History of the War in South Africa 1899-1902 v. 1 (of 4): Compiled by Direction of His Majesty's GovernmentGreat Britain. War Office
History
History of the War in South Africa 1899-1902 v. 1 (of 4): Compiled by Direction of His Majesty's Government
Great Britain. War Office
South African War, 1899-1902
He himself remained out in the open with his diminished force of
mounted infantry and two troops of cavalry. Now the enemy were
quitting Talana and Lennox Hills in numbers which increased
momentarily, and when the mounted infantry opened fire upon them, they
began to converge on the insignificant party which barred the road to
safety. Möller at length perceived his danger, and commencing a series
of rapid retirements towards the northern spur of Impati, fixed his
only hope on the possibility of riding completely around that
mountain, outwork though it was of the main Boer army in its descent
from the frontier. In a spruit, a branch of the Sand river, which runs
through Schultz' farm, the Maxim, outpaced and overdriven, stuck fast,
and it was promptly attacked and captured by a party of twenty-five of
the enemy who had descried its plight from Talana, its detachment
holding out until all were killed or wounded. In this affair nine Boer
prisoners were also released. About 1.15 p.m., a party of two hundred
Boers was seen descending Impati through the collieries at its
northern extremity. The mountain already held the enemy's van;
Möller's retreat was cut off. Adelaide farm lay close ahead, and here
for the first time he faced about for a stand. The men of the 18th
Hussars, with the section of the King's Royal Rifles mounted infantry,
and one of the Dublin mounted infantry, lined the farm walls; the
remaining two sections of the mounted infantry of the Dublin Fusiliers
held a small kopje, two hundred yards from the building. The Boers
closed around in force and poured a bitter fusilade upon the troopers.
A gun, which had opened ineffectively from the colliery, was then
brought forward to 1,400 yards, and its projectiles shattered the
buildings, and scattered the horses. In a few moments another gun
opened more to the left and 1,100 yards distant. At 4 p.m. the white
flag was by Möller's order waved in the farmyard, and he capitulated
to Commandant Trichardt. Nine officers and 205 men laid down their
arms after a loss of 8 men killed, 3 officers and 20 men wounded. This
affair all but doubled the day's casualties, which now numbered
500.[94]
[Footnote 94: For detailed casualties, see Appendix 6.]
[Sidenote: Knox wins his way home.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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