Two of them escaped, leaving their clothes behind, but the third was
killed.

Commandant De Vos and I occupied a position on the ridge which lies to
the north of the town; from this point we could shoot into the town at a
range of about 1,600 paces.

Commandant Lategan was stationed on the hill to the west of the town,
close to the farm of Glengarry, whose owner, Mr. B.W. Richter--father of
my valiant Adjutants, B.W. and Jan Richter--must have been much
surprised that morning when he discovered that something very like an
attack was being made on Dewetsdorp.

The enemy held strong positions on points of the ridge to the south-east
(above the Kaffir location) to the south-west and to the north-west.
Their _schanzes_ were built of stones, and provided with trenches. On
the top of the _schanzes_ sandbags had been placed, with spaces left
between them for the rifles.

Of Major Massey, who was in command, and his force, consisting of parts
of the Gloucestershire regiment, the Highland Light Infantry, and the
Irish Rifles, five hundred all told, I have only to say that both
commanding officer and men displayed the greatest valour.

Although Commandants Hasebroek and Prinsloo had not arrived,
nevertheless I had as many as nine hundred men. But I was obliged to
send a strong patrol to Roodekop, eighteen miles from us in the
direction of Bloemfontein, in order to receive reports in time, should
reinforcements be coming up to the help of the English. I had also to
send men to keep watch out towards Thaba'Nchu, Wepener and Reddersburg;
nor could I leave the President's little camp (which I had allowed to
proceed to the farm called "Prospect") without some protection. Thus it
was that of my nine hundred men, only four hundred and fifty were
available for the attack.

It delighted me to see how courageous our burghers were at Dewetsdorp.
As one watched them creeping from _schanze_ to _schanze_, often without
any cover whatever, and in danger at every moment of falling under the
enemy's fire, one felt that there was still hope.

On the first day we advanced until we were close to the _schanzes_ on
the south-east and on the north; we remained there during the night in
our positions, our food being brought to us.

The second day, November 22nd, firing began very early in the morning,
and was kept up until the afternoon. Our most advanced burghers, those
of Harrismith, had come to within about one hundred paces of the first