[Three Years’ War by Christiaan Rudolf de Wet]@TWC D-Link book
Three Years’ War

CHAPTER XI
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Wessels.
I came up with Wessels' division on the 6th of April at Badenhorst, on the road from Dewetsdorp to Wepener.

Badenhorst lies at a distance of some ten miles from a ford on the Caledon River, called Tammersbergsdrift, where Colonel Dalgety, with the highly renowned C.M.R.[36] and Brabant's Horse were at that time stationed.

I call them "highly renowned" to be in the fashion, for I must honestly avow that I never could see for what they were renowned.
During the fight at Mostertshoek on the previous day I had kept them under observation, with the result that I learnt that they had entrenched themselves strongly, and that they numbered about sixteen hundred men, though this latter fact was a matter of indifference to me.
The history of Ladysmith, Mafeking, and Kimberley, however, served me as a warning, and I asked myself whether it would be better to besiege the wolf or to wait and see if he would not come out of his lair.
But the wolf, on this occasion, was not to be enticed out on any pretext; and moreover it was probable that Lord Roberts would be able to send a relieving force from Bloemfontein; so I decided to attack at once.

First, however, I despatched some of my best scouts in the direction of Bloemfontein and Reddersburg, while I ordered the commandos under Generals Piet de Wet and A.P.Cronje to take up positions to the east and south-east of the capital.
Early in the morning of the 7th of April I made an attack on two points: one to the south-west, the other to the south-east of Dalgety's fortifications, opening fire on his troops at distances of from five to fifteen hundred paces.

I dare not approach any nearer for lack of suitable cover.


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