The Sun.
London, England, 1851-09-17 00:00:00

THE KAFIR WAR.

Last night's London Gazette contains the follow-
ing dispatch from Lieutenant-General Sir Henry G.
W. Smith, Bart., Governor of the Cape of Good
Hope:—

" King William's Town, July 3, 1351.
"My Lord,—The general and combined move-
ment into the Amatola mountains, which I have long
had in contemplation, has been effected with the
success I anticipated, and which I have now the ho-
nour to lay before your Lordship.
"I directed the first division, under Mejor-General
Somerset, the second division, under Colonel Mac-
kinnon, and a force of 500 men from Whittlesea, under
Captain Tylden, so to post themselves that these
mountain ranges might be penetrated by four dis-
tinct columns converging to a centre, and which was
carried out much to my satisfaction, the operations
commencing on the 26th, and continuing until the
30th ult. The combinations were skilfully effected ;
each column was at its post as directed; mutual
support was thus given, and signal success was in
consequence the result. I enclose the reports of
Major-General Somerset and of Colonel Mackinnon,
who was unfortunately indisposed after the first day's
operations, and his valuable services thus lost. This able
officer, however, communicated his instructions to
Lieut.-Colonel Michel, upon whom the command de-
volved, and whose judgment and energy became con-
spicuous. His report, with those of Lieut.-Colonels
Eyre and Cooper, is annexed, together with the general
order and Government notice which I issued on the
achievement of this important success. They so fully
demonstrate the peculiar difficulties and arduous cha-
racter of this mountain service, that I beg to draw
your Lordship's attention to its perusal; and I, at the
same time, desire to attract your notice to the marked
eulogium passed upon Ensign Robertson, of the Cape
Mounted Rifles, captain in command of a detachment
of Armstrong's Horse. The success of every patrol
invariably involves the gallant conduct of this young
and most intrepid officer, in whose rising judgment I
place every confidence.
" Major-General Somerset speaks in the highest
terms of Lieutenant-Colonel Fordyce and the 74th
Regiment, recently arrived from England, upon
whom the brunt of these operations fell in the fiat
division; and I also desire to draw your Lor3ehip's
attention to the ability displayed in commend by
Lieutenant-Colonel Michel, of the 6th Royal Regi-
ment; to the usual conspicuous gallantry of Lieute-
nant-Colonel Eyre and the 731; and to the conduct of
the Royal Marines of her Majesty's ship Castor,
under their officer Lieutenant Harris, and attached to
the 73d, which equally merits my commendation,
Cooper, 45th Regiment, com-
manded,with much ability the column of troops from
Fort Cox.
" 1,500 head of cattle, 42 horses, and nearly 1,000
goats were captured by the second division, 350 head
of cattle by the first division, and 300 by the force
under Captain Tylden, while large stores of corn were
destroyed, as well as numerous recently-constructed
huts. To be compelled thus barbarously to prosecute
war, ever cruel in even its most mitigated form, is re-
volting to the Christian mind. Bat no other course is
open. The feeling with which the European regards
his country and his home is, in the case of the Kafir
centered in his herds and flocks, for which he will fight
to the last, and the only means of opening a prospect
of bringing to a close this harassing and distressing
war is to wrest his much-prized cattle from him in
the heart of his fastnesses and almost impenetrable
forests, into which he drives them for concealment
and security. In the midst of these scenes of deso-
lation I am consoled by the fact that the people are
aware that the war was commenced by their chief
Sandilli ; that every prisonar is set at liberty, and
told that peace and the former harmony which pre-
vailed are our only objects after the due punishment
of the war party and their rebellious chi4fs ; and more
than all, by the gratifying reflection that our troops
can be charged with no act of wanton cruelty. Not
one instance has been brought to my notice of any
outrage having been perpetrated by the ever-humane
British soldier, or even by the excited Hottentot or
exasperated Fingoe ; and this is the more commend-
able when it is borne in mind that the atrocities com-
mitted by the Kafiri at the commencement of the
war are fresh in the recollection of our soldiery.
Avoiding on their own part all wanton excess, they
at the same time cannot forget the cold-blooded
murder of our military villagers, perpetrated under
the guise of friendship, or the massacre on the Debe
Flats of the 17 soldiers of the 45th Regiment, who
had given no provocation, and with whom their mur.
derers had for three years been on terms of the mos
friendly intercourse.

" The success in the Amatolas which I have now
reported has, however, bad no perceptible effect as
regards the termination of hostilities. The people
indeed declare, as I learn from information which
reaches me from various sources, that they are tired
of the struggle, and that our patrols keep them in a
state of constant alarm ; while the chief Sandilli
as-
serts and gives out that an agent has gone, on :his
account, to England, who will procure the restora-
tion of the land which he forfeited in the previous
war;' such forfeiture having been the condition on
which he obtained his own liberty and that of his
Great Men,' who were in confinement with him
when I assumed the administration of this Govern-
ment, and on which peace and tranquillity were given
to his people. In proof that an assertion of this kind
has been made by Sandilli, I annex the copy of a de.
position formally made by the chief Toise before the
T'Slambie commissioner, the purport of which is cor-
roborated by various spies in my employ.
" My next patrol will be directed against the chiefs
Stock and Tola, and the renegade rebel Hottentots,
who have located themselves in the Fish River Bush,
to intercept my communications with Graham's. town,
and to spoil the cattle of the Fingoes around Fort
Peddie. I have, &?.., _

" H. G. SMITH.

"The Right Hon. Earl Grey.
" P.S. Since this dispatch was closed I have re-
ceived a report from Major-General Somenet, the.t he
had continued for some days his operations on the
north aide of the Amatolas,—another proof of the as
tivity and energy of this experienced officer. I en.
close his report in the shape in which I have given it
publicity in a general order.

" G. H. SMITH."

[Major-General Somerset's report referred to in the
above dispatch is dated from the camp on the W-
eans, the 28th of June, 1851, and gives a detailed
account of the operations of her Msjesty's forces.
The following extracts include the most interesting
portions of the Gallant Officer's report, which is ad-
dressed to Lieut.-Colonel Cioete, Deputy Quarter-
master General:—]
"I have the honour to acquaint you, for the infor-
mation of his Excellency the Commander-in• Chief,
that, agreeably to the instructions contained in the
Commander-in-Chief's memorandum of the 14th inst.,
I moved from this camp with the troops under my
orders before daylight on the 2fith inst.
" At dawn I ascended the western range of the
Amatola heights in two columns, and having eat,.
blished the troops on the ridge, I halted preparatory
to attacking the position of the enemy in Coe forest on
the northern range of the Amato]; previous to which
I proceeded with a detachment of the Cape Mounted
Rifles to reconnoitre the position of the enemy along
the slope of the Victoria heights. On reaching the
southern point of the range the enemy opened a brisk
fire on my party, which was returned by the Cape
Mounted Rifles, and was sustained by both sides until
the column of Coe Levies, consisting, of the George,
Graaff-Reinet, and Fort Beaufort Pingota, whom I
had detached to the right under Captain Heathcote,
had been brought up; these I immediately moved
forward, supported by two companies of the 91st Re-
giment, under Major Forbes, the whole commanded
by Lieut.-Colonel Sutton, and the enemy was driven
from his position into the valley below.
" While these operations were going forward, I re-
turned to my left, and moved the 74th Regiment,
Cape Mounted Rifles, European Levy, Kat River
Levy, and Alice and Port Elizabeth Fingoe Corps,
down the valley into the Amatola basin. Perceiving
the enemy's farce of Kaflrs and re-b. Hottentots
strongly posted along the lower riJges under the
northern range of the Amatola, and collected
.in a
strong body on the extreme point of the ridge, partly
concealed and covered by the high rocks and stene9,
I directed Lieut.-Colonel Fordyce to move his retti-
meat on to the attack, this movement being flanked
by by the Alice and Port Dizabeth Fingoes, under
Captaina Cumber and Ayliff.
" The enemy commenced a brisk fire on the ad-
vancing troops teed Fingoes, both from the forest and
the ridge—the 74th Highlanders steadily moving for-
ward and deploying into line under fire, extended and
opened its fire on the enemy, who still kept up a gal-
ling fire on the troop', and continued it until the
position was most gallantly carried, and the regiment
placed in ptatition on the ridge—not, however, I re-
gret to say, without some losi oa our side, three men
of the 74th Ilighlenders being killed, and one office:
and nine men wounded.
" The force under Lieutenant-Colonel Sutton had
in the meantime driven the enemy from his position
on the lower range into the 'valley, and up the ridge
of the Victoria heights, but with the loss of three
men killed of the George Levy, and five Fingoes
severely wounded, two of them :since dead.
" The Fort Beaufort Fingoes having again rejoined
me, I moved the Ket. River Levy, European Levy,
and Fort .B!aufort, Fingoes no the ridges of the
northern range of the Amatola, proceeding also to that
point myself with the Cape Mounted Rifles end
Mounted George Levy, at which point I met the 74th
Regiment, where Lieutenant Colonel Fordyce had
again been strongly attacked by the enemy from a
strip of forest buth which int.,-rsected the ridges at
aad where tNO cf his gallant soldiers were
killed.