AngloBoerWar.com APPENDIX II. NOTES ON THE ARMY REMOUNT DEPARTMENT. 6sa THE WAR IN SOUTH AFRICA.

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1 6sa THE WAR IN SOUTH AFRICA. APPENDIX II. NOTES ON THE ARMY REMOUNT DEPARTMENT. It has been remarked that in the Crimean war the wastage of horseflesh amounted to some forty per cent, annually less than in the South African war. Whilst the comparison is scarcely fair inasmuch as the first named campaign was largely a war of infantry, and infantry engaged in the least mobile of operations, the prosecution of a siege nevertheless, the South African statistics show heavy figures. Of the numbers of horses and mules upon the ration list, ten per cent, were usually sick, and some thousand animals were, as a rule, each week destroyed as incurable ; these irrespective of the numbers killed in action or dead of disease. The extent of the demands for horses and mules made upon the Remount Department, and the manner in which they were met, may be judged from the following table showing the numbers of remounts supplied to the Army in Africa up to the end of January, 1902 : Quarter ending. Demanded Supplied. Horses. Mules. Horses. Mules. 31st December, ,900 5,901 18,095 31st March, , th June, , ,749 30th September, ,530 6, st December, ,072 5,000 10,090 6,055 31st March, ,394 6,000 25, th June, ,716 7,000 23, th September, i.7i<^ 6,000 30,855 7,500 31st December, ,816 6,000 40, and for 31st January, ,000 13,056 3, ,248 89, ,

2 APPENDIX II. 651 System of Purchase at Home. The purchase of horses at home was carried out as in peace time, except that the enormous requirements necessitated the employment of additional purchasing officers. Attempts were made to buy from horse owners, at fairs, and by advertisement, but the results were not commensurate with the cost involved. The horse registration system was also brought into of)eration. As a means of supplying horses to meet artillery requirements this reserve proved a success ; the class of horse registered by the omnibus companies and large owners of van transport was suitable ; but as regards the lighter class of horse required for riding, the results were not so successful. Of the 14,105 horses on the registered reserve list, 3,682 were taken in 1899, and 1,679 i" It was then found that horses could be bought cheaper in the open market, and the number thus obtained (amounting at the end of 1901 to 73,000), was greatly in excess of the expectations founded on previous experience. The increase in the number of horses available in the open market was attributed both to the improved means of transport by railway and sea, bringing the breeding grounds nearer to the sale-yards, and also to the advancing substitution of mechanical for horse traction. It is to be observed that whereas the estimated cost in October, 1899, for horses purchased in the United Kingdom was 55 a head, the actual cost proved little over 43. The total number bought in three years, 1899 to 1901 inclusive, was 60,980 horses and 12,083 cobs, costing 3^2,711,279 and ;f35i,732 respectively. Of these, 5,361 horses from the horse reserve were purchased in 1899 and 1900, costing 3^300,860, i.e., an average of a little over 56 each ; and the remaining 55,619 horses purchased in 1899, 1900, and 1901 cost an average of,^43 6s. each. The cobs purchased during the same years cost an average of,^29 each. System of Purchase Abroad. (i.) Of Mules. The consular reports from mule -producing countries giving full information with regard to animals in those countries having been examined by the purchasing officers on September 23rd, 1899, an order was given to begin buying mules in Spain, Italy and at

3 652 THE WAR IN SOUTH AFRICA. New Orleans. Purchases of mules were thereupon effected at the following approximate prices, and in numbers as given below : Approximate price Approximate total at port of embarkation, numbers of mules bought. Spain I20 18,500 Italy ;^20 to I22 8,000 United States ; i2 to lit, (ii.) Of Horses. Argentina. Anent the foreign horse-markets little information was recorded in the Inspector-Greneral's office, except with reference to Argentina. When it had become clear that more horses would be required than the home market could supply, the Inspector-General of Remounts, encouraged by the favoiu"able reports received in 1897 from South Africa upon 2,000 Argentine horses which had then been sent thither, first turned to Argentina, whence at a price of some 8 per head (delivered at the port of embarkation) some 26,000 horses and cobs Australia. were ultimately obtained. Soon after, recourse was also had to United Stales. Canada. Austria gary. Australia, where suitable animals were purchased " f.o.b."* at a price of from 10 to ;fi2 for cobs, and ^^14 for horses. Some numbers were also purchased in Australia " c.i.f."t Under the latter terms the losses occurring on the voyage fell upon the seller, and the horses safely delivered in South Africa cost the Government from ^1 to ;f33 each. From Australia a total of some 25,000 horses and cobs was eventually obtained. Early in 1900 the mule-purchasing commission of officers in the United States were ordered to buy horses also, and here, at prices ranging from 17 to 2$ on delivery, some 97,000 horses in all were purchased. Simultaneously some 14,000 horses and cobs were purchased in Canada, at prices ranging from 2$ to 30 as delivered on the wharves at Montreal. Hun- In order that the horse-markets of Australia, Argentina and America should be left to the Inspector-General of Remounts, the Yeomanry Committee, charged with the duty of mounting the Imperial Yeomanry, drew upon Austria-Hungary for its requirements. Some * Free-on-board. I Cost, insurance, freight voyage, and freight. i.e., cost of the article, its insurance while on the

4 APPENDIX II. 653 three months later the task of finding horses for the Imperial Yeomanry devolved upon the Inspector-General of Remounts, but the same system was continued. Here the prices varied from ^s for artillery to 30 for cavalry horses, and ^^20 for Croatian cobs. These were later supplemented by large shipments of Russian cobs purchased in Hungary. In all some 45,000 of these horses and cobs were bought " f.o.b." at Fiume. The experience of the war led the Assistant -Inspector of Remounts to record his opinion that the horses, cobs and mules from the various countries ranked in the following order of this particular campaign. merit for the purposes of

5 654 THE WAR IN SOUTH AFRICA the difficulty in obtaining qualified veterinary surgeons was simply the excess of demand over supply. Those in military employment in April, 1902, amounted to ten per cent, of the whole profession in the United Kingdom. Transport of Remounts by Sea. In time of peace the transport by sea of horses and mules is a service rarely required ; in war this duty is performed by the Transport Department of the Admiralty. In the case of mounted troops, provision has to be made for carrying in the same ship, not only horses, but also men, saddlery, and equipment. Ships employed on this duty are taken up on time charter, and are specially fitted for the service, according to plans prepared beforehand by the Admiralty in commimication with the War Office. The already large export trade of horses and cattle from Argentina was carried on under a well-established system which was adopted for the despatch of remount animals from that country to South Africa. The shipowners fitted the ship according to specification, and undertook to provide forage and attendants for the voyage, the service being paid for by a capitation rate for the number of animals embarked. The ships chartered by the Admiralty for the transport of mules from foreign ports to South Africa were engaged on similar terms. The ships chartered to take remount horses from England were all engaged on the same conditions, viz., a capitation rate which covered all expenses of the voyage. The amounts paid for capitation rates varied greatly, being governed by the differing conditions of the length and nature of the voyage, and the general cost of freight which obtained at different times. The rate was at first calculated on the number of animcjs embarked ; but after a short experience it was deemed advisable to divide the capitation rate into two parts, one being paid for each animal embarked, and the other, by way of bonus, for each animal landed. It thus became the interest of the shipowner that the animals should be carried safely to destination. their Each ship called at Cape Town for orders, and might be required to proceed thence to any other port in South Africa for disembarkation, without extra charge. In the charter of every ship a condition was made that accommodation should be provided for a conducting officer and a veterinary surgeon ; it was soon proved that the condition in which animals

6 APPENDIX II. 655 landed in South Africa largely depended upon the efficiency of these officers. Cases occurred in which ships put to sea short of the proper Att ndams. proportion of attendants, and the animals suffered accordingly. The proportion laid down was that of one man to twenty mules, and one man to fifteen horses ; this, in the opinion of the Quarter-Master- General, was sufficient, provided the conducting officer and the veteriuciry officer did their duty. But neither conducting officer nor veterinary officer was always available, and the master of the ship could not invariably concern himself with the way in which the attendants carried out their duties. The provision of a sufficient number of competent attendants to take charge of horses and mules on board ship was, in fact, a matter of much difficulty, both in British and in other ports. The attendants were drawn from all classes, and, being engaged and paid by the owners, it was difficult to keep them under discipline, and they frequently deserted the ship as soon as it arrived in port. In several cases it was reported that ships were overcrowded, owing to the desire of the owner to carry as much freight as possible. It was usually a condition of the charter that five per cent, of the stalls should be vacant, so as to allow of horses being shifted in case of necessity, and also to get at the stalls and horses for cleaning purposes. In the Tables of This condition was not always observed. Remount Depots in South Africa. War Establishments, which had been prepared at the War Office, provision was made for (i.) a base dep6t for 1,000 horses, personnel of seven officers and 274 N.C.O.'s and men ; and (ii.) an advanced remount dep)6t for 300 horses, personnel of three officers and fifty-six N.C.O.'s and men. These dep6ts were to form part of the line -of-communication troops and in accordance with the regulations were to be under the Director of Transport. It was intended that Army Service Corps companies should form the nucleus of all remount depdts, their personnel being expanded by transport conductors and natives; Before the war, remount dep6ts had been established at Stellenbosch, in Cape Colony, and at Nottingham Road (Natal), the personnel of which was furnished from the troops serving in the command, aided by native establishments. When war appeared imminent, a number of Army Service Corps companies were sent out

7 656 THE WAR IN SOUTH AFRICA. for the lines of communication. Five of these were allotted to remount work, depdts being formed at De Aar, Naauwpoort, Queenstown, Port Elizabeth, in addition to that at Stellenbosch. On the arrival of Lord Roberts in January, 1900, the needs of the transport service necessitated the withdrawal of the whole of the Army Service Corps personnel, European and native, from remount work. A new staff had then to be improvised, with civilian and native labour, aided by Indian N.C.O.'s and syces, who were arriving with horses from India. About the end of March, 1900, seven base remount dep6ts arrived from England. Of these, two only brought men ; the other five, of which two were sent to Natal, were cadres comprising officers and N.C.O.'s only. During the next three months, the soldiers belonging to the two complete depdts were withdrawn to join the ranks of the Field Army. In July, 1900, the personnel of the base and advanced depdts, nine in number (excluding Natal), consisted of 4,425 of all ranks, which included 2,303 Cape boys and Kaffirs, 1,475 Indians and only 337 British N.C.O.'s and men. The whole of these were under the charge of Lieut. -Colonel W. H. Birkbeck, Assistant -Inspector of Remounts. Subsequent additions made to the remount dep6ts in South Africa brought the total on March ist, 1902, to twenty-four remount dep6ts, ten of which were composed entirely of civilians and natives. Table Showing Number of Horses Shipped, Country of Embarkation, and Percentage of Loss Incurred on the Voyage, from September ist, 1899, to December 3ist, Horses (Remounts only). Shipped. Loss. Percentage of Loss United Kingdom. 2,308 16,871 26, s Totals 46,038 2,

8 APPENDIX II. 6S7 Horses (Remounts only) {continued).

9 658 THE WAR IN SOUTH AFRICA. Table Showing Number of Mules Shipped, Country of Embarkation, and Percentage of Loss Incurred on the Voyage, from September 23RD, 1899, to December 31ST, Mules (Remounts only). Shipped. Loss. Percentage of Loss. " J)01 Spain , Totals Italy. 5.10a 28 O.S4 India.» United States Totals 67, II Tsr 2.68 Grand Totals SS