THE KAFFIR WAR.

Globe, Volume IX, Issue 1296, 15 May 1878, Page 3

THE KAFFIR WAR.

By the s.s. Garonne, Cape papers to April Ist were received at Melbourne. The following is the latest intelligence respecting the outbreak of the Kaffirs : On March 12th intelligence reached Pretoria that Secocoeni had broken out, and had surrounded Fort Weber, which contained six white men and thirteen Kaffirs, with 500 of his tribe. A Zulu contingent set off to relievo the fort. The enemy is reported to have been defeated. Wainwright’s place at Orighstadt, was attacked by about 500 Kaffirs at midnight on March 7th. The Kaffirs kept up abr sk fire on the houses. The place was soon riddled with bullets. Old Mrs Stansfield, sixty-five years old, was sleeping in a waggon next to the cattle kraal. The Kaffirs fired into the waggon, but the plucky old lady never screamed nor attempted to get out until the attack was over. Mrs Wainwright jumped out of bed with a little baby, and hid in the bush. Mr Wain wright carried out one child, and then returned for others. The party had great difficulty in keeping the children quiet, as thorns were sticking in the poor little things. All this time the Kaffirs kept up an incessant fire, while others took all the cattle, 180 head.

The same night another Impi went up Waterfall Valley, swept off all cattle, killed two Venters, and burned down the buildings in Burgers’ Fort. Eekersley and party were ordered out of the fort first, and had a hard run for their lives.

It is almost certain now that Ketchwayo has been instigating Secocoeni to commence present hostilities. Ho also tried to bribe the Amaswasies hy an offer of £2OOO if they would assist to fight the English, and endeavoured to form a confederacy with tribes between our northern boundary and Zambezi against the whites. In both projects he failed.

It is believed there is reason to suppose Kreli has been attempting to deceive the Government by proposals of submission. He has, however, sent messages to some of the officers in the Transkoi.

The Secretary of Native Affairs, telegraphing from King William’s Town, March 13th, states :

“ Matters not at all improved. Griffith’s movement, while successful in defea'ing Smdilli at the junction of Kei and Ti omus Rivers, has the effect of inducing a backward movement, by which Sandilli, with about SOO men, has gained the shelter of the mountains and forests of the famous Amatola range. On March 13th, they were attacked by Bowker’s men, and other forces along the Hohne range, with no very marked results, the enemy losing a few men, and we have to report the death of two Germans killed, one wounded belonging to Landry’s party, and one killed, Hillier, and one wounded, Bowker, of Bowker’s division.

“ Lonsdale, of the Keiskama Hoek, on information received, made a movement in direction of forest with seventy men, and met the enemy strongly posted, who immediately attacked with great vigor, compelling our men to fall back on other ground, and search for support. “ General Thesiger has sent party of troops to occupy the old post at Baillie’s Grave and the old Kaiskamma Hock post to give support to the Fingoes stationed in that locality, and to prevent the advanceof Sandilli into the colony, and to form a junction with Oba, whose loyalty is very doubtful. “ Nothing known positively about Com-mandant-General Griffith's movements, but it is supposed that on obtaining tire information regarding Sandilli’s movements will follow him, and with the large combined force available in the ground indicated, he will punish him severely, “ The natives say that Sandilli with his son and Gongobello are in the Izeli forest, and that Murray’s .Krantz is the strong position they intend to hold. “ Waterkloof operations progress vigorously, and from the nature of the country, and the difficulty of operating in the forest, very satisfactory results will not appear for the present. “Very little sign so far of the matter coming to a close, and even amongst those nominally loyal a feeling of restlessness is visible; the war feeling is strongly abroad, and it requires all the prudence the Government possesses to prevent its breaking out in every direction. Up to this the Government seems to have the matter well in hand, and under complete control, and time only is needed to end it successfully. “ The forces in the field arc in good health and spirits, the only murmur heard being no work offers.

“ Q-eneral Thesiger readily comprehends c;nh position, and will soon prove equal to the position in all its workings and details.” Captain o'Donovan and twenty men of the Diamond Fields Light Horae went into the Pt-rie Bath on March 19th after natives, and were surrounded. The Kimberley men succeeded in cutting their way through the enemy. Information having reached Colonel Warren, R.E., that a body of rebels were secreted in a chimp of bush about ten miles to the extreme right front of his position, he called for volunteers to undertake what promised to be a hazardous undertaking, and at once Captain O’Donovun and his men (the Diamond Fields Light Horse) were ready for the duty. They proceeded at 01 eo lo enter the bush, Captain O’Donovan leading his men, and Lieutenant Ward following. They had not gone far before both officers were shot, almost simultaneously. Captain O’Donovan received a bullet in his mouth, the missile then passing through the head upwards. Lieutenant Ward received his wound on the side of the head, just above the ear, and the ball passed through the brain to the other side. This catastrophe put a stop to any further operations, the men busying themselv s in getting the bodies of their officers out of the bush, and thou conveying them back to etuap, Only seven of the rebel* are knomi to

have been seen in the bush, and of these four were shot. Ten of the Europeans are reported as killed or wounded.

Ciplain Bradshaw, who was also fighting at. the Perie, lost his life the same evening about dusk. He whs lying on his stomach, drinking at a rivulet in the immediate neighbourhood of his camp, when a native man came nut from the bush and shot, him dead. The successful marksman then reloaded, and mortally wounded a Fingoe, and again loaded at d wounded a second. By this time, the shots had brought a body of men together, and a volley was fired in the bush. On the Fingoes subsequently searching the place, they found the corpses of five Kaffirs, one of which they say is that of Dukwana, the rebel elder from the Emg wall. A sharp engagement occurred on March 19th at Porie Bush, not far from King William’s Town, between the colonial troops and the rebels, under Gongella, a son of Sandilli. The firing of the guns could be heard in the town. Volunteers wore in an open space encircled by bushes when the Kaffirs suddenly surrounded them, killed three horses, wounded ten white men, and about eleven Fingoes. One of the white ram, an Englishman named Jarvis, was wounded through the kidneys, and died shortly afterwards. One of the Fingoes has also died since. As there was such an overwhelming number of Kaffirs, the colonial forces had to retire. The Imperial troops came up after the engagement. A body of 200 natives made an effort to leave the Dohne Bush, but were mot by Bowker’s Rovers, who killed thirty-eight of them. Captain Ella, of Queen’s Town, has been slightly wounded, and Hart of the same place severely wounded. The Kaffirs escaped into the bush, but the troops will follow them. General Thesiger telegraphed that all was going well. Captain Shaw has been accidentally killed by one of his own men, who mistook him for a Kaffir. He was going the rounds on picquet duty, and beii g seen in the dark creeping along, was fired upon. The ball went right through his chest. At Bailey’s Grave the Kafirs made a fierce attack on the colonial forces. Two Europeans are reported as killed, and from fifteen to twenty wounded. The troops had to retire, but did so in good order. The loss of the enemy is unknown. The fighting was within twelve miles of King Wiiliam’s Town, With field glasses the flashes of the guns could be seen from the town.

An official telegram states that on the 19th March a well-concerted attack was made on Sandilli und his Graika warriors in the Amatolas, a romantic, but almost inaccessible, part of the country, where there was a large force of rebels. The enemy were driven from kloof to kloof, but it will be difficult to clear the bush, though easy to keep Sandilli in the Amatolas. The latest official intelligence, dated 21st March, states that the Amatola difficulty is greater than most imagine. The women are a difficulty that will soon have to be dealt with. They are unmistakably prolonging the war by obtaining supplies of food for the men. Bread, coffee, and peppr r hare been found upon the enemy, no doubt obtained from the women.

Operations in the Waterklo of have been successfully concluded, and Mr Chalmers reports that the operations of 16th March have quite cleared that part of the country. On that day a few Kaffirs were shot, and some 500 cattle and a number of sheep captured, without loss to us. The field guns were very effective. A few good positions have been occupied to prevent a return of the enemy. The 44 Queenstown Representative ” says “ There is a rumour pretty freely circulated that the failure of the combined movement to capture Sandilli and Gongobello was chiefly owing to information given to the rebels by a white man. The prisoners taken say this person had an interview with the chiefs near the Thomas River, and advised them both to leave their cattle and make for the Peric Bush. Sandilli followed this advice, although he contrived to get his cattle through, but Gongobello remained behind, and is now suing for peace.” The Governor, in reply to the Cape Town Chamber of Commerce, says he can answer from personal observation the calumnies sought to be passed on colonists that they cannot defend or govern themselves. He thinks colonists quite as determined to defend and able and wdling to rule themselves as elsewhere. They only require organisation, good government, and union.