South Africa and the Transvaal War, Vol. 6 (of 8): From the Occupation of Pretoria to Mr. Kruger's Departure from South Africa, with a Summarised Account of the Guerilla War to March 1901Creswicke, Louis
History
South Africa and the Transvaal War, Vol. 6 (of 8): From the Occupation of Pretoria to Mr. Kruger's Departure from South Africa, with a Summarised Account of the Guerilla War to March 1901
Creswicke, Louis
South African War, 1899-1902; Transvaal (South Africa) -- History
General Hamilton from the west approached Heidelberg on the 22nd, and
exchanged shots with the Boer patrols; but during the night the enemy
disappeared and the troops occupied the town. The force consisted of
General Gordon's and General Broadwood's Cavalry Brigades (the 9th, 16th,
17th Lancers, and Household Cavalry, 10th Hussars, and 12th Lancers
respectively), two batteries Royal Horse Artillery, two batteries Field
Artillery, two 5-inch guns, a brigade of Mounted Infantry under General
Ridley, and the 21st Brigade (City Imperial Volunteers, Camerons, Sussex,
and Derbys) under General Bruce Hamilton. It was found that the Boers had
retreated to a crescent of hills turning south-east of the town, and from
here they fired on patrols of the New South Wales Contingent. General
Hamilton advanced on the Dutchman's haunts, while General Broadwood, with
a pom-pom and Field Battery, Roberts's Horse, the Ceylon Mounted
Infantry, and Marshall's Horse, made a vigorous flank attack which sent
the enemy scudding into space. The casualties were few. Among the wounded
were Captain F. Whittaker, Roberts's Horse, since dead; Captain H.
Carrington Smith, Royal Dublin Fusiliers; Captain M. Browne, Roberts's
Horse; Lieutenant C. Livingstone Learmonth, Roberts's Horse; Lieutenant
E. Rex King, Roberts's Horse. General Ian Hamilton unluckily fell from
his horse and sustained a fracture of the collar-bone.
Generals Hunter and Hart, therefore, hurriedly joined General Ian
Hamilton on the 25th at Heidelberg, the former replacing the latter in
command there, as General Hamilton's injury temporarily incapacitated him
from resuming his duties. How General Hunter managed so opportunely to
arrive on the scene must be described.
General Hunter, after taking Christiana, moved _viâ_ Vryburg,
Lichtenburg, Potchefstroom, and Krugersdorp to Johannesburg. With Colonel
Mahon--who had joined him and was in command of the Cavalry Brigade--he
had been engaged in the task of pacifying the Wolmaranstad and
Potchefstroom districts. Klerksdorp surrendered on the 9th of June
(uselessly, as it afterwards appeared). A few days later Colonel Mahon's
Cavalry Brigade entered Potchefstroom after a bitterly cold night march.
On the 15th General Hunter moved _viâ_ Krugersdorp (which surrendered on
the 18th), towards Johannesburg (Colonel Mahon preceding him and moving
to Pretoria) and went to Springs in support of General Hamilton's advance
to Heidelberg.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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