29 JANUARY 1901 - TABAKSBERG

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De Wet was travelling at a great pace; but he was driving before him large flocks and herds, the food supplies for his intended campaign, and lingering to let these gain an offing, he allowed Knox to come up with his rear-guard on the Tabaksberg, forty miles north of Thabanchu, on January 29th.

 

The position was immensely strong, and Knox, sending Pilcher against the front, and Crewe with only 600 rifles and three field guns around the Boer right flank, no less than ten miles distant to the eastward, found his divided forces, which would have been fully employed even if acting together, almost over-matched.

 

Pilcher, attacking doggedly, made ground with difficulty all day against a delaying action, which was dangerous from the accuracy of the shrapnel burst by De Wet’s artillerymen. 

 

By the evening, with a loss of fifteen killed and wounded, including two officers, he had sent the Boer rear-guard after its main body, and occupied its ground. Crewe, isolated to the eastward, fared more hardly.

 

His appearance on the flank endangered the enemy’s line of retreat, but he was too weak to push his advantage, and could barely withstand the resistance which his threatening position brought against him.

 

Indeed, only the fine conduct of his troops, especially of the Kaffrarian Rifles, preserved him from destruction, for he was outnumbered by three to one, and it was vital to De Wet to disable him. 

In a fierce attack made in the afternoon the Boers got so nearly home that they actually surrounded and captured in his lines a Vickers-Maxim gun which had jammed. Crewe was then practically surrounded; but seizing commanding ground in the midst of the enemy he concealed his transport below it, and entrenched himself successfully, beating off another attack delivered during the night.

 

Altogether his casualties numbered thirty-five, making fifty in both columns. The enemy lost about the same number, but they had Crewe’ gun, and had kept their southward road open. 
“Official History”, Vol IV p76-7.