[Sidenote: Lord Roberts prepares to carry out his plan of campaign.]

Before he left England Lord Roberts had determined on the line for the
advance of the army which he had to command in person. Though in
detail his scheme was somewhat modified afterwards, he began to
prepare for the execution of it as soon as he had landed. For reasons
which will be more fully recorded in his own words, he had decided to
choose the route along the western line of railway, on which side
alone a bridge over the Orange river was in his possession. In order
to possess the freedom of movement essential to the execution of any
sound schemes of war, he determined to make such arrangements as would
enable him to cast himself loose from the railway and to march across
the Free State eastward. His first idea was to strike the central
railway as close as possible to Springfontein junction. He believed
that the Boers would thus be compelled to evacuate their positions at
Stormberg and Colesberg, and to abandon to him the Norval's Pont and
Bethulie bridges over the river. The Commander-in-Chief was convinced,
moreover, that this course, by menacing Bloemfontein, would oblige the
enemy to relax his hold on the Modder river and Natal.[287] But, on
the 27th January, increasing anxiety as to Kimberley led him to decide
that the prompt relief of that town had become necessary. This
involved, not a change of plan, but merely a modification of details.
The initial march eastward was still to be carried out, but as soon as
Cronje's flank had thus been effectively passed, a wheel northward
would bring the British troops athwart the Boer line of communication,
and, when the passage of the Modder was made, the way to Kimberley
would be opened.[288] After relieving Kimberley the Field-Marshal's
movements would depend on the situation, as it might then present
itself, but should such a march appear possible, he determined to make
straight for Bloemfontein.[289] The occupation of that capital would,
he thought, make it easy to re-establish direct railway communication
with Cape Colony through Norval's Pont and Bethulie. The
considerations which guided Lord Roberts to the adoption of this plan,
as finally formulated, were explained by him in detail nearly three
years later to the War Commission in the following terms:[290]

[Footnote 287: Telegram, Lord Roberts to Secretary of State,
26th January, 1900.]

[Footnote 288: Telegram, L