More than once I have heard the farmers in
the Free State acknowledge that the ruin which had come upon them
was a just retribution for the excesses of Natal.]
The next British post behind Hildyard's at Estcourt was Barton's
upon the Mooi River, thirty miles to the south. Upon this the Boers
made a half-hearted attempt, but Joubert had begun to realise the
strength of the British reinforcements and the impossibility with
the numbers at his disposal of investing a succession of British
posts. He ordered Botha to withdraw from Mooi River and begin his
northerly trek.
The turning-point of the Boer invasion of Natal was marked, though
we cannot claim that it was caused, by the action of Willow Grange.
This was fought by Hildyard and Walter Kitchener in command of the
Estcourt garrison, against about 2000 of the invaders under Louis
Botha. The troops engaged were the East and West Surreys (four
companies of the latter), the West Yorkshires, the Durban Light
Infantry, No. 7 battery R.F.A., two naval guns, and some hundreds
of Colonial Horse.
The enemy being observed to have a gun upon a hill within striking
distance of Estcourt, this force set out on November 22nd to make a
night attack and to endeavour to capture it. The hill was taken
without difficulty, but it was found that the gun had been removed.
A severe counter-attack was made at daylight by the Boers, and the
troops were compelled with no great loss and less glory to return
to the town. The Surreys and the Yorkshires behaved very well, but
were placed in a difficult position and were badly supported by the
artillery. Martyn's Mounted Infantry covered the retirement with
great gallantry, but the skirmish ended in a British loss of
fourteen killed and fifty wounded or missing, which was certainly
more than that of the Boers. From this indecisive action of Willow
Grange the Boer invasion receded until General Buller, coming to
the front on November 27th, found that the enemy was once more
occupying the line of the Tugela. He himself moved up to Frere,
where he devoted his time and energies to the collection of that
force with which he was destined, after three failures, to make his
way into Ladysmith.
One unexpected and little known result of the Boer expedition into
Southern Natal was that their leader, the chivalrous Joubert,
injured himself through his horse stumbling, and was physically
incapacitated for the remainder of the campaign. He returned almost
immediately to Pretoria, leaving the command of the Tugela in the
hands of Louis Botha.
Leaving Buller to organise his army at Frere, and the Boer
commanders to draw their screen of formidable defences along the
Tugela, we will return once more to the fortunes of the unhappy
town round which the interest of the world, and possibly the
destiny of the Empire, were centering.
