Battles of the nineteenth century . to nothing to harass the garrison,but again dug trenches, and slaked his hopeof reducing the place on a long blockade. Theforces which were employed on the OrangeRiver might have spread the flame of insurrec-tion far into Cape Colony, but kept idle in thelaagers round Kimberley. When .Methuen ad-vanced to the relief of the place, Cronje barredhis way at Magcrsfontein ; but .splendid as he war was not fitted for high command. His realplace would be as a subordinate leader, carrvingout the plans of some man of wider views. Hadhe escaped from Paardeberg t
Battles of the nineteenth century . to nothing to harass the garrison,but again dug trenches, and slaked his hopeof reducing the place on a long blockade. Theforces which were employed on the OrangeRiver might have spread the flame of insurrec-tion far into Cape Colony, but kept idle in thelaagers round Kimberley. When .Methuen ad-vanced to the relief of the place, Cronje barredhis way at Magcrsfontein ; but .splendid as he war was not fitted for high command. His realplace would be as a subordinate leader, carrvingout the plans of some man of wider views. Hadhe escaped from Paardeberg there is little doubtthat his high reputation would have ensuredhis succession to the chief command on thedeath of Joubert, and Lord Roberts would havehad an easier task than with an enterprisingsoldier like Louis Botha at the head of theforces opposed to him. But though the capture of Cronjes menmeant more, and the capture of Cronje himselfwas of less importance than most people thoughtat the time, Paardeberg had an importance that. COLONEL SCHIEL. was on the defensive, he seemed not to under-stand that his adversary had a long, vulnerableline of communications behind him ; and onlyone feeble attempt was made to cut t,he railwaysouth of the Modder River. We have seenhow,lhough his danger was pointed out to him,he refused to believe in the reality of Robertssand Frenchs advance rf)und his left to weak points in our own operations andto the splendid inarching qualities of his men,Cronje withdrew his command successfully fromiMagersfontein only to halt at Paardeberg andsacrifice everything in the hope of saving hiswaggons. His characteristic obstinacy was wellshown on this occasion, when he acted inoppo-sition to the reiterated advice of every oneot thecombatants who were acting under leader with such defects and such limitedviews of the necessities and methods of modern could not be overrated as definitely markingthe turn of the tide of war in South
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, bookpublisherlondo, bookyear1901
