Episode 110 - General Buller flayed by the press as Botha pulverises Benson at Bakenlaagte.

The Anglo-Boer War

It’s time for reflection - and to talk about General Louis Botha who’s invasion into Natal fizzled out leading to his commando being forced to flee Lord Kitchener’s columns back to the Eastern Transvaal. But all is not lost for the man who would one day become South Africa’s first Prime Minister. It’s the final days of October 1901 when he returns to his base roving the veld somewhere between Ermelo and the Swaziland border. It’s a region dominated by rolling grassy undulating hills, then high mountains further eastwards closer to Swaziland, as the landscape breaks up into dolomite fractures where whole armies lurk. The Boers have learned to keep well away from the Swaziland border where the chiefs have been palavering with the British. Back to Botha in a moment. First, let’s take a look at what was happening in Britain, where the war had dragged on for long enough for the tabloid press to begin a sharp campaign against General Buller. He had been replaced in South Africa by Lord Roberts, who himself had been replaced by Lord Kitchener. Buller was pilloried in newspapers through October 1901, particularly by the Times and the Spectator. “On Thursday Sir Redvers Buller, presiding at a luncheon given by the Queen’s Westminster volunteers” a Spectator editorial opined under the headline, The Mistake of General Buller. “made a speech in which we believe that the nation will find the best possible justification for the declarations which we and others have made that Sir Redvers Buller is not a fit and proper person to be entrusted with the great and responsible duties involved in the command of the First Army Corps…” Wait, it gets worse. “…We would fain say no more about the speech, for it is one which can only be fairly described as pathetic in its weakness and inconsequence..” Thats not all folks .. “…unfortunately it is impossible for us to pass it over, for it must be urged upon public notice as one of the reasons which oblige us to continue our protests against the recent appointment to the First Army Corps..” We can safely assume that the Editors do not consider Buller a great leader of men - although his men who fought with him in Natal would disagree. The reality of his meandering about and his blithe incompetence as he meandered about trying to lift the siege of Ladysmith - not to mention to terrible battles of Spion Kop, Dundee, Colenso and others where he’d been defeated by a much smaller army of Boers had sullied his name.