It Was Well That It Was
So, For Less Sturdy Material Might Have Been Overborne By The
Vigour Of The Attack.
As it was, the garrison were driven to their
last trench, but held out under a very heavy fire all day, and next
morning the Boers abandoned the attack.
Their losses appear to have
been over fifty in number, and included Commandant Celliers, who
was badly wounded and afterwards taken prisoner at Warm Baths. The
brave garrison lost fourteen killed, including two officers of the
Northumberlands, and twenty wounded.
In each of these instances the attacks by the Boers upon British
posts had ended in a repulse to themselves. They were more
fortunate, however, in their attempt upon Modderfontein on the
Gatsrand at the end of January. The post was held by 200 of the
South Wales Borderers, reinforced by the 59th Imperial Yeomanry,
who had come in as escort to a convoy from Krugersdorp. The attack,
which lasted all day, was carried out by a commando of 2000 Boers
under Smuts, who rushed the position upon the following morning. As
usual, the Boers, who were unable to retain their prisoners, had
little to show for their success. The British casualties, however,
were between thirty and forty, mostly wounded.
On January 22nd General Cunninghame left Oliphant's Nek with a
small force consisting of the Border and Worcester Regiments, the
6th Mounted Infantry, Kitchener's Horse, 7th Imperial Yeomanry, 8th
R.F.A., and P battery R.H.A. It had instructions to move south upon
the enemy known to be gathering there. By midday this force was
warmly engaged, and found itself surrounded by considerable bodies
of De la Rey's burghers. That night they camped at Middelfontein,
and were strongly attacked in the early morning. So menacing was
the Boer attitude, and so formidable the position, that the force
was in some danger. Fortunately they were in heliographic
communication with Oliphant's Nek, and learned upon the 23rd that
Babington had been ordered to their relief. All day Cunninghame's
men were under a long-range fire, but on the 24th Babington
appeared, and the British force was successfully extricated, having
seventy-five casualties. This action of Middelfontein is
interesting as having been begun in Queen Victoria's reign, and
ended in that of Edward VII.
Cunninghame's force moved on to Krugersdorp, and there, having
heard of the fall of the Modderfontein post as already described, a
part of his command moved out to the Gatsrand in pursuit of Smuts.
It was found, however, that the Boers had taken up a strong
defensive position, and the British were not numerous enough to
push the attack. On February 3rd Cunninghame endeavoured to
outflank the enemy with his small cavalry force while pushing his
infantry up in front, but in neither attempt did he succeed, the
cavalry failing to find the flank, while the infantry were met with
a fire which made further advance impossible. One company of the
Border Regiment found itself in such a position that the greater
part of it was killed, wounded, or taken.
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