Scouting And Raiding Expeditions,
Chiefly Organised By Captain De Montmorency - Whose Early Death Cut
Short The Career Of One Who Possessed Every Quality Of A Partisan
Leader - Broke The Monotony Of Inaction.
During the week which ended
the year a succession of small skirmishes, of which the town of
Dordrecht was the centre, exercised the troops in irregular
warfare.
On January 3rd the Boer forces advanced and attacked the camp of
the Cape Mounted Police, which was some eight miles in advance of
Gatacre's main position. The movement, however, was a half-hearted
one, and was beaten off with small loss upon their part and less
upon ours. From then onwards no movement of importance took place
in Gatacre's column until the general advance along the whole line
had cleared his difficulties from in front of him.
In the meantime General Buller had also been playing a waiting
game, and, secure in the knowledge that Ladysmith could still hold
out, he had been building up his strength for a second attempt to
relieve the hard-pressed and much-enduring garrison. After the
repulse at Colenso, Hildyard's and Barton's brigades had remained
at Chieveley with the mounted infantry, the naval guns, and two
field batteries. The rest of the force retired to Frere, some miles
in the rear. Emboldened by their success, the Boers sent raiding
parties over the Tugela on either flank, which were only checked by
our patrols being extended from Springfield on the west to Weenen
on the east.
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