The Work Was Made Absolutely Complete A Little
Later By The Exploit Of Captain Grant Of The Sappers, Who Drew The
Charges From The Holes In Which They Had Been Sunk, And Dropped
Them Into The River, Thus Avoiding The Chance That They Might Be
Exploded Next Morning By Shell Fire.
The feat of Popham and of
Grant was not only most gallant but of extraordinary service to the
country; but the highest credit belongs to Nolan-Neylan, of the
Police, for the great promptitude and galantry of his attack, and
to McNeill for his support.
On that road bridge and on the pontoon
bridge at Norval's Pont Lord Roberts's army was for a whole month
dependent for their supplies.
On March 15th Gatacre's force passed over into the Orange Free
State, took possession of Bethulie, and sent on the cavalry to
Springfontein, which is the junction where the railways from Cape
Town and from East London meet. Here they came in contact with two
battalions of Guards under Pole-Carew, who had been sent down by
train from Lord Roberts's force in the north. With Roberts at
Bloemfontein, Gatacre at Springfontein, Clements in the south-west,
and Brabant at Aliwal, the pacification of the southern portion of
the Free State appeared to be complete. Warlike operations seemed
for the moment to be at an end, and scattered parties traversed the
country, 'bill-sticking,' as the troops called it - that is,
carrying Lord Roberts's proclamation to the lonely farmhouses and
outlying villages.
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