Some Of His Force Escaped Between The
British Columns, And Some Remained In The Kloofs And Forests Of
That Difficult Country.
Walter Kitchener, who had followed up the Boer retreat, had a brisk
engagement with the rearguard upon October 6th.
The Boers shook
themselves clear with some loss, both to themselves and to their
pursuers. On the 10th those of the burghers who held together had
reached Luneburg, and shortly afterwards they had got completely
away from the British columns. The weather was atrocious, and the
lumbering wagons, axle-deep in mud, made it impossible for troops
who were attached to them to keep in touch with the light riders
who sped before them. For some weeks there was no word of the main
Boer force, but at the end of that time they reappeared in a manner
which showed that both in numbers and in spirit they were still a
formidable body.
Of all the sixty odd British columns which were traversing the Boer
states there was not one which had a better record than that
commanded by Colonel Benson. During seven months of continuous
service this small force, consisting at that time of the Argyle and
Sutherland Highlanders, the 2nd Scottish Horse, the 18th and 19th
Mounted Infantry, and two guns, had acted with great energy, and
had reduced its work to a complete and highly effective system.
Leaving the infantry as a camp guard, Benson operated with mounted
troops alone, and no Boer laager within fifty miles was safe from
his nocturnal visits.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 757 of 842
Words from 202691 to 202946
of 225456
