De la Rey’s campaign of 1902.

It will be remembered that at the close of 1901 Lord Methuen and Colonel Kekewich had both come across to the eastern side of their district and made their base at the railway line in the Klerksdorp section.  Their position was strengthened by the fact that a blockhouse cordon now ran from Klerksdorp to Ventersdorp, and from Ventersdorp to Potchefstroom, so that this triangle could be effectively controlled.  There remained, however, a huge tract of difficult country which was practically in the occupation of the enemy.  Several thousand stalwarts were known to be riding with De la Rey and his energetic lieutenant Kemp.  The strenuous operations of the British in the Eastern Transvaal and in the Orange River Colony had caused this district to be comparatively neglected, and so everything was in favour of an aggressive movement of the Boers.  There was a long lull after the unsuccessful attack upon Kekewich’s camp at Moedwill, but close observers of the war distrusted this ominous calm and expected a storm to follow.

The new year found the British connecting Ventersdorp with Tafelkop by a blockhouse line.  The latter place had been a centre of Boer activity.  Colonel Hickie’s column covered this operation.  Meanwhile Methuen had struck across through Wolmaranstad as far as Vryburg.  In these operations, which resulted in constant small captures, he was assisted by a column under Major Paris working from Kimberley.  From Vryburg Lord Methuen made his way in the middle of January to Lichtenburg, meeting with a small rebuff in the neighbourhood of that town, for a detachment of Yeomanry was overwhelmed by General Celliers, who killed eight, wounded fifteen, and captured forty.  From Lichtenburg Lord Methuen continued his enormous trek, and arrived on February 1st at Klerksdorp once more.  Little rest was given to his hard-worked troops, and they were sent off again within the week under the command of Von Donop, with the result that on February 8th, near Wolmaranstad, they captured Potgieter’s laager with forty Boer prisoners.  Von Donop remained at Wolmaranstad until late in February; On the 23rd he despatched an empty convoy back to Klerksdorp, the fate of which will be afterwards narrated.

Kekewich and Hickie had combined their forces at the beginning of February.  On February 4th an attempt was made by them to surprise General De la Rey.  The mounted troops who were despatched under Major Leader failed in this enterprise, but they found and overwhelmed the laager of Sarel Alberts, capturing 132 prisoners.  By stampeding the horses the Boer retreat was cut off, and the attack was so furiously driven home, especially by the admirable Scottish Horse, that few of the enemy got away.  Alberts himself with all his officers were among the prisoners.  From this time until the end of February this column was not seriously engaged.

It has been stated above that on February 23rd Von Donop sent in an empty convoy from Wolmaranstad to Klerksdorp, a distance of about fifty miles.  Nothing had been heard for some time of De la Rey, but he had called together his men and was waiting to bring off some coup.  The convoy gave him the very opportunity for which he sought.