The first town
of any consequence along the Delagoa Railway is Middelburg, some
seventy miles from the capital. This became the British objective,
and the forces of Mahon and Hamilton on the north, of Pole-Carew in
the centre, and of French and Hutton to the south, all converged
upon it. There was no serious resistance, though the weather was
abominable, and on July 27th the town was in the hands of the
invaders. From that date until the final advance to the eastward
French held this advanced post, while Pole-Carew guarded the
railway line. Rumours of trouble in the west had convinced Roberts
that it was not yet time to push his advantage to the east, and he
recalled Ian Hamilton's force to act for a time upon the other side
of the seat of the war. This excellent little army, consisting of
Mahon's and Pilcher's mounted infantry, M battery R.H.A., the
Elswick battery, two 5-inch and two 4.7 guns, with the Berkshires,
the Border Regiment, the Argyle and Sutherlands, and the Scottish
Borderers, put in as much hard work in marching and in fighting as
any body of troops in the whole campaign.
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