Their Retreat,
However, Was Not Due To Exhaustion, But To The Demonstration Which
Lyttelton Had Been Able To Make In Their Rear.
The gunners and the
infantry had all done well in a most trying action, but by common
consent it
Was with the men from New Zealand that the honours lay.
It was no empty compliment when Sir Alfred Milner telegraphed to
the Premier of New Zealand his congratulations upon the
distinguished behaviour of his fellow countrymen.
From this time onwards there was nothing of importance in this part
of the seat of war.
It is necessary now to turn from the north-east to the north-west
of Pretoria, where the presence of De la Rey and the cover afforded
by the Magaliesberg mountains had kept alive the Boer resistance.
Very rugged lines of hill, alternating with fertile valleys,
afforded a succession of forts and of granaries to the army which
held them. To General Clements' column had been committed the task
of clearing this difficult piece of country. His force fluctuated
in numbers, but does not appear at any time to have consisted of
more than three thousand men, which comprised the Border Regiment,
the Yorkshire Light Infantry, the second Northumberland Fusiliers,
mounted infantry, yeomanry, the 8th R.F.A., P battery R.H.A., and
one heavy gun. With this small army he moved about the district,
breaking up Boer bands, capturing supplies, and bringing in
refugees. On November 13th he was at Krugersdorp, the southern
extremity of his beat.
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