Dragoon Guards and two field guns, moved out on the afternoon of July 1st from Ingagane and camped at Tundega Farm.  On the following morning Tundega Hill was occupied by the infantry whilst the cavalry reconnoitred over the Buffalo River to Utrecht, which was distant twenty miles.  This place was found occupied by about four hundred Boers, and after some skirmishing and a good deal of firing the cavalry returned with a loss of one Royal Dragoon taken prisoner.  Next morning the force returned to Ingagane.  The operations were supposed to have been very successful.

By the end of July the Regiment had quite recovered tone and vigour, and was well and fit for any work, and on August 2nd, 1900, orders were received to pack up and proceed by rail the following day to Zandspruit.  On the afternoon of the 3rd the Regiment entrained in coal trucks for the north.  Majuba and Laing’s Nek were passed next morning at dawn, and at 7.30 a.m.  Zandspruit was reached.

The strength of the battalion was now 938 of all ranks.  All tents and excess baggage had been returned to store, and on the 6th the Regiment marched to Meerzicht, where the remainder of General Lyttleton’s 4th Division was found in bivouac.  The 4th Division was now complete and ready to march north with Sir Redvers Buller.

General Buller’s force moved out from Meerzicht on August 7th.  For some days previously the Boers had been occupying in force some high ground known as Rooi Kopjes, a few miles north of Meerzicht, and the Gordon Highlanders had already twice been slightly engaged with them.  The 7th Brigade advanced out of their camp in attack formation, the Gordons leading the advance, the Devons in support.  Their objective was the Rooi Kopjes.  These were found unoccupied, and, having gained the summit, the 7th Brigade were ordered to make a sweep round to the right.

The new objective was the high ground above Amersfoort.  General Buller’s line now occupied some five miles of front.  A very high wind was blowing, and it was not for some time that the Head-quarter Staff, who at the time were with the 7th Brigade, knew that the artillery of the 8th Brigade, which had marched direct on Amersfoort, were in action, firing at some Boer guns mounted on the Amersfoort Hills.  The Boers were strongly entrenched on these hills to the number of about 3000 to 4000 with fourteen guns under Chris. Botha and D. Joubert.  The 7th Brigade advanced across a large undulating plain, the Devons leading.  The Gordons had been sent round to the left to support Dundonald’s Mounted Brigade, who had been checked by some fifty Boers.  About 6000 yards from the position Boer shells began to fall among the companies of the leading battalion.  One half battalion under Major Davies thereupon opened out and advanced, while the other half battalion was sent to the left under Captain Jacson, with orders to proceed as rapidly as possible to the assistance of the Gordon Highlanders, who, it