The misuse of the white flag and the fact that not a few of his men had been wounded with "dum-dum" or expansive bullets drew from Lord Methuen a dignified letter of protest which he addressed to the Boer commander, but which unfortunately did not have the effect of stopping the practices complained of.
ARRIVAL OF A TRAINLOAD OF WOUNDED BOERS AT PRETORIA.
[CHAPTER IX.]
LORD METHUEN'S ADVANCE—continued.
March to Swinks Pan—Advance of Ninth Brigade—Battle of Enslin—Bombardment of the Boer position—Reinforcements sent for—The Bluejackets and Marines take the kopje—British losses—The Queen congratulates the Naval Brigade—Boer losses—Lack of water at Enslin—Lord Methuen's address to the troops—March to Klokfontein—Lord Methuen's available forces—The Boers in force at the Modder River—Disposition of troops—Scene of the battle—Boer preparations—Battle of the Modder—The torture of thirst—Sleep during battle—Arrival of an additional Field Battery—Attempts to cross the river—Retreat of the Boers—Comparison of British and Boer losses—British artillery fire—Characteristics of the fighting—The Boers fire on the Red Cross—Conduct of the Free Staters impugned—Kruger's remonstrances.
March to Swinks Pan.
The night of the 23rd and morning of the 24th were spent in camp near Thomas' Farm while the Engineers, supported by the armoured train, repaired the railway line. In the afternoon of the 24th the camp was struck and the force marched seven miles north to Swinks Pan, over the waterless veldt, leaving the 1st Scots Guards and two companies of Munster Fusiliers—who had come up from Orange River—to hold Belmont station, in the neighbourhood of which there was still a small Boer force 500 strong. This day the armoured train had a brush with the Boers, in which three officers and men were killed or wounded. At Swinks Pan there was a good water supply, and there the column halted. Away to the east rose kopjes, which, the scouts had ascertained, were held by Boers. The enemy's strength, however, could only be guessed at; it was placed at 400 men. Events showed very plainly that this was a ludicrous underestimate. The Boers had closely dogged the column, though rarely or never seen. At Swinks Pan traces of their presence and smouldering camp fires were discovered, showing that their scouts had been close at hand.