With the Flag to Pretoria: A History of the Boer War of 1899-1900. Volume 1 - Herbert Wrigley Wilson

British camp moved to Rensburg. Fighting round Coles Kop.

[Dec. 30, 1899-Jan. 4, 1900.

French's mobility.

On December 30, the General pushed forward, reconnoitred the Boer positions, and seized a kopje known as Porter's Hill, 2,000 yards from the curve of the ⋃-shaped line of kopjes which nearly surrounds Colesberg, and a little north of Rensburg. Here several of the Horse Artillery 12-pounders were placed in position; at the same time the British camp was moved forward from Arundel, where it had been established on December 18, to Rensburg. On the night of the 31st, Maeder's Farm, just under Coles Kop, was seized. A few hours later, early in the morning of January 1, the Berkshires, under the personal command of General French, rushed a strong kopje, to the east of Coles Kop and about a mile from the line of rocky hills held by the Boers. A strong picket of the enemy was surprised and driven back in great confusion. When daylight came, under a heavy fire, the British cavalry, with the object of turning the Boer flank, pushed up to the topmost extremity of the Boer ⋃, and the artillery opened a vigorous fire on the western arm of the ⋃. The Boers replied at once with 15-pounders and "Pom-Poms." While a sharp cannonade was proceeding in this quarter, Colonel Porter, from Porter's Hill, attempted to gain a lodgment on the curve of the ⋃; the New Zealanders, who made the attempt, displayed the utmost gallantry, but were too few to achieve any result. Owing to some slackness on the part of the cavalry on the British left, who, in spite of repeated orders from General French, failed to push forward and occupy a detached kopje commanding the roads both to Botha's Bridge and to Norvals Pont, the day's fighting yielded no solid result. Had General French's instructions been carried out, the Boer retreat would have been threatened and Colesberg rendered untenable. The ineffectual moves of the cavalry only served to draw the enemy's attention to the importance of the position. Late in the day the enemy delivered a counter stroke against the British right, but this was skilfully defeated by the 6th Dragoon Guards. In this action both armies—neither of which exceeded 3,000 men—fought and manœuvred over a front of twenty miles. Under these novel conditions General French again showed remarkable skill in adapting his tactics to those of the enemy. Indeed, his procedure puzzled and alarmed the Boers, who had never met this kind of British general before or felt the mobility of cavalry. The British losses were three killed and a few wounded.