By 7 a.m. on the 2nd (Monday), having been joined by the New Hanover Reserves on the preceding afternoon, the column was again on the move.[278] After travelling about a mile and a half, the advanced guard (B squadron, T.M.R.), came upon an impi some 300 strong, concealed on both sides of the road in a wattle plantation (site of the Newspaper Mission Station), which had been thinned out, but had a lot of scrub about it. Steps were now taken to drive the place, with the result that many armed Natives, particularly near their small church, where it had evidently been intended to lie in ambush for the troops, were discovered and shot. Scarcely any other portion of the column, except the advanced guard, came into action. As the enemy retreated, he was pursued by the advanced guard and two troops of A squadron, T.M.R. The operations lasted about twenty minutes. After the fighting was over, the plantation was again, but more thoroughly, driven. About sixty rebels were killed.
At 9.30 a.m., the column moved along easy slopes towards Insuze river, the advanced guard being increased to two squadrons. The strength of the column now was four squadrons, T.M.R. (400); two Maxims and one Colt gun (25); two guns, 15-pounders, N.F.A. (25); and the Reserves (70). There were no Native levies.[279] Many Natives were observed on high ground to the right and left fronts.
After passing Butler's store, about a thousand yards from Insuze Drift, Barker, seeing the place was a suitable one for watering, decided to halt. The column accordingly began to pull out on to level ground immediately across and to the right of the drift. The guard, under Lieut. H.S. Liddle, went forward to establish itself on a long grassy ridge, parallel with the river at that part. This ridge rises to a height of 60 ft. above the drift and increases gradually to 80, 100 and 150, as it extends further to left and right fronts. On the immediate right of the small neck through which the road passes over the ridge, was a police station, consisting of two or three small buildings. Three or four Native kraals were also to be seen on the ridge to the left of the road. With the object of protecting the column against surprise, the guard occupied ground (C), some thirty yards to the right of the station. A troop was sent to kopje F, whilst a section (four men), under Sergt.-Major S.L. Neville, was sent to B, i.e. within fifteen or twenty yards of the kraal—round which grew a thick, bushy fence.[280] Here three of the men dismounted and were just handing over their horses, with the object of searching that and the other kraals, before occupying a kopje near by, when an impi, some 500 strong, sprang from behind the nearest kraal and hedge, and charged round both sides of the kraal at the men, shouting the usual war-cry as they did so. The latter, having no time to fire, mounted and retired to the guard, wheeling slightly to the right, to avoid masking the fire. The enemy continued their charge. The troops at the drift, as well as the guard, opened a hot fire as they ran. In the meantime, another impi, as strong as the first, began to appear from a bush some forty yards to the guard's right rear. The bush, showing but slightly on top, extended down a steep incline on the far side of the ridge. At this moment, Barker, who was watering his horse when the charge began, galloped to the troops at the police station. Whilst six men were told off to check this latter charge, others were engaged with the impi rushing down from the kraal. It was all a matter of seconds. The guard stood their ground and opened smartly with magazine fire. Notwithstanding the cross-fire, flank and front, that was being poured into them by the men near the drift, some of whom had lined the left bank below the drift, whilst others were on higher ground in rear, the impi succeeded in getting within a very few yards of the guard. The leader did not fall until within six. On his falling, the remainder broke and ran down the slopes on the far side, looking from the drift. When the action was at its height, Barker, whose horse was wounded with an assegai, instinctively perceived that the critical point was the one to which he had just ridden. He at once sent for reinforcements. Such men as were immediately available dashed up. Neither of the two guns at the drift came into action. Had case been promptly fired at those who came from the kraal, it must have proved very destructive at a range of 400 yards. A few seconds later, however, it became impossible to open, owing to the guns being masked by the reinforcements that sprang forward from the drift to the ridge.
A and B squadrons, as well as two troops of D, were sent in pursuit of the now flying enemy. The two 15-pounders were placed at the kraal from which one of the impis had been in hiding, whilst the Maxims and Colt gun took up positions on the ridge between the police station and the bush.
The rebels retired in a northerly direction, down Insuze valley. They were hotly pursued by the troops, who rode along the ridges. The field guns fired about twenty rounds with great effect at ranges varying from 600 to 1,800 yards, but were eventually forced to cease fire, on account of the pursuing squadrons too closely approaching the enemy. The machine guns, too, did excellent work.
A third impi, also about 500 strong, which up till then had taken no part whatever in the engagement, was accidentally come upon by A squadron (Lieut. R.V. Saner).[281] The attack made by about fifty of this impi was promptly and effectively repelled, whereupon the rebels joined the others in a general retreat.
At a distance of three or four miles from the scene of action, about thirty fugitives got into a narrow valley (through which the pursuing A squadron had to pass), evidently to lie in ambush. They were, however, seen, and dispersed with loss. Still another impi was observed by the same squadron about a mile to the left, composed apparently of men who had not been engaged at all. They did not, however, come into action.
Two troops of C squadron were ordered to turn out the rebels who were hiding in the long grass and rushes in a valley between the gun position, near the police station, and the pursuing squadrons.
By 11 a.m., the squadrons, having by that time pursued the enemy for four or five miles, were recalled, as a number of rebels had shown themselves on both flanks near the police station. The troops reassembled by about 1.30 p.m., when they off-saddled for an hour on different parts of the ridge.