South Africa and the Transvaal War, Vol. 7 (of 8): The Guerilla War, from February 1901 to the Conclusion of HostilitiesCreswicke, Louis
History
South Africa and the Transvaal War, Vol. 7 (of 8): The Guerilla War, from February 1901 to the Conclusion of Hostilities
Creswicke, Louis
South African War, 1899-1902; Transvaal (South Africa) -- History
"The camp was placed on the southern slope of a gentle rise, which is
encircled on the west by a spruit running generally north-west, and
joining the main river about two miles distant. About three hundred
yards from the spruit the ground on which the camp stood rises into a
rocky kopje about a hundred yards long at the crest. This was defended
with great determination, and most of the casualties occurred here.
"The Boers, too, suffered very severely in the attack on this
position, and it was not until the enemy attacked the hill from the
rear that any impression seemed to have been made on the defenders. A
perfect hail of bullets appears then to have been poured in from the
rear, which killed or wounded all of its defenders. Finally Captain
Sandeman tried to reach the kraals in the vicinity of the camp, but
most of the men with him were shot down, and he himself was wounded.
"The Boers then rushed the camp, but not a single man surrendered, the
enemy levelling their rifles and firing on any man they saw.
"On Major Nickalls's squadron coming up the enemy retired quickly in
the direction in which they had come.
"The Boers, on entering the camp, went straight for the supplies, but
were able to take away only a few biscuits and hardly any ammunition,
the Lancers having emptied their bandoliers, as the hundreds of empty
cartridges found on the kopje eloquently testified.
"The enemy's casualties were extremely heavy. The dead and wounded
were carried off by the commando when it retired."
From Bank View to Mount Prospect, then across the Mancazana, along the
Fish River and over the Port Elizabeth line near Sheldon Station the
raiders went, followed with unrelaxing energy by Colonels Gorringe,
Doran, and Scobell. Colonel Gorringe succeeded in catching them in the
Zuurberg Mountains and caused them to split their force in two, one
half fleeing south, the other west. Early in October they reunited
south of Darlington and were again attacked and trounced by the
indefatigable Colonel, who drove them north with the loss of three of
their number killed and five wounded.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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