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. From hence the Battalion was again broken up into detachments; and a company under Lieutenant Cartwright marching from King William’s-town on the 29th for Mount Coke, arrived there the same day and occupied it as a post. On December 23 Sir Harry Smith was received at King William’s-town, the band of the Battalion playing ‘God save the Queen,’ and ‘See the Conquering Hero comes.’ When the cheers of the assembled concourse subsided, Sir Harry rode up to the Battalion and complimented Colonel Buller on having the command of such a body of men, and the Riflemen on their advantage in having such a commander; and he noticed ‘that bravery and endurance which they had displayed during the long and harassing warfare through which they had struggled.’[199] The Depôt companies remained at Sheerness during the early part of this year, detaching one company to Canterbury on March 26.