The operations were conducted over a portion of the Colony which is strongly Dutch in sympathy, and the enemy, though they do not appear to have obtained any large number of recruits, were able to gather stores, horses, and information wherever they went.
When last mentioned Kritzinger's men had crossed the railway north of Rosmead on December 30th, and held up a train containing some Colonial troops.

From then onwards a part of them remained in the Middelburg and Graaf-Reinet districts, while part moved towards the south.

On January 11th there was a sharp skirmish near Murraysburg, in which Byng's column was engaged, at the cost of twenty casualties, all of Brabant's or the South African Light Horse.

On the 16th a very rapid movement towards the south began.

On that date Boers appeared at Aberdeen, and on the 18th at Willowmore, having covered seventy miles in two days.