporary illustrations of the mounted infantry—and their close service comrades the Hussars—on campaign during the conflict. All those interested in the regiments, who once clad in green fought in front of Wellington’s redcoats, will find much to engage them in this book.
Leonaur editions are newly typeset and are not facsimiles; each title is available in softcover and hardback with dustjacket.

Suddenly there was very heavy firing in the rear. The 300 mounted men at the farm shot out and extended at a very fast gallop, joining hands with about 700 mounted men to the rear, all shouting, shooting, and thrusting. There must have been 1000 of the finest Boers in the country charging the rear guard. Soon I saw this flood mix with the infantry and come right on and on up to the two guns, a mile in the rear and below me. My gun kept firing away, but seeing the flood still coming on I sent it away, and lined out my men in the best positions available, pointing out what to fire at, and telling them we must hold our hill. There were, besides the hollow before mentioned, one or two good places of the same kind, though smaller. Wonderfully soon we were under a heavy fire ourselves, and shooting back steadily and hard. It did one good to see how steady the men were.<br>
The Boers, who had originally retired in front of us, were now coming back, so on three sides of us there were Boers. I joined Watson, Sergeant-Major Rowat, and five men in the hollow before alluded to. Quoting Lychenburg, of the 18th Hussars, I said, “Now, men, we are in a jolly tight hole, but a jolly good hole, and we are going to make the most of it.” I should say this was about 12.30 p.m. We shot a lot at first, but very soon the Boers got our range, and shooting became dangerous.<br>
Very soon, to my awful grief, the sergeant-major—poor Rowat, the best N.C.O. in the army—fell back, hit through the head and apparently done for. While we were attending to him several shots came right in, and we had to keep down, taking careful stealthy shots at the heads we could only occasionally see on a ridge about 250 yards off and slightly below us. Soon Cherriman was hit in three places. Curiously enough this man was hit the same day two years ago at Lombard’s Kop. None of these were dangerous wounds.
Livesay, my late servant, did splendidly, shooting back and talking to the Boers he was shooting at—“Would you?” “I see you my friend,” “Take that,” and such like comments. About an hour after we began reinforcements came up, Seymour bringing up some more of the company. Right well they faced the bullets, and it was here that we lost poor Sergeant Wayman and Corporal Brindley, and other very valuable lives. Three companies of the Buffs also came up, but having fifteen casualties they retired, and thus forced some of my men, who had no cover, also to retire.<br>
Reggie Seymour, B. Seymour, and three men joined us in our hollow. There was hardly room for us all now, but we were glad of their ammunition. Very soon poor Reggie and Corporal Oglesby were hit. We cut Seymour’s coats open (I never saw a fellow with so many clothes on), and were relieved to find it was a clean wound—arm broken, same place as mine, but a clean wound. Livesay set the arm very well with two scabbards. All this time we kept up an occasional shot and accounted for a horse or a Boer.<br>
The time went quickly, but the ammunition went quicker, and after two hours or so it began to give out. We had been throwing what we could spare, tied up in handkerchiefs, to a party close to us. About this time Casey, Pedrick, and Baker came up with ammunition, the two former flat on their stomachs. Casey came right in to us; the others lay very flat under the crest. Baker came up at a run in the open and drew a very hot fire, dropping flat, killed as I thought at the time, beside Corporal Rowles, who was under a bit of cover six yards away.
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