Upon March 6th Methuen, marching east towards Lichtenburg, came in touch near Leeuwspruit with Van Zyl’s commando, and learned in the small skirmish which ensued that some of his Yeomanry were unreliable and ill-instructed.  Having driven the enemy off by his artillery fire, Methuen moved to Tweebosch, where he laagered until next morning.  At 3 A.M. of the 7th the ox-convoy was sent on, under escort of half of his little force.  The other half followed at 4. 20, so as to give the slow-moving oxen a chance of keeping ahead.  It was evident, however, immediately after the column had got started that the enemy were all round in great numbers, and that an attack in force was to be expected.  Lord Methuen gave orders therefore that the ox-wagons should be halted and that the mule-transport should close upon them so as to form one solid block, instead of a straggling line.  At the same time he reinforced his rearguard with mounted men and with two guns, for it was in that quarter that the enemy appeared to be most numerous and aggressive.  An attack was also developing upon the right flank, which was held off by the infantry and by the second section of the guns.

It has been said that Methuen’s horsemen were for the most part inexperienced irregulars.  Such men become in time excellent soldiers, as all this campaign bears witness, but it is too much to expose them to a severe ordeal in the open field when they are still raw and untrained.  As it happened, this particular ordeal was exceedingly severe, but nothing can excuse the absolute failure of the troops concerned to rise to the occasion.  Had Methuen’s rearguard consisted of Imperial Light Horse, or Scottish Horse, it is safe to say that the battle of Tweebosch would have had a very different ending.

What happened was that a large body of Boers formed up in five lines and charged straight home at the rear screen and rearguard, firing from their saddles as they had done at Brakenlaagte.  The sight of those wide-flung lines of determined men galloping over the plain seems to have been too much for the nerves of the unseasoned troopers.  A panic spread through their ranks, and in an instant they had turned their horses’ heads and were thundering to their rear, leaving the two guns uncovered and streaming in wild confusion past the left flank of the jeering infantry who were lying round the wagons.  The limit of their flight seems to have been the wind of their horses, and most of them never drew rein until they had placed many miles between themselves and the comrades whom they had deserted.  ‘It was pitiable,’ says an eye-witness, ’to see the grand old General begging them to stop, but they would not; a large body of them arrived in Kraaipan without firing a shot,’ It was a South African ’Battle of the Spurs.’

By this defection of the greater portion of the force the handful of brave men who remained were left in a hopeless position.  The two guns of the 38th battery were overwhelmed and ridden over by the Boer horsemen, every man being killed or wounded, including Lieutenant Nesham, who acted up to the highest traditions of his corps.