Jameson’s Folly
David Snape, The Rescue They Called a Raid (Helion, 2021)
On the face of it, the Jameson Raid of 1895-1896 seems a rather innocuous affair. Five-hundred men led by a headstrong Scottish surgeon marched into a neighbouring South African territory and were soundly beaten then expelled. But this apparent ripple in the British Imperial pond had great ramifications beyond its local impact. David Snape brings us the full story of the raid, its causes, and aftermath.
Snape begins with the characters involved in the Jameson raid: Cecil Rhodes, Leander Jameson, Paul Kruger, and Joseph Chamberlain. Their intertwining stories and competing ambitions against the backdrop of Victoria’s empire provide the basis of this study. The action centres on the Boer South African Republic (ZAR) under Kruger that became a sensation when gold was discovered and foreigners (Uitlanders), most of them British, poured in. They soon wanted political rights, but Kruger wasn’t having that. Rhodes and Jameson encouraged the Uitlanders to rise up (they didn’t), which would also satisfy their lust to expand the Empire and thwart Kruger’s new German friends in the ZAR. They soon gathered a force to invade the ZAR; all they needed was a match to light the fuse, which soon arrived with the Drift Crisis. Snape assesses the situation on both sides on the eve of the raid, then we are into the action.
Jameson organized his force of around 500 men and was determined to move forward despite Uitlander protestations. The column advanced on 30 December 1895, destination Johannesburg. But Kruger knew Jameson was coming and organised his defences with volunteers, while he hedged his political bets, which Snape goes into in some detail. Jameson, meanwhile, discovered that the British government would not support his attack, but decided it was too late to turn back. As his force approached Krugersdorp, they faced stiff resistance and lost 30 men in a foolhardy frontal attack. The Boers all but chased the Raiders, putting them under constant fire until they ran into a prepared Boer position. Jameson was trapped and forced to surrender. The Boers treated the Raiders well, returning them to face trial by the British.
Snape describes the international repercussions, which were seismic. Jameson and his officers stood trial in London: five received prison sentences, others not tried were forced to resign their commissions. The Reformers in Johannesburg that Jameson thought he was helping were tried too, the four ringleaders receiving lengthy prison sentences. In London and South Africa, the blame-game began, including a committee of inquiry and parliamentary debate. Snape goes into considerable detail on the aftermath and what became of all the major players.
The Rescue They Called a Raid is an absorbing read and another winner in the Helion stable. Snape holds the line effectively between the action and the context without getting too bogged down. He is helped by a cast of characters you couldn’t make up, and Snape sketches them with an eye for the telling detail. Snape also writes well, if a bit scholarly at times, and the story flows easily between combat, courtroom, and committee. The inclusion of contemporary illustrations and photographs adds to the atmosphere. Students of Victoria’s Empire will want to read this, as will anyone interested in 19th Century Imperial adventures.
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