General Tobias Smuts, with a force of about 2,600 men, and Lieutenant-Colonel S.P.E. Trichardt with 11 field guns were ordered to cover Chief Commandant De Wet's expedition. Neither of them was familiar with the vicinity and they had to wait for guides before taking up their positions. Where they could have easily prevented it, the delay allowed the British to cross the river without opposition
In a desperate race for positions near Tafelkop, the burghers reached it first and the British cavalry was repulsed. They had to make a huge detour to work around the Republican flank while the infantry, supported by the artillery, occupied the enemy's attention with assaults on their front. General Chermside's Scottish Borderers, convinced that the Republicans have been cleared out by the overwhelming barrage, were rudely disillusioned when the burghers open up from invisible positions in their front and completely shocked when Trichardt's shells landed among them. The British guns were pushed forward with every charge, but they remained inefficient in silencing either their counterparts or the enemy riflemen. On their flank Captain Danie Theron and seventeen of his scouts delayed General Tucker's vanguard, a unit of about 400 men, for most of the day - even taking the time to capture 100 oxen in the process. The action was inconclusive and General T. Smuts returned to Brandfort when, at dusk, the British took heights west of the railway line and threatened their line of retreat. The British lost 30 killed, 155 wounded and five missing in action, while the burghers lost three killed and 18 wounded."
Source: P.G. Cloete "The Anglo-Boer War: a chronology".
[Entry provided by Chris Smith of the Heilbron Commando - see Links]
