A
Small Party Of Kitchener's Horse Was Surprised By This Body, And
Thirty Men With Four Officers Were Taken Prisoners.
Much has been
said of the superiority of South African scouting to that of the
British regulars, but it
Must be confessed that a good many
instances might be quoted in which the colonials, though second to
none in gallantry, have been defective in that very quality in
which they were expected to excel.
This surprise of our cavalry post had more serious consequences
than can be measured by the loss of men, for by it the Boers
obtained possession of a strong kopje called Kitchener's Hill,
lying about two miles distant on the south-east of our position.
The movement was an admirable one strategically upon their part,
for it gave their beleaguered comrades a first station on the line
of their retreat. Could they only win their way to that kopje, a
rearguard action might be fought from there which would cover the
escape of at least a portion of the force. De Wet, if he was indeed
responsible for the manoeuvres of these Southern Boers, certainly
handled his small force with a discreet audacity which marks him as
the born leader which he afterwards proved himself to be.
If the position of the Boers was desperate on Sunday, it was
hopeless on Monday, for in the course of the morning Lord Roberts
came up, closely followed by the whole of Tucker's Division (7th)
from Jacobsdal. Our artillery also was strongly reinforced.
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