Chapter 25 - Page 2

disposition uf Lord Roberts's army was briefly as follows. On his
left was Hutton, with his mixed force of mounted infantry drawn from
every quarter of the empire. This formidable and mobile body, with
some batteries of horse artillery and of pom-poms, kept a line a few
miles to the west of the railroad, moving northwards parallel with it.
Roberts's main column kept on the railroad, which was mended with
extraordinary speed by the Railway Pioneer regiment and the Engineers,
under Girouard and the ill-fated Seymour. It was amazing to note the
shattered culverts as one passed, and yet to be overtaken by trains
within a day. This main column consisted of Pole-Carew's 11th
Division, which contained the Guards, and Stephenson's Brigade
(Warwicks, Essex, Welsh, and Yorkshires). With them were the 83rd,
84th, and 85th R.F.A., with the heavy guns, and a small force of
mounted infantry. Passing along the widespread British line one would
then, after an interval of seven or eight miles, come upon Tucker's
Division (the 7th), which consisted of Maxwell's Brigade (formerly
Chermside's -- the Norfoiks, Lincolns, Hampshires, and Scottish
Borderers) and Wavel's Brigade (North Staffords, Cheshires, East
Lancashires, South Wales Borderers). To the right of these was
Ridley's mounted infantry. Beyond them, extending over very many miles
of country and with considerable spaces between, there came
Broadwood's cavalry, Bruce Hamilton's Brigade (Derbyshires, Sussex,
Camerons, and C.I.V.), and finally on the extreme right of all Ian
Hamilton's force of Highlanders, Canadians, Shropshires, and
Cornwalls, with cavalry and mounted infantry, starting forty miles
from Lord Roberts, but edging westwards all the way, to merge with the
troops next to it, and to occupy Winburg in the way already described.
This was the army, between forty and fifty thousand strong, with which
Lord Roberts advanced upon the Transvaal.

In the meantime he had anticipated that his mobile and enterprising
opponents would work round and strike at our rear. Ample means had
been provided for dealing with any attempt of the kind. Rundle with
the 8th Division aud Brabant's Colonial Division remained in rear of
the right flank to confront any force which might turn it. At
Bloemfontein were Kelly-Kenny's Division (the 6th) and Chermside's
(the 3rd), with a force of cavalry and guns. Methuen, working from
Kimberley towards Boshof, formed the extreme left wing of the main
advance, though distant a hundred miles from it. With excellent
judgment Lord Roberts saw that it was on our right flank that danger
was to be feared, and here it was that every precaution had been taken
to meet it.

The objective of the first day's march was the little town of
Brandfort,