Lord Methuen, who was clearing the country between Krugersdorp and Rustenburg, occupied with little opposition the town of Heckpoort, which lies on the road to Rustenburg, some fifteen miles north-west of Krugersdorp. He then continued his march, and engaged the enemy’s rearguard near Zandfontein on the 20th, during which engagement one man was killed and another wounded. Early on the 21st he was up and doing, caught the enemy again at Olifant’s Nek, and left him dilapidated and retreating, thus, as he thought, saving Rustenburg from the overpowering attentions which were at this time being lavished on General Baden-Powell.
On the 22nd Colonels Airey and Lushington drove off 1000 Boers from a strong position west of Pretoria, inflicting considerable loss and sustaining some. Captain Robinson, Royal Marines, was killed, and five men; nineteen men were wounded. Unluckily, as before said, the operations in this region merely resembled the process of fanning off flies, which were whisked from one corner to congregate in another.
About the same time the civilians who represented British authority had some nasty experiences in Klerksdorp, where another commando threatened them. The place was protected by some 120 armed men, and these, finding themselves surrounded, had to take their choice between surrender or stout defence. Many of the party belonged to the Kimberley Mounted Corps, who at once made preparations to protect the town and hold it till their last breath. But the gallant fellows received orders to surrender, and had the humiliation of seeing the British flag torn to tatters and trampled on by the burghers, who were only too glad to revenge themselves for being thrust out of Klerksdorp some weeks before. The following were taken prisoners: Lieutenant Blagden, Lieutenant Shepherd, Lieutenant Purvis, Lieutenant W. A. White, all of the Kimberley Mounted Corps.
At Krugersdorp General Barton reconnoitered along the line to the station where the train was wrecked on the 19th, and replenished the supplies of Lord Methuen, who was moving on Potchefstroom, which place was reached at the end of the month. On the eighteen miles’ march from Frederickstad, though the troops were engaged with the enemy the greater part of the day, the casualties were few; but the Dutchmen, revenging themselves, took up some of the rails on the Krugersdorp-Potchefstroom Railway, and threw a supply train escorted by a detachment of the Shropshire Light Infantry off the line, killing thirteen persons, including the engine-driver, and causing injuries to thirty-nine more. This made a bad termination for July, particularly disappointing, as General Smith-Dorrien had told off special patrols to prevent trains from passing over damaged parts of the rail, and a reason for the accidents was not forthcoming.
The troops encamped near Frederickstad were set upon by Commandant Lieseberg and his hordes, who, having requested the commanding officer to surrender, had received the usual reply. The Dutchman was gallantly routed by Colonel M’Kinnon and his dashing C.I.V., assisted by the Suffolk and Bucks Yeomanry, before the arrival of Methuen’s force, which had been signalled for. In the course of the fray Captain A. V. Poynter, 10th Battalion Imperial Yeomanry, was dangerously wounded.
This somewhat inexplicable forward and backward march on the part of Lord Methuen was due to the necessity of acting in co-operation with the movement of troops on the north-west of Pretoria, and thus saving any particular portion of the position from affording loopholes for the junction of Boer commandos.
FOOTNOTES:
[8] See Map at p. 41.