17 JULY 1901 - NEAR CRADOCK

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“At Garstland’s Kloof near Waterkloof, in the very mountainous country west of Cradock, Kritzinger sprung an unpleasant surprise on Crabbe’s column on July 17.

 

Leaving the guns and transport in Garstland’s Kloof, the column had climbed over the mountains on July 16 and sometime after nightfall reached the farm Jackalsfontein, which Kritzinger’s men had just left.

 

The Boers had not ridden far, however, and at dawn they crept back, shot down two of the pickets and seized a commanding ridge only 700 yards from the column’s bivouac.

 

As a result of the heavy Boer fire, most of the column’s horses broke their lines and stampeded down the road, where they ran straight into the hands of the enemy.

All day long the fight continued in extreme heat and with water at a premium. Kritzinger, who had been reinforced by Lotter’s commando, called on the column to surrender but the men held their ground.

 

At nightfall the men, led by Captain Dick of Grahamstown, fixed bayonets and marched some 25 miles to reach Mortimer station, south of Cradock. The column suffered seven casualties in all….”.
“Prince Alfred’s Guard” by Neil Orpen, p117.