On April 20th French Was Back In
Johannesburg Once More.
While French had run to earth the last Boer gun in the
south-eastern corner of the Transvaal, De
La Rey, upon the western
side, had still managed to preserve a considerable artillery with
which he flitted about the passes of the Magaliesberg or took
refuge in the safe districts to the south-west of it. This part of
the country had been several times traversed, but had never been
subdued by British columns. The Boers, like their own veld grass,
need but a few sparks to be left behind to ensure a conflagration
breaking out again. It was into this inflammable country that
Babington moved in March with Klerksdorp for his base. On March
21st he had reached Haartebeestefontein, the scene not long before
of a successful action by Methuen. Here he was joined by
Shekleton's Mounted Infantry, and his whole force consisted of
these, with the 1st Imperial Light Horse, the 6th Imperial Bushmen,
the New Zealanders, a squadron of the 14th Hussars, a wing each of
the Somerset Light Infantry and of the Welsh Fusiliers, with
Carter's guns and four pom-poms. With this mobile and formidable
little force Babington pushed on in search of Smuts and De la Rey,
who were known to be in the immediate neighbourhood.
As a matter of fact the Boers were not only there, but were nearer
and in greater force than had been anticipated. On the 22nd three
squadrons of the Imperial Light Horse under Major Briggs rode into
1500 of them, and it was only by virtue of their steadiness and
gallantry that they succeeded in withdrawing themselves and their
pom-pom without a disaster. With Boers in their front and Boers on
either flank they fought an admirable rearguard action. So hot was
the fire that A squadron alone had twenty-two casualties. They
faced it out, however, until their gun had reached a place of
safety, when they made an orderly retirement towards Babington's
camp, having inflicted as heavy a loss as they had sustained. With
Elandslaagte, Waggon Hill, the relief of Mafeking, Naauwpoort, and
Haartebeestefontein upon their standards, the Imperial Light Horse,
should they take a permanent place in the Army List, will start
with a record of which many older regiments might be proud.
If the Light Horse had a few bad hours on March 22nd at the hands
of the Boers, they and their colonial comrades were soon able to
return the same with interest. On March 23rd Babington moved
forward through Kafir Kraal, the enemy falling back before him.
Next morning the British again advanced, and as the New Zealanders
and Bushmen, who formed the vanguard under Colonel Gray, emerged
from a pass they saw upon the plain in front of them the Boer force
with all its guns moving towards them. Whether this was done of set
purpose or whether the Boers imagined that the British had turned
and were intending to pursue them cannot now be determined, but
whatever the cause it is certain that for almost the first time in
the campaign a considerable force of each side found themselves in
the open and face to face.
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