Immediately After The
Occupation Of Bloemfontein (On March 18th) Lord Roberts Despatched
To The East A Small Column Consisting Of The 10th Hussars, The
Composite Regiment, Two Batteries (Q And U) Of The Horse Artillery,
Some Mounted Infantry, Roberts's Horse, And Rimington's Guides.
On
the eastern horizon forty miles from the capital, but in that clear
atmosphere looking only half the distance, there stands the
impressive mountain named Thabanchu (the black mountain).
To all
Boers it is an historical spot, for it was at its base that the
wagons of the Voortrekkers, coming by devious ways from various
parts, assembled. On the further side of Thabanchu, to the north
and east of it, lies the richest grain-growing portion of the Free
State, the centre of which is Ladybrand. The forty miles which
intervene between Bloemfontein and Thabanchu are intersected midway
by the Modder River. At this point are the waterworks, erected
recently with modern machinery, to take the place of the insanitary
wells on which the town had been dependent. The force met with no
resistance, and the small town of Thabanchu was occupied.
Colonel Pilcher, the leader of the Douglas raid, was inclined to
explore a little further, and with three squadrons of mounted men
he rode on to the eastward. Two commandos, supposed to be Grobler's
and Olivier's, were seen by them, moving on a line which suggested
that they were going to join Steyn, who was known to be rallying
his forces at Kroonstad, his new seat of government in the north of
the Free State.
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