To west of the Pietersburg line Colonels Colenbrander and Dawkins’ co-operative system worked splendidly. Boers who evaded the one fled into the open arms of the other! In this way Commandant Badenhorst with twenty-two of his party was secured on the 11th December. Fleeing hot foot from the Fighting Scouts he dropped into the maw of the Mounted Infantry, who had been vigilantly preparing to “welcome the coming guest.” Later in the month Colonel Dawkins started for Harrismith to reinforce General Rundle’s command, while Colonel Colenbrander moved to Rooiberg, and from thence pursued Boers to Jericho, a place near the Crocodile River, where sixty prisoners and much stock were secured. Early in the year he passed on towards the neighbourhood of Waterval, made a brilliant night march on the Magato’s Nek in the small hours of the 4th of January, and surprised the enemy at dawn. A stiff engagement ensued, in which five of the enemy were killed and twenty-nine made prisoners. Not many days after Colonel Colenbrander was fortunate enough in delivering from the hand of the native Chief, Linchwe, a number of Boer women and children. The Chief with a following of 2000 had started forth vowing vengeance on the Boers for having stolen his stock, and determining to recapture his property. He was prevailed on by the Colonel, however, to retire to Pilansberg, and thus, much to the relief of the families of the enemy throughout the district, an awkward and probably disastrous complication was averted.
TRANSVAAL (WEST)
Lord Methuen and Colonel Kekewich continued operations from Klerksdorp. The former on the 13th December sighted a Boer convoy, gave chase with all available mounted troops, and after covering seven miles as hard as they could go, secured all the waggons. These were the property of Van Rensburg’s men, and there was grim satisfaction in the knowledge that for a few days at least the marauders would be on short commons. A dash was made on the 16th for Potgieter’s laager, which was comfortably posted on the southern slopes of the Makwassie range (near Wolmaranstad). The night march was splendidly managed, and dawn found Lord Methuen in possession of a tremendous haul of prisoners, horses, and cattle. His success was materially assisted by the operations of Colonel Kekewich at Korannafontein, who kept the commandos of Celliers and Vermaas engaged, prevented them going to the assistance of the captured laager, and blocked the roads to the north.
Further operations were continued south-west of Klerksdorp at the end of the month. Early in the year Lord Methuen’s force engaged in an animated chase westwards after a convoy which unfortunately had had a long start of them. The chase appeared to be a failure, but subsequently it was discovered that Lord Methuen’s tactics had caused the convoy to seek safety by a sudden double to the south, with the result that it ran straight upon the Kimberley column of Major Paris, who joyously took possession of 40 waggons and over 1000 head of cattle. Thus did one man sow and another reap!
Colonel Kekewich ended the month in keen pursuit of Potgieter’s men. He had some exciting adventures, and made many small but useful captures. Colonel Hickie’s column covered the extension of the new blockhouse line from Ventersdorp to Tafelkop, which point was occupied, much to the discomfiture of the Boers, who had made it a pied-à-terre for some time past.
ORANGE RIVER COLONY
The Orange Colony was gradually becoming too peaceable for De Wet’s liking. The great chief, after some deliberations at a Kriegsraad held on the 11th December, determined on a new plan. Finding that the system of scattering his forces resolved itself into a steady decrease of their numbers in consequence of the energy of our mobile columns, and discovering also that evasive and defensive tactics ended in his gang becoming hemmed in by the advancing blockhouse lines, he decided on concentration. He meant with his force to avoid direct collision with British columns, but decided to choose his own times and seasons for pouncing on and overpowering odd detachments on duty bound, whom he might chance to entrap. This new system brought about some unfortunate surprises and defeats of the British, but as our small but gallant little parties were not overpowered without deadly cost, there was every chance that the system would ensure an earlier collapse of the enemy’s power to prolong the struggle.
A clever combined movement of the division under General Elliot, with the columns of Rimington, Byng, Damant, and Wilson, began on the 8th December. The enemy were given the impression that the six columns were bound for the east, consequently they made an attempt to break back through the columns in small parties to the west. But a complete countermarch of the British troops on a given date (the 11th) ended in their being driven to the west quicker than they intended, and hemmed into the angle marked by the main line of railway and the Wolvenhoek-Frankfort line of blockhouses. Of course many of them were “slim” enough to see in time the threatened danger and evade the bristles of the British broom, but the troops captured 43 prisoners, 780 horses, 3000 cattle, and 187 vehicles.
It was now evident that a concentration of Boers was taking place at Kaffir Kop, north-west of Bethlehem. General Elliot’s division from Kroonstad, General Dartnell’s men from Elands River Bridge, and Colonel Barker’s men from Winburg co-operated so as to close in on the Kop from west, north-west, and north-east. But unfortunately the Boers, smelling menace in the air, dispersed even as the troops approached. Still the action was not without results, for Colonel Barker at Vaalbank, in an engagement with 500 Boers on the 16th (Dingaan’s Day), killed the Boer leader Haasbroek, and disposed of a formidable foe.
General Dartnell on the 18th, in the last stage of his return journey to Elands River Bridge, came into collision with De Wet, who, from a strong position along the Tygerkloop Spruit, disputed his further advance. Furious fighting followed, the Boers assailing General Dartnell’s flank and rearguard, the Imperial Light Horse, spirited as ever, holding their own gloriously. Finally to their succour came General B. Campbell from Bethlehem (he had established signalling communication during the fight), and the Boers were forced to beat a hurried retreat in the direction of Reitz.