The English had undoubtedly built these forts with the intention of placing guns there, and thus protecting the town on every side should danger threaten.

But they did not know how to guard their own forts, for when General Botha arrived there he found only three sentries--and they were fast sleep! Two of them escaped, leaving their clothes behind, but the third was killed.
Commandant De Vos and I occupied a position on the ridge which lies to the north of the town; from this point we could shoot into the town at a range of about 1,600 paces.
Commandant Lategan was stationed on the hill to the west of the town, close to the farm of Glengarry, whose owner, Mr.B.W.

Richter--father of my valiant Adjutants, B.W.and Jan Richter--must have been much surprised that morning when he discovered that something very like an attack was being made on Dewetsdorp.
The enemy held strong positions on points of the ridge to the south-east (above the Kaffir location) to the south-west and to the north-west.
Their _schanzes_ were built of stones, and provided with trenches.

On the top of the _schanzes_ sandbags had been placed, with spaces left between them for the rifles.
Of Major Massey, who was in command, and his force, consisting of parts of the Gloucestershire regiment, the Highland Light Infantry, and the Irish Rifles, five hundred all told, I have only to say that both commanding officer and men displayed the greatest valour.
Although Commandants Hasebroek and Prinsloo had not arrived, nevertheless I had as many as nine hundred men.

But I was obliged to send a strong patrol to Roodekop, eighteen miles from us in the direction of Bloemfontein, in order to receive reports in time, should reinforcements be coming up to the help of the English.