On September 17 the detached companies having all rejoined, the Battalion under command of Lieutenant-Colonel Buller marched from King William’s-town towards the Amatola mountains, halting on that night on the Deba Flats, and on the 18th near Fort White. On the 20th the Battalion (with about 300 of the Burgher force) accompanied by fifty mules carrying provisions for six days and ammunition, marched to Fort Cox, situated on a high projection over the Keiskamma river, which winds round its base; and arriving there at eight o’clock in the evening, bivouacked for the night.
Before daybreak on the 21st the Battalion marched; and after fording the Keiskamma, without opposition or loss, though not without difficulty, advanced through a dense wood to the valley of the Amatola, and encamped at the head of the valley. During this march no attack was made by the Kaffirs, who retreated as the Riflemen approached; and their huts were burned by the troops, the flames lighting up the valley on every side.
On this evening Colonel Buller’s force was joined by another column under Colonel Campbell.
On the morning of the 22nd at dawn the Battalion, as well as the other troops, marched to the Amatolas, and crossing their lofty and precipitous ridge, forded the Wolf river, a tributary of the Keiskamma, and ascended another ridge, where a third column under Colonel Somerset joined them. From this point Colonel Buller detached the Burgher force; and advanced with his Battalion to a valley on the Goolah river, where they encamped for the night, with the other two columns.
On the 23rd the troops under Colonel Campbell having returned to the rear, those under Colonel Somerset and the Riflemen under Colonel Buller moved into the Keiskamma basin; and Colonel Somerset’s division having soon afterwards marched to the great Kei river, the Battalion remained in the Keiskamma basin, constantly engaged in active pursuit of the Kaffirs who were starved out and everywhere driven out.
The nature of the ground Sandilli and his people occupied, a deep valley near Wolf river, rendered it unapproachable by cavalry, but was exactly suited to the operations of Riflemen. And by their constant patrols, acting from camps well stored with provisions, Sandilli was completely foiled; his cattle destroyed or scattered; his followers driven away; and he himself hunted from place to place. And the result of these operations[198] was that Sandilli the Gaika chief, the principal leader of the Kaffirs, surrendered himself, with ten of his principal men, on October 19 to Colonel Buller. After his capture Sandilli stated that on October 12 he had been nearly made a prisoner by a patrol of the Regiment. They lost their way in skirmishing in the bush, and by this chance he escaped. He admitted that he must otherwise have been taken or killed.
This terminated that campaign, and the four companies, Head-quarters of the Battalion, were afterwards kept unoccupied in the Keiskamma basin, though perfectly efficient for the field. While on the Great Kei river, where operations were still going on, their presence and assistance would have been of great consequence. However the arrival of Sir Harry Smith soon changed the face of affairs, and brought the war to a termination.
On November 14 Captain Murray’s company marched from Fort Stokes to the Kei river and was employed in active operations against the Kaffirs.
On December 4 part of the Battalion under Colonel Buller left the Amatola mountains for King William’s-town, and arrived the same day.
And on the 25th the remainder, under command of Captain Horsford, followed them to King William’s-town.