Identifier: battlesofninetee06forb (find matches)
Title: Battles of the nineteenth century
Year: 1901 (1900s)
Authors: Forbes, Archibald, 1838-1900 Atteridge, A. Hilliard (Andrew Hilliard)
Subjects: Battles Military history, Modern
Publisher: London New York : Cassell and Company
Contributing Library: University of California Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Internet Archive

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svaal, and from the OrangeRiver frontier. What was their exact strengthit is impossible to say, for all through this war second. De Wet and Delarey were in actualcommand. The weak point of the position wasthat its fianks rested on no important obstacleand could easily be turned. When, therefore,Roberts advanced to attack it on March 7th, hemade a mere threat with the infantry against thefront of the Boer lines, while French with thehorse artillery and cavalry, by a loiig detour,swept round the Boer left to the southward tomenace their line of retreat. On the evening of the 6th orders were issuedfor next days advance. Twenty miles wouldhave to be covered by the infantry, but Frenchwould have to go more than thirty ; so thehorse artillery started off, in the darkness, at2 a.m. on the 7th. Kelly-Kennys infantrydivision was to follow and support French inthe turning movement against the Boer left,while Colviles division marched along the northbank of the IVlodder, against their right. The
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256 THK BOKR WAR. (iuards Brigade, under Pole-Carcw, fullowL-d byTuckers division, advanced in the centre. Allthe troops were moving before daybreak, and asthe sun rose they saw, far away against thebright eastern sky, the broken tops of the lineof distant kopjes that marked.the Boer position. There were some hours of steady marching inthe sun before any of the troops were withinstriking distance of the enemy. Far away tothe south-east, high broken clouds of white dustshowed the line of Frenchs march, and the firstsounds of battle came from that direction—thereports of a Boer gun on the extreme left tiringat the cavalry at long range. The gun was .soonwithdrawn, and the Boers on the left fell backto another position. Roberts had by this timebrought his guns into action against the Boerfront, and presently Colviles artillery was heardon the north bank. The Boers, however, madeno stand. Thev saw that if they held on muchlonger the cavalry would cut their line ofretreat. Their waggons

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