The
Casualties In The Rooidam Action Were Nine Killed And Thirty
Wounded, But The Advance Of The Fusiliers Was Irresistible, And For
Once The Boer Loss, As They Were Hustled From Kopje To Kopje,
Appears To Have Been Greater Than That Of The British.
The Yeomanry
had an opportunity of showing once more that there are few more
high-mettled troops in South Africa than these good sportsmen of
the shires, who only showed a trace of their origin in their
irresistible inclination to burst into a 'tally-ho!' when ordered
to attack.
The Boer forces fell back after the action along the
line of the Vaal, making for Christiana and Bloemhof. Hunter
entered into the Transvaal in pursuit of them, being the first to
cross the border, with the exception of raiding Rhodesians early in
the war. Methuen, in the meanwhile, was following a course parallel
to Hunter but south of him, Hoopstad being his immediate objective.
The little union jacks which were stuck in the war maps in so many
British households were now moving swiftly upwards.
Buller's force was also sweeping northwards, and the time had come
when the Ladysmith garrison, restored at last to health and
strength, should have a chance of striking back at those who had
tormented them so long. Many of the best troops had been drafted
away to other portions of the seat of war. Hart's Brigade and
Barton's Fusilier Brigade had gone with Hunter to form the 10th
Division upon the Kimberley side, and the Imperial Light Horse had
been brought over for the relief of Mafeking.
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