y were
the houses destroyed, but every head of cattle was taken.

Towards the end of January, 1902, still more columns arrived and a
"drive" began.

I remained in the neighbourhood until the 2nd of February and stationed
Commandant Mears with the guns to the east of the Wilge River. The
English formed a circle round him, but he succeeded in getting the guns
away in safety. When he was out of their clutches, I sent him orders to
bring the guns through the blockhouse line between Lindley and
Bethlehem, and then to push on towards Winburg.

It was my intention, on arriving there, to collect as rapidly as
possible a commando from the men of Bethlehem, Kroonstad, and Winburg,
and to attack the first column that gave me a chance of doing so.

Commandant Mears carried out my orders at once. A force of the enemy had
been waiting for him for three or four days at the farm of Fanny's Home,
on the Liebenbergsvlei. But before the sun had risen, a strong force
under Colonel Byng had surrounded him and forced him to abandon the
guns. And not only were the guns lost, but Captain Muller and thirteen
gunners were taken prisoner.

Thus the guns had not been of much benefit to us, for the English had
kept us so constantly on the move that it had been impossible to use
them.

The forces of the enemy between Harrismith and Vrede had formed a line
extending from the Harrismith-Bethlehem blockhouses to the blockhouses
between Vrede, Frankfort and Heilbron. And now the troops were advancing
in close contact with each other, hoping thus to force us against one or
other line of blockhouses.

Nearer and nearer they came, until at noon on February the 5th we saw
them to the east of Liebenbergsvlei. As I was watching their movements
from the top of Elandskop, I was informed by heliogram[102] from
Blaauwkop and Verkijkerskop that there was a cordon of the English from
Frankfort to a spot between Bethlehem and Lindley.

The intention of the enemy appeared to be to drive us against the
Heilbron-Kroonstad blockhouses and the railway line. We had therefore to
be prepared to fight our way through the blockhouses. And these, as I
found out lately, had been greatly strengthened.

On the 6th of February I was on the march, intending to advance to
Slangfontein, to the west of Heilbron. I sent orders to Commandants
Mentz, Van der Merwe, and Van Coller, to take a portion of Commandant
Bester's burghers, telling them to go to Slangfontein. For I hope