It was not the enemy's generalship or marksmanship that won this Boer success, but the strange run of ill-luck in General Gatacre's column, and the neglect of all ordinary precautions. As a matter of fact, the Boer shooting was exceedingly bad, and all who witnessed the action were astounded to discover that so few had been killed and wounded on the British side. Surprised as the column was, in close formation, it should have been all but annihilated.
Disastrous results.
The natural result of the defeat was that the Dutch in the district, who had been sitting on the fence to see which side would win, joined the victors. Some hundreds of farmers at once repaired to the Federal standard. General Gatacre found his position so doubtful that he thought fit to retire from Molteno and fall back to Bushman's Hoek, where he established his headquarters.
DUMB VICTIMS: WOUNDED HORSES AT NAAUWPOORT.
Nov. 1-15, 1899.] Situation at Colesberg.
There were stories that, as soon as he discovered that his guides had misled him, he drew his revolver and shot them. A court of inquiry investigated the behaviour of the guides after the battle, and decided that they had erred through inadvertence, not treachery.
[Photo by Fyne, Capetown.
The Boers seize Colesberg.