Small actions near Colesberg.
On January 19 and 20 the howitzers shelled the Boer camps and Grassy Hill, but, so far as could be seen, without much effect. On the 19th, Lieutenant De Crespigny with two troopers of the Household Cavalry came under heavy fire, and had to ride for their lives. One of the men had his horse shot under him, when De Crespigny gallantly rode back to his rescue and brought him off. On the 25th, General French directed a vigorous reconnaissance against the Boer right, which had not of late been much disturbed. With 3,000 infantry and cavalry, and a battery each of Horse and Field Artillery, he moved up to Rietfontein Plessis, on the Colesberg bridge road, while the rest of his troops demonstrated all along the enemy's line. He succeeded in reaching a point from which, with sharp fighting, he had every chance of getting on the enemy's lines of communication, but, as the Boers were in force and Lord Roberts's orders to avoid anything like a general action were peremptory, the movement was not pressed. On the other flank, General Clements shelled the Boers, who replied with their 40-pounder, killing the General's orderly at the first shot.
CAPTAIN MADOCKS (left) AND LIEUTENANT HUGHES (right).
Survivors of the Boer attack at Slingersfontein.
Two days after this affair four Englishmen, who had been "commandeered" by the Free State authorities, deserted from the enemy. They brought information that the Boers were about 5,000 strong in Colesberg, with another force at Norvals Pont, and stated that the enemy had eight guns, in addition to two of the captured British 15-pounders, which the Boer gunners did not understand, and could not use effectively.
Jan. 22-Feb. 8, 1900.] French quits Colesberg.
Guarding the railway junctions.
Gradual withdrawal of British forces.
General French had not only to watch Colesberg; he had also to think of the railway junctions to his left and right rear at De Aar and Rosmead, and to endeavour to reach a hand to General Gatacre. The arrival of more and more British troops relieved him of much of his anxiety for his extreme right. The Thirteenth Brigade of the Sixth Division was now at hand, and, under General Kelly-Kenny, pushed along the railway from Rosmead Junction towards Stormberg, halting at Thebus on the 26th, and opening up communication with General Gatacre, by way of the mountain roads. After these operations a comparative calm followed during the last days of January and the first week of February. Quietly the British forces at Colesberg and Thebus were reduced, the greater part of the cavalry, much of the infantry, and all the Horse Artillery being moved north to Modder River, in readiness for the great advance into the Free State. The Boers at Colesberg, now under the command of General De Wet, a Free Stater, who had graduated at Cambridge, do not appear to have promptly seized the situation, or ascertained that they were only confronted by a skeleton force under General Clements. But on February 8, receiving information from a traitorous farmer, they began to show more activity. On this day there was a sharp interchange of artillery fire. A "Pom-Pom" on Horseshoe Kopje, which had caused great annoyance, was shelled by the howitzers; one of the lyddite projectiles burst just by the gun, and flung one of the Boer gunners no less than 100 yards through the air. On the 9th, a reconnoitring party of Australians, fifty strong, moved out on the right, and was engaged by a party of 400 Boers, who lay hidden in some kopjes. With the Australians were two correspondents, Mr. Hales and Mr. Lambie, who had a thrilling experience, thus described by Mr. Hales:—