General Roux with other Free-Staters was stationed east of Senekal, and the remainder of our forces lay near Lindley.

But the commandos from Vrede and Harrismith, with part of the Bethlehem commando, still remained as watchers on the Drakensberg.
When I arrived at Heilbron, late at night, I received a report that fighting was taking place on the Rhenoster River, between Heilbron and Lindley, and that General J.B.Wessels and Commandant Steenekamp had been driven back.

But on the following morning, when the outposts came in, they stated that they had seen nothing of this engagement.

I immediately sent out scouts, but hardly had they gone, before one of them came galloping back with the news that the enemy had approached quite close to the town.

It was impossible for me to oppose a force of five or six thousand men on the open plain; and I could not move to suitable positions, for that would involve having the women and children behind me when the enemy were bombarding me.