He Found, However, That
The Enemy Were Holding The Formidable Ridges Which Lie Between That
Place And Dalmanutha, And That They Showed Every Sign Of Giving
Battle, Presenting A Firm Front To Buller On The South As Well As
To Roberts's Army On The West.
On the 23rd some successes attended their efforts to check the
advance from the south.
During the day Buller had advanced
steadily, though under incessant fire. The evening found him only
six miles to the south of Dalmanutha, the centre of the Boer
position. By some misfortune, however, after dark two companies of
the Liverpool Regiment found themselves isolated from their
comrades and exposed to a very heavy fire. They had pushed forward
too far, and were very near to being surrounded and destroyed.
There were fifty-six casualties in their ranks, and thirty-two,
including their wounded captain, were taken. The total losses in
the day were 121.
On August 25th it was evident that important events were at hand,
for on that date Lord Roberts arrived at Belfast and held a
conference with Buller, French, and Pole-Carew. The general
communicated his plans to his three lieutenants, and on the 26th
and following days the fruits of the interview were seen in a
succession of rapid manoeuvres which drove the Boers out of this,
the strongest position which they had held since they left the
banks of the Tugela.
The advance of Lord Roberts was made, as his wont is, with two
widespread wings, and a central body to connect them. Such a
movement leaves the enemy in doubt as to which flank will really be
attacked, while if he denudes his centre in order to strengthen
both flanks there is the chance of a frontal advance which might
cut him in two. French with two cavalry brigades formed the left
advance, Pole-Carew the centre, and Buller the right, the whole
operations extending over thirty miles of infamous country. It is
probable that Lord Roberts had reckoned that the Boer right was
likely to be their strongest position, since if it were turned it
would cut off their retreat upon Lydenburg, so his own main attack
was directed upon their left. This was carried out by General
Buller on August 26th and 27th.
On the first day the movement upon Buller's part consisted in a
very deliberate reconnaissance of and closing in upon the enemy's
position, his troops bivouacking upon the ground which they had
won. On the second, finding that all further progress was barred by
the strong ridge of Bergendal, he prepared his attack carefully
with artillery and then let loose his infantry upon it. It was a
gallant feat of arms upon either side. The Boer position was held
by a detachment of the Johannesburg Police, who may have been
bullies in peace, but were certainly heroes in war. The fire of
sixty guns was concentrated for a couple of hours upon a position
only a few hundred yards in diameter.
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