up and joined Generals Clements, Hunter, Broad-
wood and Paget, with the object of once and for all
making an end of the Free-Staters.

Our positions were now exposed to a most terrific
bombardment, but fortunately without any serious
consequences. I must describe here the fearful havoc
that one lyddite shell wrought. It fell into the position
held by Commandant Steenckamp, to the north-west
of Bethlehem, and struck a rock behind which twenty-
five of our horses were standing. Without a single
exception every horse was killed!

The attack was pressed with the greatest vigour on
the positions held by Commandants Van Aard and
Piet Fourie. It became impossible for these officers
to maintain their ground; and, at about twelve o'clock,
before I was able to send them any reinforcements,
they were compelled to give way.

Thus retreat became inevitable, and the enemy en-
tered Bethlehem.

One of our guns we were unable to remove; but
before we withdrew it was thrown down the krans ¹
of the mountain, and broken to pieces.

I knew at the time the number the English had lost,
but now it had slipped my memory. I obtained the
information from a man named Bland, who acted as
our telegraphist. He had tapped the telegraph wire
at Zwingkrans, and before General Clements had de-
tected that he was not communicating with Senekal,
he had received from that General a full list of the
English killed and wounded.

We withdrew our commandos in a southerly direc-
tion to Retiefsnek, whither President Steyn and the
Government had already preceded us.

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