By Midday This Force Was
Warmly Engaged, And Found Itself Surrounded By Considerable Bodies
Of De La Rey's Burghers.
That night they camped at Middelfontein,
and were strongly attacked in the early morning.
So menacing was
the Boer attitude, and so formidable the position, that the force
was in some danger. Fortunately they were in heliographic
communication with Oliphant's Nek, and learned upon the 23rd that
Babington had been ordered to their relief. All day Cunninghame's
men were under a long-range fire, but on the 24th Babington
appeared, and the British force was successfully extricated, having
seventy-five casualties. This action of Middelfontein is
interesting as having been begun in Queen Victoria's reign, and
ended in that of Edward VII.
Cunninghame's force moved on to Krugersdorp, and there, having
heard of the fall of the Modderfontein post as already described, a
part of his command moved out to the Gatsrand in pursuit of Smuts.
It was found, however, that the Boers had taken up a strong
defensive position, and the British were not numerous enough to
push the attack. On February 3rd Cunninghame endeavoured to
outflank the enemy with his small cavalry force while pushing his
infantry up in front, but in neither attempt did he succeed, the
cavalry failing to find the flank, while the infantry were met with
a fire which made further advance impossible. One company of the
Border Regiment found itself in such a position that the greater
part of it was killed, wounded, or taken.
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