[Dec. 2-6, 1899.
By December 1 only two of the eight battalions forming General Gatacre's division had arrived. He had still no cavalry and no artillery.
Omnibus horses for the Artillery.
On the 2nd, Dordrecht, a small place some miles to the north-east of Sterkstroom, was occupied by a commando of the enemy numbering about 500 men. About this date there were probably 3,000 Boers in all in the Stormberg district, but they were much scattered and showed little sign of mischief. Meantime the small British column was reinforced by two field batteries, the 74th and 77th. Their horses, however, after the long voyage were in very poor condition. Fully half of them were omnibus or tram horses, without the slightest artillery training, though the batteries might well have had a week's careful exercise in England, since they only left on November 2. Most of the horses had only been received a few hours before the embarkation took place, and were, in consequence, quite new to their work. An ammunition column followed the two batteries, but the supply of ammunition was barely sufficient for one great battle. All these deficiencies hampered the general terribly, and account in some degree for his ill-fortune.
TAPPING THE TELEGRAPH WIRE: A FREQUENT INCIDENT IN WAR.
A quaint story of the omnibus horse is told by The Times correspondent with the column:—
"One of the drivers," he writes, "who had been entrusted with the charge of a sick horse in addition to an ex-tramcar animal, proceeded to mount the latter, regardless of the fact that it, probably, had not had a saddle on its back since it was a colt. The result was much kicking and rearing, combined with an obstinate determination to remain otherwise stationary. The man got angry, and, uttering a variety of anathemas, began to ply his spurs with vigour and intention. Just as the contest culminated another driver standing by called out, 'Stow them spurs, Jack; ring yer bloomin' bell!'"
On December 6 the column had a field day, but Colonials and military observers noted with alarm that no attempt was made to teach the troops to make use of the advantages of the ground. There was the same blind rushing at the enemy's supposed position, after quite insufficient artillery preparation, as in most of the early and sanguinary encounters of this war.
