On January 1st the British post of Kuruman fell, by which twelve officers and 120 police were captured.

The town was isolated, and its capture could have no effect upon the general operations, but it is remarkable as the only capture of a fortified post up to this point made by the Boers.
The monotony of the long wait was broken by one dashing raid carried out by a detachment from Methuen's line of communications.

This force consisted of 200 Queenslanders, 100 Canadians (Toronto Company), 40 mounted Munster Fusiliers, a New South Wales Ambulance, and 200 of the Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry with one horse battery.

This singular force, so small in numbers and yet raked from the ends of the earth, was under the command of Colonel Pilcher.

Moving out suddenly and rapidly from Belmont, it struck at the extreme right of the Boer line, which consisted of a laager occupied by the colonial rebels of that part of the country.