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Page 30
[Illustration: Making Barbed-Wire Entanglement, Ingagane]
News was received daily that thousands of Boers with dozens of guns were
on the eastern flank, with every intention of raiding, cutting the line,
and attacking Dannhauser. Dundee also, according to the newspapers and
the evidence of native scouts, was in deadly peril from attack by Chris.
Botha. It was, perhaps, on account of these rumours that a column was
formed to reconnoitre Utrecht. In conjunction with another column which
moved out from Ingogo, three companies of the Regiment, with the Royal
Dragoons and the 5th Dragoon Guards and two field guns, moved out on the
afternoon of July 1st from Ingagane and camped at Tundega Farm. On the
following morning Tundega Hill was occupied by the infantry whilst the
cavalry reconnoitred over the Buffalo River to Utrecht, which was
distant twenty miles. This place was found occupied by about four
hundred Boers, and after some skirmishing and a good deal of firing the
cavalry returned with a loss of one Royal Dragoon taken prisoner. Next
morning the force returned to Ingagane. The operations were supposed to
have been very successful.
By the end of July the Regiment had quite recovered tone and vigour, and
was well and fit for any work, and on August 2nd, 1900, orders were
received to pack up and proceed by rail the following day to Zandspruit.
On the afternoon of the 3rd the Regiment entrained in coal trucks for
the north. Majuba and Laing's Nek were passed next morning at dawn, and
at 7.30 a.m. Zandspruit was reached.
The strength of the battalion was now 938 of all ranks. All tents and
excess baggage had been returned to store, and on the 6th the Regiment
marched to Meerzicht, where the remainder of General Lyttleton's 4th
Division was found in bivouac. The 4th Division was now complete and
ready to march north with Sir Redvers Buller.
General Buller's force moved out from Meerzicht on August 7th. For some
days previously the Boers had been occupying in force some high ground
known as Rooi Kopjes, a few miles north of Meerzicht, and the Gordon
Highlanders had already twice been slightly engaged with them. The 7th
Brigade advanced out of their camp in attack formation, the Gordons
leading the advance, the Devons in support. Their objective was the Rooi
Kopjes. These were found unoccupied, and, having gained the summit, the
7th Brigade were ordered to make a sweep round to the right.
The new objective was the high ground above Amersfoort. General Buller's
line now occupied some five miles of front. A very high wind was
blowing, and it was not for some time that the Head-quarter Staff, who
at the time were with the 7th Brigade, knew that the artillery of the
8th Brigade, which had marched direct on Amersfoort, were in action,
firing at some Boer guns mounted on the Amersfoort Hills. The Boers were
strongly entrenched on these hills to the number of about 3000 to 4000
with fourteen guns under Chris. Botha and D. Joubert. The 7th Brigade
advanced across a large undulating plain, the Devons leading. The
Gordons had been sent round to the left to support Dundonald's Mounted
Brigade, who had been checked by some fifty Boers. About 6000 yards from
the position Boer shells began to fall among the companies of the
leading battalion. One half battalion under Major Davies thereupon
opened out and advanced, while the other half battalion was sent to the
left under Captain Jacson, with orders to proceed as rapidly as possible
to the assistance of the Gordon Highlanders, who, it was reported, were
being heavily threatened by the Boers on the extreme left. With the
exception of some shell fire the main advance was continued unopposed.
The left half battalion of the Regiment had to make a very long detour,
and on its arrival to the assistance of the Gordons it was found that
the Boer force, which was threatening the left flank, was simply
Dundonald's mounted troops drawing up stationary behind some rising
ground.
After a stiff climb the summit of the Amersfoort Hills was reached just
before dark.
It was found that the Boers had evacuated their position, on their left
flank and rear being threatened by the 8th Brigade. The leading
battalion of this brigade, the 60th Rifles, came under some heavy
musketry fire from the houses in the town, and after several casualties,
which included four officers, Major Campbell, commanding the 60th,
threatened to burn the town if the firing was not discontinued. The
firing then ceased, and the Boers retired to the hills north of the
town.
The Boers had set fire to the long dry grass in every direction, and it
was chiefly by the light of these fires that regiments, companies, and
parties of mounted men found their way off the hill on a pitch-dark
night.
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