On The 2nd Of July This Force
Reached Frankfort In The North Of The Free State Without
Resistance, And On July 3rd They Were Joined There By Macdonald's
Force From Heilbron, So That Hunter Found Himself With Over Eleven
Thousand Men Under His Command.
Here was an instrument with which
surely the coup de grace could be given to the dying State.
Passing
south, still without meeting serious resistance, Hunter occupied
Reitz, and finally sent on Broadwood's cavalry to Bethlehem, where
on July 8th they joined Paget and Clements.
The net was now in position, and about to be drawn tight, but at
this last moment the biggest fish of all dashed furiously out from
it. Leaving the main Free State force in a hopeless position behind
him, De Wet, with fifteen hundred well-mounted men and five guns,
broke through Slabbert's Nek between Bethlehem and Ficksburg, and
made swiftly for the north-west, closely followed by Paget's and
Broadwood's cavalry. It was on July 16th that he made his dash for
freedom. On the 19th Little, with the 3rd Cavalry Brigade, had come
into touch with him near Lindley. De Wet shook himself clear, and
with splendid audacity cut the railway once more to the north of
Honing Spruit, gathering up a train as he passed, and taking two
hundred details prisoners. On July 22nd De Wet was at Vredefort,
still closely followed by Broadwood, Ridley, and Little, who
gleaned his wagons and his stragglers. Thence he threw himself into
the hilly country some miles to the south of the Vaal River, where
he lurked for a week or more while Lord Kitchener came south to
direct the operations which would, as it was hoped, lead to a
surrender.
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