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Page 34
The English shells fell with terrible accuracy into the sangars, and
there was an almost continuous explosion on the hill. Yet the Boers kept
up their fire till the Rifle Brigade were within ten yards of them, and
their pompom was in action, although partly jammed and firing single
shots, till the very end. This pompom was bravely served by one man, the
remainder of the gun team having been either killed or wounded. It is
not known whether this plucky fellow survived or not.
General Walter Kitchener, who was commanding the infantry attack,
decided to attack with the Rifle Brigade along the ridge which ended in
the kopje, which was slightly above the level of the ridge. At the same
time he ordered the Inniskilling Fusiliers to attack over the low ground
on the Rifle Brigade's right, whilst the Gordon Highlanders and the
Devonshire Regiment were held in support.
The Rifle Brigade started from the foot of the hills under which they
had taken cover, and which was about 1200 yards from the Boer position,
and almost immediately came under heavy musketry fire, being much
exposed on the high open ridge.
They, however, continued their advance in perfect order and eventually
rushed the kopje, the British shells dropping and the Boers firing till
the assault had been delivered. The Inniskillings advanced across the
low ground underneath the Rifle Brigade. Their advance was slightly
delayed, and their delivery of the assault was consequently later than
that of the Rifle Brigade. Captain Emerson with one company of the
Regiment which had been told off as escort to the Maxim guns, advanced
with the leading company of the Inniskillings.
The whole Boer position was evacuated as soon as their line had been
penetrated by the capture of the Bergendal Kopje.
The casualties amongst the Rifle Brigade were severe, owing to the much
exposed ground over which it was necessary for the attack to be
delivered, and to the fact that, as the extended lines converged on to
the small kopje, the men naturally became crowded and formed a better
mark for the Boer rifles. They lost two officers and fourteen men killed
and five officers and fifty men wounded, of whom two officers died of
their wounds the following day. The Regiment had one man wounded.
The position was soon made good, although the Boers held on tenaciously
to a long rocky ridge in their rear to which they had retired, till
nightfall. The force bivouacked for the night near the farm.
This action was known officially as the battle of Belfast.
A quiet night was passed, and next morning, August 28th, the force
occupied Machadodorp with slight opposition. The Boers were seen
retreating up the road leading to Lydenburg, and on the high ground
above the town they brought two big guns into action.
The Gordon Highlanders, in support of Dundonald's Mounted Brigade, were
sent on through the town and occupied the high ground on the far side,
and the Boers retired before them.
The Boers had made a very hurried retirement. In Machadodorp on the
evening of the day of the fight, guns and cartloads of ammunition were
parked in the big open space in the centre of the town. These were moved
off very hurriedly on the approach of the British force, and the guns
had only reached the top of the hills on the further side of Machadodorp
when General Buller's infantry came in view. General Buller brought some
long-range guns into action and shelled them as they ascended the hill,
but without result.
From lack of efficient pursuit after the battle the evening before, and
a too cautious advance in the morning, an opportunity to do the Boer
forces considerable damage was apparently lost. A wagon containing
pompom ammunition was captured by Dundonald's Mounted Brigade, but the
pompom itself got away, notwithstanding the very slight opposition
offered by the Boers.
The following day General Buller's forces reached Helvetia Farm, where
General French's column and General Pole Carew's division joined up.
With the object of releasing the prisoners who had been sent by the
Boers from Pretoria to Noitgedacht down the railway line towards Komati
Poort, General Buller's force now turned eastwards and marched along the
heights on the north side of the railway. On the first day out from
Helvetia his cavalry saw some 2000 released English prisoners marching
up the line towards Waterval Onder from the direction of Noitgedacht,
and having been unable to obtain touch with the Boers, the force
retraced their steps, and encamped some six miles from Helvetia at
Vluchtfontein, and at this place a halt was made on the following day.
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