Had Botha withdrawn to a safe distance, Lord Roberts would
certainly have halted, as he had done at Bloemfontein, and waited
for remounts and reinforcements. But the war could not be allowed
to languish when an active enemy lay only fifteen miles off, within
striking distance of two cities and of the line of rail. Taking all
the troops that he could muster, the British General moved out once
more on Monday, June 11th, to drive Botha from his position. He had
with him Pole-Carew's 11th Division, which numbered about six
thousand men with twenty guns, Ian Hamilton's force, which included
one infantry brigade (Bruce Hamilton's), one cavalry brigade, and a
corps of mounted infantry, say, six thousand in all, with thirty
guns. There remained French's Cavalry Division, with Hutton's
Mounted Infantry, which could not have exceeded two thousand sabres
and rifles. The total force was, therefore, not more than sixteen
or seventeen thousand men, with about seventy guns. Their task was
to carry a carefully prepared position held by at least ten
thousand burghers with a strong artillery.
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