General
French Descended To Cape Town To Aid General Roberts In The
Elaboration Of That Plan Which Was Soon To Change The Whole
Military Situation In South Africa.
Reinforcements were still dribbling into the British force, Hoad's
Australian Regiment, which had been changed from infantry to
cavalry, and J battery R.H.A. from India, being the last arrivals.
But very much stronger reinforcements had arrived for the Boers - so
strong that they were able to take the offensive.
De la Rey had
left the Modder with three thousand men, and their presence infused
new life into the defenders of Colesberg. At the moment, too, that
the Modder Boers were coming to Colesberg, the British had begun to
send cavalry reinforcements to the Modder in preparation for the
march to Kimberley, so that Clements's Force (as it had now become)
was depleted at the very instant when that of the enemy was largely
increased. The result was that it was all they could do not merely
to hold their own, but to avoid a very serious disaster.
The movements of De la Rey were directed towards turning the right
of the position. On February 9th and 10th the mounted patrols,
principally the Tasmanians, the Australians, and the Inniskillings,
came in contact with the Boers, and some skirmishing ensued, with
no heavy loss upon either side. A British patrol was surrounded and
lost eleven prisoners, Tasmanians and Guides. On the 12th the Boer
turning movement developed itself, and our position on the right at
Slingersfontein was strongly attacked.
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