The Soldiers Were
Not Able To Return An Effective Fire From Their Horses, And Had No
Time To Dismount.
The sights and breech-blocks of the two guns are
said to have been destroyed, but the former statement seems more
credible than the latter.
A Colt gun was also captured. Of the
small force twenty were killed, forty wounded, and over two hundred
taken. Stewart's force was able to extricate itself with some
difficulty, and to fall back on the Drift. Gough managed to escape
that night and to report that it was Botha himself, with over a
thousand men, who had eaten up his detachment. The prisoners and
wounded were sent in a few days later to Vryheid, a town which
appeared to be in some danger of capture had not Walter Kitchener
hastened to carry reinforcements to the garrison. Bruce Hamilton
was at the same time despatched to head Botha off, and every step
taken to prevent his southern advance. So many columns from all
parts converged upon the danger spot that Lyttelton, who commanded
upon the Natal frontier, had over 20,000 men under his orders.
Botha's plans appear to have been to work through Zululand and then
strike at Natal, an operation which would be the more easy as it
would be conducted a considerable distance from the railway line.
Pushing on a few days after his successful action with Gough, he
crossed the Zulu frontier, and had in front of him an almost
unimpeded march as far as the Tugela.
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