Chapter 19 - Page 2

genius for preparation and organisation
which characterises Lord Kitchener, groaned and creaked behind the
columns.

Both arms had concentrated at Ramdam, the cavalry going down by road,
and the infantry by rail as far as Belmont or Enslin. On Monday,
February 12th, the cavalry had started, and on Tuesday the infantry
were pressing hard after them. The first thing was to secure a
position upon Cronje's flank, and for that purpose the 6th Division
and the 9th (Kelly-Kenny's and Colvils's) pushed swiftly on and
arrived on Thursday, February 15th, at Klip Drift on the Modder, which
had only been left by the cavalry that same morning. It was obviously
impossible to leave Jacobsdal in the hands of the enemy on our left
flank, so the 7th Division (Tucker's) turned aside to attack the town.
Wavell's brigade carried the place after a sharp skirmish, chiefly
remarkable for the fact that the City Imperial Volunteers found
themselves under fire for the first time and bore themselves with the
gallantry of the old train-bands whose descendants they are. Our loss
was two killed and twenty wounded, and we found ourselves for the
first time firmly established in one of the enemy's towns. In the
excellent German hospital were thirty or forty of our wounded.

On the afternoon of Thursday, February 15th, our cavalry, having left
Klip Drift in the morning, were pushing hard for Kimberley. At Klip
Drift was KellyKenny's 6th Division. South of Klip Drift at Wegdraai
was Colvile's 9th Division, while the 7th Division was approaching
Jacobsdal. Altogether the British forces were extended over a line of
forty miles. The same evening saw the relief of Kimberley and the
taking of Jacobsdal, but it also saw the capture of one of our convoys
by the Boers, a dashing exploit which struck us upon what was
undoubtedly our vulnerable point.

It has never been cleared up whence the force of Boers came which
appeared upon our rear on that occasion. It seems to have been the
same body which had already had a skirmish with Hannay's Mounted
Infantry as they went up from Orange Biver to join the rendezvous at
Ramdam. The balance of evidence is that they had not come from
Colesberg or any distant point, but that they were a force under the
command of Piet De Wet, the younger of two famous brothers.
Descending to Waterval Drift, the ford over the Riet, they occupied a
line of kopjes, which ought, one would have imagined, to have been
carefully guarded by us, and opened a brisk fire from rifles and guns
upon the convoy as it ascended the northern bank of the river.
Numbers of bullocks were soon shot down, and the removal of the
hundred and eighty wagons made impossible. The convoy, which
contained forage and provisions, bad no