More
Important Than All, However, Was The Co-Operation Of General
French, Who Came Out From Pretoria To Assist In The Operations.
On
the 19th, only six days after his defeat, Clements found himself on
the very same spot fighting some at least of the very same men.
This time, however, there was no element of surprise, and the
British were able to approach the task with deliberation and
method.
The result was that both upon the 19th and 20th the Boers
were shelled out of successive positions with considerable loss,
and driven altogether away from that part of the Magaliesberg.
Shortly afterwards General Clements was recalled to Pretoria, to
take over the command of the 7th Division, General Tucker having
been appointed to the military command of Bloemfontein in the place
of the gallant Hunter, who, to the regret of the whole army, was
invalided home. General Cunningham henceforward commanded the
column which Clements had led back to the Magaliesberg.
Upon November 13th the first of a series of attacks was made upon
the posts along the Delagoa Railway line. These were the work of
Viljoen's commando, who, moving swiftly from the north, threw
themselves upon the small garrisons of Balmoral and of Wilge River,
stations which are about six miles apart. At the former was a
detachment of the Buffs, and at the latter of the Royal Fusiliers.
The attack was well delivered, but in each instance was beaten back
with heavy loss to the assailants. A picket of the Buffs was
captured at the first rush, and the detachment lost six killed and
nine wounded.
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