. South Africa and the Transvaal War. be seemed, therefore, that Fortune had twisted her wheel, and thatbefore long the prospects of South Africa would be brightened,and the remembrances of eighteen years would be entirely sponged 143 The Transvaal War out. Rumours were afloat, however, that the Boers were concen-trating in their old positions near Colenso at the back of GroblersKloof, and everything pointed to the fact that a last determinedeffort would be made to prevent the British from crossing theTugela. In spite of the success of our flying column in driving the foeback acros
. South Africa and the Transvaal War. be seemed, therefore, that Fortune had twisted her wheel, and thatbefore long the prospects of South Africa would be brightened,and the remembrances of eighteen years would be entirely sponged 143 The Transvaal War out. Rumours were afloat, however, that the Boers were concen-trating in their old positions near Colenso at the back of GroblersKloof, and everything pointed to the fact that a last determinedeffort would be made to prevent the British from crossing theTugela. In spite of the success of our flying column in driving the foeback across the river, there was cause for regret that the distancewas too great to allow of our bringing up guns and reinforcementsin time to save the bridge from destruction. But the distance fromFrere to Colenso was considerable, and roads were so heavy thatthe dragging of guns from one place to the other would have meanta stiff days work. There was apparently no option, the Frerebridge being broken, but to let the enemy destroy the Colenso. Telegraph Section of the Royal Engineers. Photo by Elliott & Fry bridge, invaluable as it was. It became very evident that the enemymeant to fight tooth and nail, and that the passage of the Tugelawould be disputed inch by inch. However, none was dismayed : allbelieved that when the great tug-of-war should come, they would beequal, and more than equal, to the occasion, Indeed, now that theforward movement of the troops had commenced, the camp wasanimated by a wave of patriotic fervour. The men were literallyon fire with enthusiasm. They longed to press on and come tosome distinct turning-point in the history of the campaign. A word must here be said of the splendid work done at thistime by the irregular mounted troops, about 700 in number. Theirvalue in all manner of ways was continually being force was made up of a troop of Natal Mounted Police underCaptain Fairlie, the Imperial Light Horse, Bethunes Horse, 60th 144 Surprises at
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