hich had been
bombarding them continuously since the morning--doing but little damage
however, as our burghers were behind the railway embankment. But now
they had to fly over open ground, and on foot, as they had gone down
without their horses because there was no safe place for the animals.

If two hundred burghers--the number I had arranged for--had been in the
position, there would have been no chance of the enemy's reinforcement
being able to drive them out: and in all probability General Barton
would have been obliged to surrender. Instead of this we had a loss of
thirty killed and wounded, and about the same number were taken
prisoners. Among the dead was the renowned Sarel Cilliers, grandson of
the worthy "voortrekker"[73] of the same name. Veldtcornet Jurie
Wessels was the most distinguished of the prisoners.

It was a miserable affair altogether: General Froneman ought to have
called his men back when he saw that General Liebenberg had not sent his
contingent. I have heard however that Captain Cilliers refused to leave
the position until it became no longer tenable. It was hard indeed for
him to lose a battle thus, when it was nearly won, and to be compelled
to retreat when victory was all but within his grasp.

We retired towards Vanvurenskloof, and on arriving there the following
evening heard that a great English force had come from Schoemansdrift
and captured Potchefstroom, that another force was at Tijgerfontein, and
a third at Schoemansdrift.

Early next morning we crossed the Vaal River at Witbanksfontein. There
we off-saddled.

Now I had sent out scouts--not, however, Commandant Jan Theron's men,
but ordinary burghers whom the Commandants had sent out--and just as we
had partaken about noon of a late breakfast, these burghers came
hurriedly into the camp, shouting: "The enemy is close at hand!"

It was not long before every one had up-saddled, and we were off. The
English had taken up positions on the kopjes due north of the Vaal
River, whilst we had for our defence only kraals and boundary walls. As
these offered no shelter for our horses, we were forced to retreat. And
a most unpleasant time of it we had until we got out of range of their
guns and small arms. During this retreat we lost one of our guns. This
happened while I was with the left wing. One of the wheels of the
carriage fell off, and the gun had to be left behind. Another incident
of our flight was more remarkable. A shell from one