up the six miles of steep hill on the
following day. The road, which was the old coaching highway Pilgrim's
Rest-Lydenburg, was found in excellent condition, but it was heavy work
for the oxen, and all wagons were double spanned. The force camped on
the summit, and halted there on the 30th.

A good number of Boers were reported in the vicinity to the west and
north, but they did not make their presence felt and Sunday was spent
quietly.

On October 1st Morgenzon was left and the march continued towards
Kruger's Post and Lydenburg. It was a long, dusty road through narrow
valleys. Opposition was encountered at the bifurcation of the
Lydenburg-Morgenzon and Lydenburg-Ohrigstadt roads, which, however, was
soon overcome, the Boers retiring to the hills out of reach of the guns,
and Kruger's Post was reached at 2 p.m.

Shortly after the Regiment had settled itself in its bivouac a Boer big
gun opened on to it from a hill about 6000 yards distant, and not very
far from the road. This gun also shelled the wagons as they came into
camp, necessitating their halting under cover and coming in later. In
the evening, about 6.30, the Boers brought another gun into action on a
hill due west of the camp, and shelled the cavalry and infantry bivouacs
for one and a half hours in the dark. After several shells had pitched
into their midst the Regiment moved out and formed up into two long
lines and entrenched.

It was whilst marching out to take up this position in the dark that a
shell emptied itself into the head of one company, killing Lieutenant
Cumin and severely wounding Captain Luxmoore and one man. The South
African Light Horse and Strathcona's Horse had a number of casualties
amongst their men and horses.

The Boers by a skilful manoeuvre had kept their guns concealed, ready to
be brought into action as soon as General Buller's army had settled
itself quietly in its bivouac. They expended some cartloads of
ammunition in this manner without interference. In the early hours of
the following morning a band of volunteers ascended the hill to capture
the guns. They had both been withdrawn and were not traced.

On the morning of October 2nd Buller's army reached Lydenburg without
further opposition. Lieutenant Cumin was buried in the evening in
Lydenburg cemetery.

On Saturday, October 6th, Sir Redvers Buller bade farewell to his army.
The troops lined the streets and roads and gave him a hearty send-off.
He was immensely pop