Hart Occupied Smithfield, Whence He
And His Brigade Were Shortly To Be Transferred To The Kimberley
Force.
Altogether there could not have been fewer than thirty
thousand men engaged in clearing and holding down this part of the
country.
French's cavalry and Pole-Carew's division had returned to
take part in the central advance.
Before entering upon a description of that great and decisive
movement, one small action calls for comment. This was the cutting
off of twenty men of Lumsden's Horse in a reconnaissance at Karee.
The small post under Lieutenant Crane found themselves by some
misunderstanding isolated in the midst of the enemy. Refusing to
hoist the flag of shame, they fought their way out, losing half
their number, while of the other half it is said that there was not
one who could not show bullet marks upon his clothes or person. The
men of this corps, volunteer Anglo-Indians, had abandoned the ease
and even luxury of Eastern life for the hard fare and rough
fighting of this most trying campaign. In coming they had set the
whole empire an object-lesson in spirit, and now on their first
field they set the army an example of military virtue. The proud
traditions of Outram's Volunteers have been upheld by the men of
Lumsden's Horse. Another minor action which cannot be ignored is
the defence of a convoy on April 29th by the Derbyshire Yeomanry
(Major Dugdale) and a company of the Scots Guards. The wagons were
on their way to Rundle when they were attacked at a point about ten
miles west of Thabanchu.
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