Battles of the nineteenth century . n the move ; but thenews of immediate relief still seemed too goodto be true, and some of the look-out men per- sisted in saying tliat the mounted men in tliedistance were really Boers. But a little later theglad news spread that French was really coming,and, after dark, he rode into the town amid ascene of wild In his dash for Kim-berley he had not lost fifty men, but hundredsof horses had died or broken down, and, thoughit was known that the Boers were draggingaway their heavy guns, the cavalry were in nocondition for immediate pursuit. Thus,
Battles of the nineteenth century . n the move ; but thenews of immediate relief still seemed too goodto be true, and some of the look-out men per- sisted in saying tliat the mounted men in tliedistance were really Boers. But a little later theglad news spread that French was really coming,and, after dark, he rode into the town amid ascene of wild In his dash for Kim-berley he had not lost fifty men, but hundredsof horses had died or broken down, and, thoughit was known that the Boers were draggingaway their heavy guns, the cavalry were in nocondition for immediate pursuit. Thus, after a resistance of 124 days, thesiege of Kimberley ended. It now re-mained to accomplish the second task—thecapture of Cronjes army, which was supposedto be safely hemmed in in the Magersfonteinlines. But before relating what followed the reliefof Kimberley, we must see what the infantrvdivisions were doing during the last day ofFrenchs ride, and what was happening onRobertss left at Jacobsdal and in his rear atWaterval OF FKENCUb HORSES AFTER THE ADVANCE ro 212 CHAPTER XXV. JACOnSDAL AND WATKKVAI. DKIFT. m MAJ^ C. TUCKEIi French was pushing forwardto Kimberley on Thursday, Feb-ruary iftli, Lord Roberts, withTuckers division and some of themounted infantry, moved from Wt^gdraai west-wards upon Jacobsdal. A patrol pushing on inadvance found the place evacuated. The hospitalwas full of wounded, many of them Britishwounded prisoners from Colesberg. But tlicBoers returned in force, and thepatrol fell back skirmishing. On the approach of the mainbody of Tuckers division a half-hearted attempt was made to defendthe town. A bodv of riflemen heldits eastern edge, but they had noguns with them, and in the after-noon, when Tuckers batterieoarrived and opened lire, thev werequickly driven out. The mountedinfantry were sent in to clear thetown. The action was interestingbecause it was the first time thata body of British volunteers was enga
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