Previous to this, on June 6th, Captain Cahill of the 91st, with a small detachment, joined a patrol under Lt.-Col. Michell, which was attacked by a body of the enemy at Fort Wiltshire. It joined Colonel M’Kinnon’s division on the Debè, captured a number of cattle and horses, and patrolled Seyolo’s country, returning to Fort Peddie on the 12th.
On the 14th of June the enemy, taking advantage of Major-General Somerset’s absence from Fort Hare, assembled their bands in the neighbourhood, with the intention of carrying off the Fingoe’s cattle. Lt.-Col. Yarborough promptly despatched all the Fingoes, supported by 160 men of the 91st, under Lt. Mainwaring, for the protection of the herds. The Fingoes gallantly attacked the Kaffirs, completely routing them, killing 14 of their number, and re-capturing the whole of the cattle.
On the 8th of August a detachment of the 91st, under Lt. Rae, proceeded from Fort Peddie to escort cattle and waggons to Gentleman’s Bush, and after handing them over returned and joined a patrol under Lt.-Col. Michell. The patrol on the following morning marched to Kamnegana Heights, and on arriving there lay concealed till 9 A.M., and afterwards descending to reconnoitre were nearly surrounded by the enemy, when Major Wilmot’s life was saved by Sergeant Ewen Ferguson of the 91st. The patrol retired, and attacked the enemy again on the following morning, returning to Fort Peddie on the 11th.
From October 13th to the 23rd a detachment of the 91st, consisting of 318 of all ranks under Lt.-Col. Yarborough, was engaged with the enemy in a series of combined movements at the Waterkloof, as also on the 6th and 7th of November. An idea of the nature of the work which the regiment had to perform may be obtained from the following extract from the “Precis,” transmitted to the Commander-in-Chief by Major-General Somerset, who commanded the expedition. On the night of the 13th the force had encamped on one of the spruits of the Kaal Hoek river, and on the 14th Major-General Somerset writes:—
“Marched at 1 A.M.; very thick fog. Gained the ascent above Bush Nek by 5 A.M. At 7 A.M. moved to the bush at the head of the Waterkloof; observed the enemy in force along the whole face of the ridge. At half-past 7 I observed Lt.-Col. Fordyce’s brigade on the opposite ridge; moved up Lt. Field’s guns, and opened on the enemy, who showed at the head of the Blinkwater. Ordered Lt.-Col. Michel’s brigade forward, and sent a squadron of Cape Mounted Rifles and two battalions forward, directing a strong body of skirmishers to be thrown into and line the forest. These were immediately received by a smart fire from the enemy at several points. This sharp attack drove the enemy from their position, which they evacuated, and retired into Blinkwater and Waterkloof. The enemy continued to show themselves. I reinforced the skirmishers with two companies of the 91st, dismounted a troop of the Cape Mounted Rifles, and ordered the whole to push through the ravine, and to communicate with Lt.-Col. Fordyce’s brigade, and to order them through. This movement was well effected. In the meantime the enemy continued their efforts to annoy us. Having brought the brigade through, and the enemy being beaten, and all the troops having been under arms from 1 A.M., I retired to form camp at Mandell’s Farm, leaving one squadron, one battalion, and two guns of the Royal Artillery to cover the movement. On commencing our move the enemy came out in force and opened a smart fire, following the rear-guard. The enemy were driven off. The troops encamped at Mandell’s at 5 o’clock, after being under arms for eighteen hours.”
So in all the operations of the succeeding days, in and around the almost inaccessible Waterkloof, the 91st, to judge from the merest hints in Major-General Somerset’s despatches, must have performed important services, especially when acting as skirmishers. The fighting continued almost without intermission up to the 7th of November, the loss to the regiment being 1 private killed, and Ensign Ricketts and 8 privates wounded; the ensign afterwards died of his wound, and was buried in the little group of graves at Post Retief.
The next operations in which the 91st seems to have been engaged was on the 30th of December, when Lt. Mackenzie and a small detachment joined a patrol under Major Wilmot, which proceeded from Fort Peddie to the Goga, where it arrived at daylight on the following morning. The patrol lay concealed in the bush until the morning of the 1st of January 1852, and then proceeded to the Kamnegana, scouring the bush and destroying a number of huts. On entering a path lined on both sides with huts the patrol commenced to destroy them, and was vigorously opposed by the Kaffirs, who commenced a heavy fire on its advance, when Major Wilmot was killed by a musket ball fired from one of the huts. Lt. Mackenzie immediately assumed command of the patrol, which was between three camps occupied by the enemy, when he found it necessary to retreat to Fort Peddie, carrying Major Wilmot’s body with him.
On the 26th of Jan. a detachment of 416 of all ranks of the 91st under Lt.-Col. Yarborough marched from Fort Hare, and was employed in destroying the enemy’s crops on the Amatola mountains and Tyumie until the end of Feb., when it proceeded to Haddon. On the 4th of March the force proceeded to the Waterkloof, and was engaged in a combined movement[550] against the Kaffirs from daylight on that morning until evening, the casualties to the regiment being 1 sergeant and 3 privates killed, and Lt.-Col. Yarborough, Ensign Hibbert, 3 sergeants, and 12 privates wounded, 1 of the sergeants and 1 private ultimately dying of their wounds.[551] Sir Harry Smith in writing to Earl Grey said, “Lt.-Col. Yarborough of the 91st is a steady officer, and greatly distinguished himself on the day he was wounded;” and in reference to this occasion a Division Order, dated March 5th, was issued by Major-General Somerset, from which the following is an extract:—
“The movement was most ably and gallantly conducted by Lt.-Col. Yarborough.... He attributes the comparatively small loss to the manner in which the enemy was charged, checked, and driven back when pressing on in great force, although with every advantage of ground.”