Bishopswood, Ryan’s Camp,
17th April, 1897.
To the Secretary for Defence.
Sir,—I have the honour to report that at 7 p.m. on the night of the 14th April, I moved out of Camp to attack Toto’s Stadt with a force composed as follows:—
"E” Squadron C.M.R. 3 officers. 69 Other ranks. Total 72
Artillery Troop C.M.R. No officers. 8 Other ranks. Total 8
P.A.O.C. Artillery. 2 officers. 25 Other ranks. Total 27
D.E.O.V.R., Mounted. 3 officers. 91 Other ranks. Total 94
1st City, Mounted. 3 officers. 65 Other ranks. Total 68
Vryburg Volunteers. 7 officers. 117 Other ranks. Total 124
Gordonia Volunteers. 4 officers. 107 Other ranks. Total 111
Native Contingent. 1 officers. 40 Other ranks. Total 41
Volunteer Medical Staff. 5 officers. 18 Other ranks. Total 23
Total: 28 officers. 540 Other ranks. 568 in total
Puduhusche, I halted until daybreak and then moved forward to attack and destroy the Stadt. This was done and Toto’s house with about 280 huts were burnt, the rebels offering little resistance, their shooting also was decidedly indifferent. I then moved about nine miles to the south to a village called Mashushuling, about three miles to the east of Lokeng, and having burnt the village, I formed laager for the night, obtaining there sufficient water for the horses and cattle.
At daybreak ou the morning of the ICth I sent Captain Lukin with one Maxim, the Vryburg Volunteers and the Gordonia contingent, to destroy the huts along the base of the mountain and in the Lokeng Valley, which he did, burning between four and five hundred huts.
'The resistance of the rebels on this occasion was again weak, although of a more determined character than at Puduhusche, and the only casualty was one horse shot.
Almost the whole of the huts on the eastern side of the Laugberg from Gamasep to close to Oliphant’s Hook have now been destroyed. Two hundred head of cattle and nineteen horses were captured.
Our horses and cattle had a rough time of it on the 15th inst., the former being seventeen hours under the saddle and the latter the same time under the yoke, so I decided to return to Bishopswood (Ryan’s), which was about seventeen miles off, the column reaching there at C p.m.
I have, &c.,
(Sgd.) E. H. DALGETY,
Lieut.-Col.,
Commanding B.F. Force.
