It was almost certain that before he could throw his men into the action the captured guns would be beyond his reach, and it was possible that he might swell the disaster.

With all charity, however, one cannot but feel that his return next morning, after a reinforcement during the night, without any attempt to force the Boer position, was lacking in enterprise.
[Footnote: It may be urged in General Colvile's defence that his division had already done a long march from Bloemfontein.

A division, however, which contains two such brigades as Macdonald's and Smith-Dorrien's may safely be called upon for any exertions.

The gunner officers in Colvile's division heard their comrades' guns in 'section--fire' and knew it to be the sign of a desperate situation.] The victory left the Boers in possession of the waterworks, and Bloemfontein had to fall back upon her wells--a change which reacted most disastrously upon the enteric which was already decimating the troops.
The effect of the Sanna's Post defeat was increased by the fact that only four days later (on April 4th) a second even more deplorable disaster befell our troops.

This was the surrender of five companies of infantry, two of them mounted, at Reddersberg.