Five Hundred Boers Suddenly Rode Down Upon The Helpless
Line Of Wagons And Took Possession Of Them.
The escort rallied,
however, upon a kopje, and, though attacked all day, succeeded in
holding their own until help arrived.
They prevented the Boers from
destroying or carrying off as much of the convoy as was under their
guns, but the rest was looted and burned. The incident was a most
unfortunate one, as it supplied the enemy with a large quantity of
stores, of which they were badly in need. It was the more
irritating as it was freely rumoured that a Boer attack was
pending; and there is evidence that a remonstrance was addressed
from the convoy before it left Rietfontein to the General of the
district, pointing out the danger to which it was exposed. The
result was the loss of 120 wagons and of more than half the escort.
The severity of the little action and the hardihood of the defence
are indicated by the fact that the small body who held the kopje
lost fifteen killed and twenty-two wounded, the gunners losing nine
out of fifteen. A relieving force appeared at the close of the
action, but no vigorous pursuit was attempted, although the weather
was wet and the Boers had actually carried away sixty loaded
wagons, which could only go very slowly. It must be confessed that
from its feckless start to its spiritless finish the story of the
Buffel's Hoek convoy is not a pleasant one to tell.
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