Battles of the nineteenth century . recover the water-works. Swift on the news ofKoorn Spruit there cametidings of another disaster, atReddersburg. General Gat-acre was guarding the rail-way to the south of Bloemfontein, and he had sentout a detached post of three companies of theRoyal Irish Rifles and the mounted infantry of theNorthumberland Fusiliers to hold the village ofDe Wets Dorp, about forty miles south-east ofBloemfontein. De Wets Dorp, a small villagein the hilly country between the railway andthe Basuto border, was a point of great militaryimportance, as it stands at the junction o
Battles of the nineteenth century . recover the water-works. Swift on the news ofKoorn Spruit there cametidings of another disaster, atReddersburg. General Gat-acre was guarding the rail-way to the south of Bloemfontein, and he had sentout a detached post of three companies of theRoyal Irish Rifles and the mounted infantry of theNorthumberland Fusiliers to hold the village ofDe Wets Dorp, about forty miles south-east ofBloemfontein. De Wets Dorp, a small villagein the hilly country between the railway andthe Basuto border, was a point of great militaryimportance, as it stands at the junction of fourroads, leading westward to Bloemfontein, north-ward to Thaba Nchu and Wynberg, eastwardto Wepener and Basutoland, and southward toSmithticid and the Orange River. The Boerforce which had driven Broadwood back fromThaba Nchu. as soon as it had secured thewaterworks and the crossing of the river atSannas Post, sent a strong column southwardto seize De Wets Dorp, whilst another column,under Olivier, marched ujion Wepener, which. GENERAL ERABANT. had just been occupied by the advance guard ofBrabants force coming up from the OrangeRiver. The five companies at De Wets Dorp(three of the Irish Rifles and two of theXorthumberlands, about 400 men in all), whohad no guns with them and no supporting forcewithin many miles, began to withdraw towardsthe railway on the approach of the Boers, whowere reported to be several thousands strongand to have artillery with them. On Monday,April 2nd, the detachment reached Redders-burg, eleven miles from Bethanie Station on theTailway, where the officer in command haltedhis men, as his business was to guard the easternflank of the line, and he naturally supposed thateven if he were attackedhe would be quickly rein-forced from Bethanie. Severalroads unite at Reddersburg,and the position was a goodone from which to watch* theneighbouring country. Early on Tuesday morningReddersburg was attackedby a Boer force, which sur-rounded the village, placed
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, bookpublisherlondo, bookyear1901
