On the fifth day I agreed with General Liebenberg that we should take up a new position on the embankment north-west of the strongest part of the English encampment.

This position was to be held by two hundred men, of whom I gave eighty to General Froneman and one hundred and twenty to General Liebenberg.

It was a position that we could not leave during the day without great danger, and it needed a large force to hold it, for its garrison had to be strong enough to defend itself if it should be attacked.
If only my arrangements had been carried out all would have gone well.
But what happened?
I thought that two hundred men had gone in accordance with my orders to that position.

Instead of this there were only eighty there when, on the following morning, a very strong reinforcement of English, ordered up by General Barton, appeared from the direction of Krugersdorp.

I did not hear of this reinforcement till it was so close that there was no chance for me to keep it back.