In Leaving The Undefeated Forces Of The
Free State Behind Him, The British General Had Unquestionably Run A
Grave Risk, And Was Well Aware That His Railway Communication Was
In Danger Of Being Cut.
By the rapidity of his movements he
succeeded in gaining the enemy's capital before that which he had
foreseen came to pass; but if Botha had held him at Pretoria while
De Wet struck at him behind, the situation would have been a
serious one.
Having once attained his main object, Roberts could
receive with equanimity the expected news that De Wet with a mobile
force of less than two thousand men had, on June 7th, cut the line
at Roodeval to the north of Kroonstad. Both rail and telegraph were
destroyed, and for a few days the army was isolated. Fortunately
there were enough supplies to go on with, and immediate steps were
taken to drive away the intruder, though, like a mosquito, he was
brushed from one place only to settle upon another.
Leaving others to restore his broken communications, Lord Roberts
turned his attention once more to Botha, who still retained ten or
fifteen thousand men under his command. The President had fled from
Pretoria with a large sum of money, estimated at over two millions
sterling, and was known to be living in a saloon railway carriage,
which had been transformed into a seat of government even more
mobile than that of President Steyn. From Waterval-Boven, a point
beyond Middelburg, he was in a position either to continue his
journey to Delagoa Bay, and so escape out of the country, or to
travel north into that wild Lydenburg country which had always been
proclaimed as the last ditch of the defence. Here he remained with
his gold-bags waiting the turn of events.
Botha and his stalwarts had not gone far from the capital. Fifteen
miles out to the east the railway line runs through a gap in the
hills called Pienaars Poort, and here was such a position as the
Boer loves to hold. It was very strong in front, and it had widely
spread formidable flanking hills to hamper those turning movements
which had so often been fatal to the Boer generals. Behind was the
uncut railway line along which the guns could in case of need be
removed. The whole position was over fifteen miles from wing to
wing, and it was well known to the Boer general that Lord Roberts
had no longer that preponderance of force which would enable him to
execute wide turning movements, as he had done in his advance from
the south. His army had decreased seriously in numbers. The mounted
men, the most essential branch of all, were so ill horsed that
brigades were not larger than regiments. One brigade of infantry
(the 14th) had been left to garrison Johannesburg, and another (the
18th) had been chosen for special duty in Pretoria. Smith-Dorrien's
Brigade had been detached for duty upon the line of communications.
With all these deductions and the wastage caused by wounds and
disease, the force was in no state to assume a vigorous offensive.
So hard pressed were they for men that the three thousand released
prisoners from Waterval were hurriedly armed with Boer weapons and
sent down the line to help to guard the more vital points.
Had Botha withdrawn to a safe distance, Lord Roberts would
certainly have halted, as he had done at Bloemfontein, and waited
for remounts and reinforcements. But the war could not be allowed
to languish when an active enemy lay only fifteen miles off, within
striking distance of two cities and of the line of rail. Taking all
the troops that he could muster, the British General moved out once
more on Monday, June 11th, to drive Botha from his position. He had
with him Pole-Carew's 11th Division, which numbered about six
thousand men with twenty guns, Ian Hamilton's force, which included
one infantry brigade (Bruce Hamilton's), one cavalry brigade, and a
corps of mounted infantry, say, six thousand in all, with thirty
guns. There remained French's Cavalry Division, with Hutton's
Mounted Infantry, which could not have exceeded two thousand sabres
and rifles. The total force was, therefore, not more than sixteen
or seventeen thousand men, with about seventy guns. Their task was
to carry a carefully prepared position held by at least ten
thousand burghers with a strong artillery. Had the Boer of June
been the Boer of December, the odds would have been against the
British.
There had been some negotiations for peace between Lord Roberts and
Botha, but the news of De Wet's success from the south had hardened
the Boer general's heart, and on June 9th the cavalry had their
orders to advance. Hamilton was to work round the left wing of the
Boers, and French round their right, while the infantry came up in
the centre. So wide was the scene of action that the attack and the
resistance in each flank and in the centre constituted, on June
11th, three separate actions. Of these the latter was of least
importance, as it merely entailed the advance of the infantry to a
spot whence they could take advantage of the success of the
flanking forces when they had made their presence felt. The centre
did not on this as on several other occasions in the campaign make
the mistake of advancing before the way had been prepared for it.
French with his attenuated force found so vigorous a resistance on
Monday and Tuesday that he was hard put to it to hold his own.
Fortunately he had with him three excellent Horse Artillery
batteries, G, O, and T, who worked until, at the end of the
engagement, they had only twenty rounds in their limbers. The
country was an impossible one for cavalry, and the troopers fought
dismounted, with intervals of twenty or thirty paces between the
men. Exposed all day to rifle and shell fire, unable to advance and
unwilling to retreat, it was only owing to their open formation
that they escaped with about thirty casualties.
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