Apart from the operations of De Wet there appeared to be no large force in the field in the Orange River Colony, but early in October of 1900 a small but very mobile and efficient Boer force skirted the eastern outposts of the British, struck the southern line of communications, and then came up the western flank, attacking, where an attack was possible, each of the isolated and weakly garrisoned townlets to which it came, and recruiting its strength from a district which had been hardly touched by the ravages of war, and which by its prosperity alone might have proved the amenity of British military rule.  This force seems to have skirted Wepener without attacking a place of such evil omen to their cause.  Their subsequent movements are readily traced by a sequence of military events.

On October 1st Rouxville was threatened.  On the 9th an outpost of the Cheshire Militia was taken and the railway cut for a few hours in the neighbourhood of Bethulie.  A week later the Boer riders were dotting the country round Phillipolis, Springfontein and Jagersfontein, the latter town being occupied upon October 16th, while the garrison held out upon the nearest kopje.  The town was retaken from the enemy by King Hall and his men, who were Seaforth Highlanders and police.  There was fierce fighting in the streets, and from twenty to thirty of each side were killed or wounded.  Fauresmith was attacked on October 19th, but was also in the very safe hands of the Seaforths, who held it against a severe assault.  Phillipolis was continually attacked between the 18th and the 24th, but made a most notable defence, which was conducted by Gostling, the resident magistrate, with forty civilians.  For a week this band of stalwarts held their own against 600 Boers, and were finally relieved by a force from the railway.  All the operations were not, however, as successful as these three defences.  On October 24th a party of cavalry details belonging to many regiments were snapped up in an ambuscade.  On the next day Jacobsdal was attacked, with considerable loss to the British.  The place was entered in the night, and the enemy occupied the houses which surrounded the square.  The garrison, consisting of about sixty men of the Capetown Highlanders, had encamped in the square, and were helpless when fire was opened upon them in the morning.  There was practically no resistance, and yet for hours a murderous fire was kept up upon the tents in which they cowered, so that the affair seems not to have been far removed from murder.  Two-thirds of the little force were killed or wounded.  The number of the assailants does not appear to have been great, and they vanished upon the appearance of a relieving force from Modder River.

After the disaster at Jacobsdal the enemy appeared on November 1st near Kimberley and captured a small convoy.  The country round was disturbed, and Settle was sent south with a column to pacify it.  In this way we can trace this small cyclone from its origin in the old storm centre in the north-east of the Orange River Colony, sweeping round the whole country, striking one post after another, and finally blowing out at the corresponding point upon the other side of the seat of war.