Forging a Nation
Chapter 1
First Matters
1820, Great Britain rule the Cape Colony. French, Dutch, and German Settlers are not happy. Neighbouring African States pose a threat. Griqua and Khoi raiders to the North destroy Frontier farms. A single English Captain looks to forge a nation out of this colony. The Cape Colony.
The journey was hard. Rough seas and storms. Woman and Children make it. And still the chance of being attacked by the French or Pirates. And the possible mutiny by the hands of upset sailors. The hard salty wind blew on his face, broad and stern, as he moved on to the deck.
He glanced around, examining the ship, sails, sailors. His red English uniform grew damp by the cold droplets riding the wind. He removed his hat, to prevent it from blowing away.
"Major Harvey" the rough salty voice called "A pleasure to see you on deck, eh"
He turned to see the brown black uniformed ship captain, with his signature tri-cone hat.
"Ah, Captain School. How much longer till we reach the Colony" He said, turning to face him
"By tonight I'd reckon" He said "Not much further, as long as we have some good wind" moving towards him
"Excellent, any trouble in sight?"
"No, not for a while. You should relax Ethan, we almost there, maybe you'd make something outta the Cape"
"I only have one job, put down those African heathens" He said, turning to face the bow
The ship travelled the rough seas of the Atlantic. They pulled themselves forward, over the waves near Namibia. Ethan lye still in his bed, not moving, but his eyes rolled in its sockets, creating imprints on his eyelids.
"Major…Major…Major Harvey wake up" His voice low and soft
"I am awake Thomas. What is the problem" Dry and Tired
"We about to dock, sir"
"Good. Ready the men, and my uniform" His body still underneath the blanket, not making any movements
The ship slowly sailed into the harbour, gentle and calm. Nearly no movement. Nothing but silence in the inky black darkness. The soldiers, in their red uniforms, stood waiting on the deck when he walked up.
In his red officer clothing, he walked amongst the three lines of soldiers. Bright red. Swords at in their scabbards. Firearms in their holsters. Gold helmets perfectly on their heads. Faces drunk with sleep. Bodies upright at attention. The 18th Dragoon Regiment. The Queens Own.
It's been a long time since the regiment wore their uniform. Not since their training in London, have they stood at attention for inspection. Young men, fresh from the Academy, not ready for war.
After a while, their formation broke, scattering into the ship. Gathering their things. The ship halted next to a dock, rolled up its sails, hiding away that red lion. A ramp shot onto the dock, they led their horses onto the dock, a long time since they touched land.
They rode quietly through the cobblestone streets, dimly lit by the occasional light post. They sound of hooves very feint in the darkness, only beaten by the sound of the rare stumbling drunk.
The forts drawbridge lowered, and the metal gate raised. They poured into the fort, lining up into formation within the courtyard. A man, a green coat and tri-cone hat walked up to the soldiers.
"Is this my army?" He asked, calmly
"This is the 18th Regiment of Dragoons, sir" Ethan replied
"They promised an army! And I get some forty men. Those blacks will kill us all for sure now" He responded, drawing his hands over mouth
After a pause, Ethan replied
"Sir, I am Major Ethan Harvey. I assure you, we are the finest English men here. We will take over the Xhosa kingdom, they are no match for our steel" Calmly, in the cold of Cape Town's wind
"You better. I am Sir Charles Somerset, Governor of the Cape Colony" He collected himself, then waved to the building from whence he came
A young large black man came running. Sprinting almost. He whispered to him and then walked away.
"I'll show you to your quarters, baas" He led them to stables, then their quarters
A building, against the fort wall, red brick walls, their new home, their barracks. Inside, many rooms, some for sleeping, a long dining room, a lounge with a wall-sized bookcase, an armoury stocked with guns and swords, a massive kitchen, and a private room for Ethan.
They slept soundly in their beds.
The following day
"We have reports of Xhosa raids near a Boer farm just behind the mountain. We have to keep them here in the Cape. Your men are to investigate" Charles said, leaning over a desk with his hands pressed against it
"Very well, we will leave immediately" Ethan promptly responded
"Not you, your lieutenant will take charge. You are coming with me, we have an army to raise"
"But sir…" His voice grew high in pitch
"Lieutenant Napier, you better leave while it is still early" His voice calm, but commanding, enough to put the two officers down
The regiment rode off, leaving their young commander watching from the fort walls. Charles, in a blue jacket and grey trousers attached to a sword with a black top-hat, mounted his horse ahead of Ethan.
"Saddle up Major, the settlers are waiting!" He yelled
They rode down a street, pausing in front of a tavern. Although still early, there was many who still lingered in a good Cape Town saloon. They sat down near the back of the tavern.
Ethan swapped his officer uniform for a red waistcoat and white shirt topped with a tri-cone. He kept his sword and pistol on him, gripping them tightly.
"ALL MEN LOOKING TO ENLIST IN SERVICE FOR KING GEORGE, JOIN HERE" He announced loudly
A few men began to line up behind the table. The queue ran out slowly, with names being written down on a list in black ink. A man, face shadowed by a wide brimmed hat, in a red shirt and black vest sat in the corner, black shoes on a table, he shot a few glances at them. Ethan raised himself, walked calmly over to him.
"You look like a strong man, why do you not enlist" He asked
"I'm a bounty hunter, no soldier" his accent English, of low class, and rugged
"Ah, a bounty hunter, we could use you"
"I aint no soldier"
"But you are a knife wielder, no?" He glanced at his bowie knife, in scabbard
"Listen, we have money, enough to hire you and your skills" He continued
"Five hundred, a month, excluding food and lodge, and an officer post in your army" His voice suddenly excited
"Alright, deal. Mr…"
"Scotty Denman" He raised himself to shake hands
"Major! Let's go" Charles's voice ordered
"Come along Mr Denman"
"Alright, after you Major"
The three mounted their horses. They rode out of Town, on a straight dirt road into the veld. After Travelling for some time, they reached a small town, just houses and a church, of course accompanied by massive farmland.
The residents came out, in mass.
"ALL THOSE WHO WISH TO ENLIST IN KING GEORGES…" He tried announce but the populace put him down, screaming and yelling at him and King George to get out of the Cape.
"You aren't going to recruit these people. These Boer people don't like us English people" Scotty
"People, we are raising an army to fight off these blacks on our borders. They take our cattle, burn our land" Charles proclaimed, with sincerity "We must defend ourselves, we must band together. We need to defend our land. Enlist, fight for your family, your children and wives" He ended his speech.
A queue was created, long, more names written in the book. Large, strong men joined the army. Once the town was sucked dry, they moved to the next, recruiting more men, then to the next, then the next, until they recruited around three hundred men. A spectacle for Ethan.
The three returned to the fort, where the Dragoons had already returned.
"How was your mission, Thomas" Ethan inquired
"It was ok, Major. The men hate this land. At least there were no Xhosa in the area, just crying wolf" Thomas answered
"Well, now we raised an army, some three hundred men, and strong men too. These Boer men are strong, might compete with the Grenadiers back home"
"I noticed that, they didn't quite enjoy our presence"
"Agreed, well get some rest, tomorrow we will be training this new army"
"Yes, sir"
The next day
They stood bunched up, grey and brown uniforms, many in hats, few were armed. The Dragoons stood lined up in front, facing them.
"Men, you are here to defend your lives. United we stand against the Natives. I am Governor Charles Somerset. This is Colonel Ethan Harvey" He said pointing at the newly promoted and surprised Ethan "This is Captain Denman" He pointed to Scotty "We are your Commanding Officers. A few of you will be promoted. You will be paid and fed. You will wear British uniforms. You will use British weapons. And above else you will conquer the enemy" The crowd grew rowdy
"We won't wear your English uniforms!" His voice deep and rough
"Then your wives will make your own uniforms with your own money!" Scotty yelled
They quieted down.
"Good, now organise yourselves into companies of fifty men, with a five men staff for each"
In a slow and confusing manner, they organised themselves. Five separate companies, a few men arguing for leadership positions. But through a quick selection by Scotty, the argument was put to rest. They lined up in front of desks, manned by Dragoons.
The remaining Dragoons handed out uniforms to those who had their names taken down. A quick process. Mostly due to the speed of the gentleman cavalry.
The respective Companies donned their uniforms. Nothing flashy, just a standard Red coat, a white bandoleer, a felt tri-cone hat, and whatever trousers they wore. Then, came the guns. The Baker-field rifles were brought out, given to the 1st Company, then the Brown-Bess musket to the rest.
The Dragoons stood, fancily dressed, looking at the new Cape Colonial Army. They compared their uniform to that of the Infantry. Pointing and laughing. A soldier came up to them, an angry stare in his eye.
"Julle Engels mense dink julle is groot!" [You English think you are big] A hard rough voice
The Dragoons stood confused in by their unknown insult.
"But if you don't like it, then leave!" Scotty yelled
The new army lined themselves up, moving along in their new companies, for training. A few straw targets were set up against the wall for the 1st Company to practice on. They tried to fire in volley, but failed according to their Captain, Scotty.
They spent the rest of the day training and practicing drills and learning. They did the same the next. The soldiers spent their nights in the barracks, but only in shifts, a few hours on watch, a few hour sleep.
They spent their days training, those who didn't, patrolled the streets of Cape Town, waiting for the day when they could be deployed, yearning to fight, to see their skills in combat.
A few weeks in the fort, a fifty men on horseback rode in. Clad in brown and grey clothing, no uniformity, all carrying guns, some with swords. More recruits, Commandos. Raiders of the frontier lands. A dangerous bunch. They brought with some black men, also riding, but without weapons.
"The Khoi to the North are apparently living on our land. Our pasture land" Charles as calm and cool as ever, addressing the Cape Colonial Army command
"So we are going to be deployed?" Captain Denman's voice low
"Yes, but not all. Someone has to keep the town under watch. The first battalion will be heading out. Colonel Harvey, take the cavalry to the Eastern border, scout out the land. And find someone to lead second battalion" His voice commanding
The hunched over captains and commanders, bent over their rifles, straightened out before leaving. Ethan, red officer uniform and Colonel Oosthuizen, brown Commando outfit with his wide-brim attached only at one side, rode off into the town, pausing at a law firm.
"We might find a old friend of mine, a good soldier turned lawyer" Oosthuizen's voice deep like the many other Afrikaner men.
They walked up creaky oak stairs, pushing open a varnished door. A blue coated man, buried deep in a book, stood near a window, through which came that bright yellow light.
"Ah, monsieur Oosthuizen. A pleasure to see you again. What do you require" His French Accent loud in the office
"A favour, we need your help for our new army"
"No, no. You know I am done with that past"
"I can assure you sir, we are a gentleman army. We pay well. And are well disciplined" Ethan interjected
"You English pigs have no right to talk in Cape Town" He words dropped Ethan's outstretched hands
"We offer an officer position, Colonel Position. And the men aren't English" Oosthuizen drew his attention away
"Well, what is your pay?"
"Six hundred pounds, and food and lodge" Oosthuizen continued
He took a pause, buried his head back in the book.
"Ok, but I keep my French Uniform"
"Excellent, I'll inform your battalion" They concluded the meeting.
The days passed by, quickly without warning. Days turned to weeks. Still no action. Days under the hot sun of the Cape Colony.