TOPIC:

1901 - Smuts' commando attacked a squadron of the 17th Lancers.
. ....The "Midland News" publishes the following authoritative report of the engagement at Eland's River Poort, where the 17th Lancers suffered so severely :—
...."Smuts' Commando rushed a squadron of the 17th Lancers, under Captain Sandeman, on Tuesday morning, the 17th inst. The squadron was posted at Modderfontein, guarding the Southern exit from Eland's River Poort and another Pass towards the North-east, known as Evans Hoek, to prevent the Boers from coming South-west into the Cradock district. The surprise was due chiefly to the Boers being dressed in khaki, and being thus mistaken for Col. Gorringe's men, who were expected to arrive from Soude Nek during the course of the day. A mist, which hung over the low ground till late that morning, also favoured the approach of the enemy, as in the case of Scobell's capture of Lotter's Commando.
...."On receipt of a report that a small picket in advance of the camp had been rushed, a troop quickly mounted and rode towards the Poort. The officer in command saw some khaki-clad men about two miles from camp, and, thinking that they were some of Colonel Gorringe's Column, he rode forward to meet them. When about two hundred yards distant, seeing them levelling their rifles, he shouted out, 'Don't fire. We are the 17th Lancers.' The only answer was rapid rifle fire, which emptied several saddles. During this time, another body of the enemy had worked up the donga running past the camp, and approached it from the rear. These men were dressed in khaki, and were taken for friends. Major Nickalls was encamped at Hoogstude, about three miles distant, and, having been informed of the attack on Capt. Sandeman's camp, was coming up to its support. Consequently the order was given to fire on this party.
...."The camp was placed on the Southern slope of a gentle rise, which is encircled on the west by a spruit running generally north-west, and joining the main river about two miles distant. About 300 yards from the spruit, the ground on which the camp stood rises into a rocky kopje about 100 yards long at the crest. This was defended with great determination, and most of the casualties occurred here. The Boers, too, suffered very severely in their attack on this position, and it was not until the enemy attacked the hill from the rear that any impression seemed to have been made on the defenders. A perfect hail of bullets appears then to have been poured in from the rear, which killed or wounded all of its defenders. Finally Captain Sandeman tried to reach the kraals in the vicinity of the camp, but most of the men with him were shot down, and he himself was wounded. The Boers then rushed the camp, but not a single man surrendered, the enemy levelling their rifles and firing on any man they saw. Upon Major Nickalls's squadron coming up the enemy retired quickly in the direction in which they had come.
...."The Boers, on entering the camp, went straight for the supplies; but were able to take away only a few biscuits and hardly any ammunition, the Lancers having emptied their bandoliers, as the hundreds of empty cartridges found on the kopje eloquently testified. The enemy's casualties were extremely heavy. The dead and wounded were carried off by the Commando when it retired."—Reuter.
Cheltenham Chronicle, Saturday 28th September 1901