[Three Years’ War by Christiaan Rudolf de Wet]@TWC D-Link bookThree Years’ War CHAPTER XXXIII 9/10
Later on two more died, one of them being Veldtcornet Louwrens.
I appointed Mr.A.J.Bester as Commandant in the place of Commandant Olivier. Besides one Armstrong and one Maxim-Nordenfeldt, our booty consisted of twenty waggons, mostly ox-waggons, a great quantity of rifle and gun ammunition, guns, tents, five hundred horses and mules, and one waggon laden with spirits, so that the burghers, who were not averse to this, could now satisfy their thirst. The sun had hardly risen when the enemy opened fire from a mountain two miles to the north-east of Groenkop, where there was a little camp with one gun.
If I still had had the same numbers as were with me at the storming of Groenkop, then I could also have taken this little camp.
But it was not to be thought of, for some of my men had been sent away with the waggons, and the others--well, every one had a horse that he had taken from the English, and as these horses were in the pink of condition for rapid retreat, I thought it wiser not to call upon the burghers to attack.
I ordered them, therefore, to go back after the waggons, and in the evening we camped to the north of Bethlehem.
<<Back Index Next>> D-Link book Top TWC mobile books
|