The Sun.
London, England, 1846-07-14 00:00:00

WAR IN KAFFIRLAND.

b 911;

(From the Herald.)
We have just received Cape of Good Hope papers to
the 16th of May inclusive, from which we regret to
4.
leap thAt the Kaffirs continued their depredations,
though with but partial success. The settlers have
neither security for their cattle nor for their lives ; and
it iS'ilielancholy to think of the deplorable condition to
whicli'they are reduced for want of a powerful force to
&iv, the Kaffir tribes beyond the boundary, or at least
to keep them in complete check. Some sharp skirmishes
had taken place between the British troops and the
enemy, in several of which the latter were valiantly re-
pulsed. Very little loss of life was sustained in these
several affairs, but the destruction of property was im-
mense. We subjoin details
(From the Supplement to the South African Commercial
Advertiser of May 13.)
Cape Town, May 14.
The Frontier Post arrived this morning. A Government
notice, dated Graham's Town, 7th May, gives an outline of
events up to that date. The outposts, villages, " legers,"
toc., have in many instances been relieved, supplied with
ammunition, or with such reinforcements as could be spared,
and no marked action has taken place on either side. The
Governor is waiting for reinforcements, and till these shall
arrive, cattle, flocks, and isolated houses are exposed to the
destructive enemy. Every public officer, as well as every
colonists, is now aware of the urgency of the demand for re-
inforcements on the frontier, and all are doing their duty by
day and by night.
It does not yet appear that the Tambookies have joined,
and expectations are entertained that they will not all join.
The Kaffirs are still only in small parties, within the
colony. Wherever met or seen they have been dispersed, or
destroyed. All that is wanting on the side of the colonists is
"organisation."
From Block Drift, Fort Beaufort, and Somerset, and from
the fort and posts of Kat River, there is no intelligence of
moment. Attacks of small parties of Kaffirs, always repulsed
with loss to the enemy, and scarcely any loss of life to the
colonists, but with great loss of property, continue from day
to day. And such will probably be the condition of the whole
frontier till the Burgher levies are fairly in hand.
The most important announcement brought by this post is
the appointment of Sir A. Stockenstrom to command the
North-western levies, and probably to come down on Kaffir-
land from that quarter, when the forces enter it on the right
of the mountains.

Besides the intelligence given below, letters from Graham's
Town, written at eleven o'clock on Saturday night, mention
that Colonel Richardson had arrived from Fort Peddle, and
that he had a gallant affair with the enemy at Trompetters'
Drift.

The following is from the Extra of the Graham's Town
Journal of May 2, which reached Cape Town at half past
one o'clock on Sunday last, the 10th instant, and brings down
intelligence to Tuesday, May 5.

COPY OF COMMUNICATION FROM COLONEL SOME/SET.
M‘Luckie's, Kareiga, Sunday, May 3.
. .

I am here surrounded by Kaffirs, and I only irrivea here
on Friday night, just in time to save the lives of about
fourteen families assembled here, and at Dells' farm on the
Kasouga, and of five hundred people, women and children, at
Theopolis, who had fired away their last round of ammuni-
tion. had a good fight with the Kaffirs this morning
in the Cowie bush, and have given them a famous dressing.
They came out to fight us in two bodies, from the points of
two dense kloofs. I got a good position for the gun, and dis-
mounted my men and sent them in the bush, and after half
an hour's fighting we drove them off and silenced their fire,
killing several. We got one gun and ammunition from
them.
My object in sending in now is for ammmunition. I have
no more than what I have in the pouches, having distributed
all I have to the farmers, and I have given 400 rounds to the
school (Theopolis) people, which is in fact nothing. The
Kaffirs have taken about 5,000 head of cattle from this and
the school. The latter still retain about 1,200 head, but I
was obliged to reinforce them last night with 30 men, or they
would all have been destroyed. I can do nothing without I
get 500 more men. lam much vexed that neither Mr. Salis
nor the party I detached to Salem have joined me.
It cripples me entirely, and I doubt if I can save those
people yet, if the force do not join me. The Kaffirs are
burning and destroying:every farm, and all the oat-hay, and
my people are so worked that I cannot prevent it. I cannot
have any communication with Bathurst. The whole Kowie
bush from Woest's Hill to the mouth of the Kowie is full of
Kaffirs. I beg you will write to the Lieutenant-Governor,
and acquaint him that unless he send the Cape Mounted
Rifles, as well as the cavalry, to cross at Kaffir Drift, and
that as soon as possible, the Bathurst country must be de-
stroyed. I cannot help them, unless I have 500 men instead
of 140. If I hold the country, it is as much as I can pos-
sibly do. If I had not come here, every house would have
been destroyed, and every man, woman, and child murdered.
The following is a copy of Col. Somerset's official dispatch
to the Civil Commissioner of Albany :
M`Luckie's Farm, Kareiga River, May 4.
Sir,—Having moved with the troops under my orders to
this part of Albany on the Ist inst., in order to afford pro-
tection to the inhabitants against the attacks of the Kaffir
tribes, and knowing your anxiety, as well as that of the
public, for their welfare, I feel it necessary to acquaint you
that I arrived here about seven o'clock P.M. on the Ist inst.
Having observed on my route that the whole of the Kowie
Bush was thickly infested with Kaffirs, I moved a patrol
early_on the morning of the 2d inst. to Mr. Dell's farm on
the Kasouga, where I found Several families collected in a
great: state of anxiety—the -Kaffirs having carried off all
their cattle, amounting to about 2,000 head, and the people
exhausted from fatigue with watching. Learning that the
people at Theopolis were in great distress from want of
ammunition, I communicated with that station from Mr.
Dell's ; in a short time Mr. Taylor, the minister, came over
to me and acquainted me that his station had been
attacked several nights successively, that his people were
entirely without ammunition, and quite exhausted ;
that unless I could assist them that night they were
without hope, and that there were 500 persons who
must fall a sacrifice to the Kaffirs, who had stated they
would attack them again that night. I detached a sergeant
and 12 men of C.M.R. with Mr. Taylor, and I supplied him
with 100 rounds of ammunition as an immediate help. I
also left at Mr. Dell's a party of 12 burghers, as a reinforce-
ment
for the night. Having thus afforded some relief to that
suffering people I returned home, and at nightfall I sent
another detachment of 20 more C.M.R. to Theopolis, under
Eneign Harvey, with a further supply of ammunition, andl
thus secured these people for the night. At daybreak yester-
day morning I was fortunate enough to fall in with a large
body of Kaffirs, who appeared to have established themselves
in the Kowie Bush, and attacked them with the troops and
punished them severely, which I hope will keep them quiet
for a day or two. I then proceeded to Theopolis, and having
communicated with that station, I arranged with the mis-
sionary to bring them all up here this day. I hope to forward
their tamilies to Graham's Town at an early hour to-morrow
morning, together with some other families, who are here in
a state of destitution ; the whole of their property, houses, and
all they possess, having been set on fire by the Kaffirs as
soon as they saw the troops advancing. These latter Ibe
to recommentlto the Government to be put on rations, anrll
to have sorrfOodgings allotted to them.
The troops under my command having been detached by
the Lieutenant-Governor for the protection of this part of the
country, have been, under Providence, the means of savin
the valuable lives of several helpless families ; had they ar-
riTed forty-eight hours later all must have fallen a sacrifice toi
these ruthless savages, who were only waiting to complets
their work of destruction (by murdering the helpless families'
and children) to occupy and establish themselves in their,
houses; find having been defeated in this by the opportune]
arrival of the troops, they set fire to the buildings, haystacks'
and all their property. From Mr. M'Luckie's about 1,80
head of cattle have been carried off, from Mr. Dell's abou
2,000, from Theopolis about 1,200, besides the total destruct
tion of almost all their hay crops.
It now only remains for nie to express my admiration
the gallant stand that has been made by the inhabitant
here for- the, protection of their families, although stir-
, rounded by hundreds of the savage enemy ; they have stood
'forward like-'men. And although seeing their prapertyt
destroyed, their homesteads in flames, and their all at the
;mercy of these barbarians, have never flinched, but have
(even with a cheerful countenance) supported their charac.:
ter as men and Britons in defence of all most dear to them,
and if they had not done so, the assistance the troops hav4
been able to afford would have come too late.
I am also much indebted to Messrs. Fuller and Ferreira, of
Qrahara's Town, fiur their assistance in patrolling and hi
escorting the missionaries and their families. There is yet
much to be done; several more families on the right bank of
the Kowie yet require protection, hundreds of Kaffirs being
in the.Kowie bush for a distance of 20 miles. But I cannot
hold oat any immediate hope that I can cross over into the
-Bathe at District, either to afford protection or to intercept 1
ttcoattle that the Kaffirs are driving into ICaffirland. Prot
bably the-Lieut.-Governor will see fit to detach the cavalry
*om .Vort Peditie to that district.
I request that you will communicate the contents of this
dispatch to his Herm,
the Lieutenant-Govemor, as I am so
pressed for time that I eattuot forward a dispatch to him.—
I am, ke.,
H. SOMERSET, Comm. Field Force.
The Civil Commissioner of Albany, &c., Graham's Town..

(From the Graham's Town Journal, May 9.)
The following particulars of a spirited affair are given in a
letter before use dated—
" Itnuckie's, flay 6.
" On the morning of the sth inst., Colonel Somerset, with
* detachment of his force of 60 men and a field piece, moved
from his position at M‘Luc.kiA's to the mouth of the Kowie
distant about twelve miles, for the purpose of ascertaining the
condition of the petit held by Mr. W. Cock. and if necessary
of rendering him assistance. On nearing the point on which
they were marching the detachment observed a large drove
of cattle in the poseeseion of a considerable body of the
enemy, but who were so near the edge of the Kowie buil);
that- although a dash waa instantly made at them, only
about.l2o bead were recaptured, the Kaffirs taking shelter
in the bush, with the loss of two men and many wounded:
Colonel Somerset, on reaching Mr. Cock's dwelling-house,
situated on a commanding height overlooking the mouth of
the Itree,dearned that about an hour before his arrival the
Kaffirs in- force—the number being estimated at from 4 to
SOO—rushed down upon the cattle as they were being driven
to water, drove in the CA ttle guard, and captured the whole ,
herd. This body of Kaffirs were mostly armed with fire-
locks, and kept up an incessant fire, which was
_spiritedly
returned by the little garrison with a loss to the Kaffirs of
several killed and wounded,--a small cannon at the building
being well served and doing good execution. It was here '
ascertained that almost the entire country on the left bank
of the Kowie had been laid waste and burnt,
the cattle carried off, poultry, destroyed, and pigs
burnt alive in their styes. The Kaffirs fought with great
determination, and must. have suffered a great loss in killed
and wounded; eleven or twelve brJdie3 were seen, but many
more are supposed to have fallen. The following Morning
while operating upon the kloofs h this locality, a. heavy
tiring was heard at the camp at ItPLuckie'A, and the
detachtneet instantly where
galloped to that point, it was
found that the enemy, taking advantage of their absence, 1141
attacked the post with great spirit, but were met with uri-
, daunted gallantry by Ensigns Harvey and Carey, the officets
• in charge. The troops had repulsed the enemy at every
point, and had driven a strong body of them into a kloof in
which they were hemmed in. On being joined by the di -
• tachment it was immediately resolved to -follow them in o
their stronghold. Accordingly dismounting, the trop ,
consisting of the Cape Mounted Rifles, and a few of the 71h
Dracoon Guards, under Captain Hogg, entered the bush,
iind.e.ewllich a murderous conflict was for some time maii-
*X the rival combatants being so close that in several
thopowiler of the Kaffir f guns burnt the hands and of men. Lieutenant Bisset had his hand slightly
jretlja
iy "'eseorched in this way, but we are happy to say sustained no
i otlutrinjury. The Kaffirs are said to have fought with the
greate.it desperation, and it was not. until the field-plec9wits
. ' got to play upon this position, that the enemy was completely
1.." ` routed: The Kafirs are known to have lost in
• thetas affairs a great many of their number, 25 being
..ts Algid dead, and Many wounded being dragged off the
v • . Illeill into the buile-by their comrades, it appearing to be the '
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