23 FEBRUARY 1900 - STORMBERG

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After re-occupying Molteno on 23 February, Lt-Gen Gatacre ordered a reconnaissance towards the Boer positions at Stormberg. 
Gatacre’s force was checked by a Boer Commando on Schoeman’s Farm and he ordered Captain the Hon. R H L J De Montmorency, 21st Lancers (legendary Omdurman VC recipient) with his Scouts and a body of mounted troops to advance and try to lure the Boers towards the position of his guns and infantry.

The mid-morning attempt by Capt De Montmorency to take Schoemanskop was thwarted by some 25 Boers who had beaten him to the summit. De Montmorency and 2 men were killed in the first Boer volley and the rest of the Scouts were pinned down till 3:30pm.

 

The losses in his small corps were:
2 officers and 4 other ranks killed, 2 other ranks wounded and one officer and 5 other ranks prisoner, of whom 2 were wounded