Without Attempting To Enter Into Details Which Would Be Unbecoming
To The Modesty Of A Single Volume, One May Indicate What The Other
More Important Groupings Were During The Course Of These Months,
And Which Were The Columns That Took Part In Them.
Of French's
drive in the south-east, and of Blood's incursion into the
Roos-Senekal district some account has been given, and of his
subsequent sweeping of the south.
At the same period Babington,
Dixon, and Rawlinson were co-operating in the Klerksdorp district,
though the former officer transferred his services suddenly to
Blood's combination, and afterwards to Elliot's column in the north
of Orange River Colony. Williams and Fetherstonhaugh came later to
strengthen this Klerksdorp district, in which, after the clearing
of the Magaliesberg, De la Rey had united his forces to those of
Smuts. This very important work of getting a firm hold upon the
Magaliesberg was accomplished in July by Barton, Allenby, Kekewich,
and Lord Basing, who penetrated into the wild country and
established blockhouses and small forts in very much the same way
as Cumberland and Wade in 1746 held down the Highlands. The British
position was much strengthened by the firm grip obtained of this
formidable stronghold of the enemy, which was dangerous not only on
account of its extreme strength, but also of its proximity to the
centres of population and of wealth.
De la Rey, as already stated, had gone down to the Klerksdorp
district, whence, for a time at least, he seems to have passed over
into the north of the Orange River Colony.
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