With the Naval Brigade in Natal (1899-1900) Part 13

Overtures of peace made by Boer Presidents.

Mar. 6.--Field Force arrives at Carnarvon to quell rising in North-West.

Mar. 7.--Lord Roberts routs a large force of Boers at Poplar Grove.

Mar. 10.--Lord Roberts defeats Boers at Driefontein.

Mar. 11.--Overtures of peace rejected by Lord Salisbury.

Mar. 13.--Lord Roberts, without further fighting, takes possession of BLOEMFONTEIN. Boers retire on Kroonstad.

Mar. 27.--DEATH OF GENERAL JOUBERT.

Mar. 31.--Broadwood attacked at Waterworks. During retirement R.H.A.

and convoy entrapped at Koorn Spruit. Six guns lost, 350 casualties.

April 3.--Detachment of Royal Irish Rifles and Mounted Infantry surrounded near Reddersburg.

April 7.--Colonel Dalgety isolated near Wepener.

April 15.--Chermside leaves Reddersburg to relieve Wepener.

April 25.--Dalgety relieved. Boers retreat northwards, under Botha.

May 10.--Zand River crossed, Boers rapidly retreating before Lord Roberts's advance.

May 12.--Lord Roberts enters KROONSTAD without opposition, President Steyn having retired to Heilbron, which he proclaims his new capital.

Attack on Mafeking repulsed, 108 Boer prisoners, including Commandant Eloff, taken.

May 13.--Mahon with Mafeking Relief Column repulses attack at Koodoosrand.

May 15.--Buller occupies Dundee and Glencoe, having driven the Boers from the Biggarsberg.

Plumer, reinforced by Canadians and Queenslanders from Carrington's Division, joins hands with Mahon.

May 17-18.--RELIEF OF MAFEKING.

May 24.--Advance portion of Lord Roberts's force crosses the Vaal near Parys.

May 28.--ANNEXATION OF ORANGE FREE STATE under name of Orange River Colony formally proclaimed at Bloemfontein.

May 30.--FLIGHT OF PRESIDENT KRUGER FROM PRETORIA.

May 31.--BRITISH FLAG HOISTED AT JOHANNESBURG.

Surrender of 500 Yeomanry at Lindley.

June 2-4.--Futile negotiations between Buller and Christian Botha for armistice.

June 5.--OCCUPATION OF PRETORIA.

June 8.--Hildyard takes Botha's Pa.s.s.

Surrender of 4th Derbys.h.i.+res at Roodeval.

June 11.--Stubborn fight at Almond's Nek. Heavy Boer losses.

June 12.--Boers evacuate Laing's Nek.

Roberts defeats Botha at DIAMOND HILL, east of Pretoria.

June 14.--Boer attack on Zand River repulsed.

July 4.--Roberts and Buller join hands at Vlakfontein.

Railway to Natal clear.

July 11.--Surrender of Scots Greys and Lincolns at Uitval Nek.

July 21.--Advance eastwards towards Komati Poort begins.

July 30.--SURRENDER OF PRINSLOO and 3,000 Boers to Hunter in Brandwater basin.

Aug. 16.--Elands River garrison relieved.

Aug. 25.--Execution of Cordua for conspiracy to kidnap Lord Roberts.

Aug. 26-7.--Fighting at DALMANUTHA.

Aug. 30.--British occupy Nooitgedacht and release 2,000 prisoners.

Sept. 6.--Buller occupies Lydenburg.

Sept. 11.--KRUGER, FLYING FROM THE TRANSVAAL, takes refuge at Lorenzo Marques.

Sept. 13.--Proclamation issued by Roberts calling on burghers to surrender.

French occupies Barberton.

Sept. 25.--British Force occupies Komati Poort. Many Boers cross Portuguese frontier and surrender to Portuguese.

Oct. 9.--De Wet driven across the Vaal out of Orange River Colony.

Oct. 19.--Kruger sails from Lorenzo Marques for Ma.r.s.eilles on Dutch man-of-war.

Oct. 24.--Buller sails from Capetown for England.