To the north, at what seemed the vulnerable point, were the Rifle Brigade, the Rifles, and the remains of the 18th Hussars.

To the west were the 5th Lancers, 19th Hussars, and 5th Dragoon Guards.

The rest of the force was encamped round the outskirts of the town.
There appears to have been some idea in the Boer mind that the mere fact that they held a dominant position over the town would soon necessitate the surrender of the army.

At the end of a week they had realised, however, just as the British had, that a siege lay before both.

Their fire upon the town was heavy but not deadly, though it became more effective as the weeks went on.