General
French at Colesberg and of Colonel Pilcher at Sunnyside are valuable
mainly as evidence that with sound tactics the Boers are by no means
invincible, and that British troops only require intelligent leading to
be as capable of the best work as any troops in the world. General
French, however, until the hour at which I write had not finished his
wrestle with the Boers at Colesberg, and until it is over no military
action can be classed either as success or failure. Colonel Pilcher's
opponents were colonial rebels, probably not as good as Transvaal Boers,
who have had in peace more rifle practice. The losses were small,
proving that the resistance of the enemy was by no means desperate, and
as the retreating force was not pursued the defeat was not crushing.
Colonel Pilcher by the temporary occupation of Douglas reaped the fruits
of his victory, but the whole small campaign is of no very great
importance, as the possession of the triangle between the railway and
the Riet and Orange Rivers depends in the ultimate issue not upon the
event of local skirmishes, but on the issue of the decisive fighting
between the British Army and the forces of the Republics. Lord Methuen's
communications appear to be now well organized and guarded, so that his
position need cause no special anxiety. A good deal depends on the
outcome of the struggle between General French and the Colesberg Boers,
for, while a Boer defeat would render the line from the Cape to Orange
River quite safe, a Boer victory would endanger not only Naauwpoort but
De Aar. General Gatacre's cue should be to risk nothing. If he waits
where he is and merely holds his own until the sixth division is ready
for use no harm will have been done; if he makes any mistakes the
consequences may be more than the sixth division can remedy. The centre
of interest still lies between Ladysmith and Frere. The tone of the
telegrams from Ladysmith, which declare that though the bombardment has
been more effective since Christmas, and through dysentary and enteric
fever are busy, "all is yet well," proves that the situation of Sir
George White's force is critical, and may at any moment become
desperate. The Boers by occupying and fortifying positions south of the
Tugela have taken the best means of making sure that Sir Redvers
Buller's advance, even if successful, shall be delayed and the time
taken over it prolonged. The Boer commander sees clearly that his
present object is to de