Already Paardeberg had come upon Majuba Day.
Buller's victorious soldiers had taken Laing's Nek.
Now, the Spruit
at which the retreating Boers were so mishandled by the Australians
was that same Bronkers Spruit at which, nineteen years before, a
regiment had been shot down. Many might have prophesied that the
deed would be avenged; but who could ever have guessed the men who
would avenge it?
Such was the battle of Diamond Hill, as it was called from the name
of the ridge which was opposite to Hamilton's attack. The prolonged
two days' struggle showed that there was still plenty of fight in
the burghers. Lord Roberts had not routed them, nor had he captured
their guns; but he had cleared the vicinity of the capital, he had
inflicted a loss upon them which was certainly as great as his own,
and he had again proved to them that it was vain for them to
attempt to stand. A long pause followed at Pretoria, broken by
occasional small alarms and excursions, which served no end save to
keep the army from ennui. In spite of occasional breaks in his line
of communications, horses and supplies were coming up rapidly, and,
by the middle of July, Roberts was ready for the field again. At
the same time Hunter had come up from Potchefstroom, and Hamilton
had taken Heidelberg, and his force was about to join hands with
Buller at Standerton. Sporadic warfare broke out here and there in
the west, and in the course of it Snyman of Mafeking had
reappeared, with two guns, which were promptly taken from him by
the Canadian Mounted Rifles.
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