For Some Days It Was
Feared, And Even Officially Announced, That The Garrison Had
Surrendered.
It was known that an attempt by Carrington to relieve
the place on August 5th had been beaten back,
And that the state of
the country appeared so threatening that he had been compelled, or
had imagined himself to be compelled, to retreat as far as
Mafeking, evacuating Zeerust and Otto's Hoop, abandoning the
considerable stores which were collected at those places. In spite
of all these sinister indications the garrison was still holding
its own, and on August 16th it was relieved by Lord Kitchener.
This stand at Brakfontein on the Elands River appears to have been
one of the very finest deeds of arms of the war. The Australians
have been so split up during the campaign, that though their valour
and efficiency were universally recognised, they had no single
exploit which they could call their own. But now they can point to
Elands River as proudly as the Canadians can to Paardeberg. They
were 500 in number, Victorians, New South Welshmen, and
Queenslanders, the latter the larger unit, with a corps of
Rhodesians. Under Hore were Major Hopper of the Rhodesians, and
Major Toubridge of the Queenslanders. Two thousand five hundred
Boers surrounded them, and most favourable terms of surrender were
offered and scouted. Six guns were trained upon them, and during 11
days 1800 shells fell within their lines. The river was half a mile
off, and every drop of water for man or beast had to come from
there.
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