retreating northwards, probably part of the force that had
invested Kimberley. Kelly-Kenny shelled the Boer laager and captured a
number of waggons, but the Boers retreated eastwards along the north
bank of the Modder with Kelly-Kenny at their heels. To assist
Kelly-Kenny French was recalled from the north, and Macdonald with the
Highland Brigade pushed out by a forced march from Jacobsdal. Accounts
differ as to the site of the fighting, but there was a three days'
running fight, during which Cronje may have crossed the Modder and
approached Paardeberg or may have been stopped on the north bank. The
Boer reports, which imply at least that Cronje was hard pressed, were
sent off before the finish, and the first British official reports,
consisting only in a list of officers killed and wounded, show that each
of the three infantry brigades had hard fighting with considerable
losses.

Of eight infantry brigades with which Lord Roberts began his movement
three were engaged against Cronje; one has probably been sent to
Kimberley, with which town railway communication has been re-opened, so
that it will be soon an advanced base for the Army. Lord Roberts,
therefore, who was at Paardeberg on Monday evening, may have had with
him four brigades or two divisions, representing twenty thousand men,
besides the three brigades engaged, which represented before the battle
something like fifteen thousand.

Of French and the cavalry division there is no report. The Boers publish
a telegram from Commandant de Wet, who seems to have brought up
reinforcements while Cronje's action was in progress on Sunday.

The Boer commander evidently counted on reinforcements from all
quarters; a party from Colesberg cut off a British waggon train at the
Riet on or about Friday, the 16th, and reinforcements from Natal arrived
during Cronje's action. Lord Roberts has thus drawn the Boers away from
the circumference towards the centre. He has lightened the tasks of
Buller, Clements, Gatacre, and Brabant, but has thereby brought the
chief load on to his own shoulders. It seems a misfortune that Cronje
was able to escape eastwards from Magersfontein, though it would be
wrong until full knowledge of what took place is obtained to assume that
this could have been avoided.

Cronje, however, has not been able to make good his escape. A Renter's
telegram from Paardeberg dated. Tuesday explicitly states that Cronje's
force was enclosed and remained enclosed. L