My handful of burghers were thus as good as unarmed.
During our march I kept the English continually under surveillance.

They were unable to advance very rapidly, as the bulk of their force was made up of infantry.

But they were too far ahead for the commandos whom I had sent in pursuit to be able to get at them; and for me, with the handful of almost unarmed burghers which I commanded, to have attempted an attack would have been worse than folly.
On the evening of the 2nd of April, the English encamped on the hill to the west of a farm called Oollogspoort; whilst we off-saddled to the north of them, on Mr.Van der Walt's farm.

The enemy, however, was not aware of the position of our laager.
The following morning, at four o'clock, I sent a third report to the commandos.

They had been some way on the road to Dewetsdorp, and thus, far out of the course to Reddersburg, when my second report reached them; and now my despatch rider met only Generals Froneman and De Villiers with seven hundred men and three guns, and was too late to prevent General Wessels from going on to Dewetsdorp.
Shortly after sunrise General Froneman received my report.