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Updated: June 15, 2025
On the 24th the army was at Vredefort Road, and on the 26th the vanguard crossed the Vaal River at Viljoen's Drift, the whole army following on the 27th. Hamilton's force had been cleverly swung across from the right to the left flank of the British, so that the Boers were massed on the wrong side.
It must be pointed out, however, that the mischief done by our men was in no way authorised was, in fact, against express orders, whereas the British now burn our houses to the joyful fiddling of the London Times, and with a righteous unction eminently national. A small but remarkably severe engagement took place about this time, in which a portion of Viljoen's men suffered heavily.
Prinsloo, even before Viljoen's arrival, had maintained himself without difficulty; and for some weeks after February 24, when an unsuccessful effort was made at Klippan to crush them, they were practically left to roam as they willed, no British troops being available to deal with them effectively. In the N.E. Transvaal B. Viljoen and Muller had been quiescent throughout the summer.
But Ian Hamilton's column had not the honour of being the first troops of the main body to enter the Transvaal, for he found the cavalry in front of him. French, who had been sent out from Kroonstad on May 20, reached the Vaal at Paris on the 24th, and at once threw part of his force into the Transvaal, the rest crossing higher up at Old Viljoen's Drift.
Many of them shook hands with us, and a burgher named Vivian Cogell asked them in Dutch: "How are you, boys?" To which an Englishman, who understood a little Dutch, answered: "Oh, all right; where do you come from?" Vivian replied: "From Viljoen's commando; we are scouting." Then the Englishman discovered who we were, but Vivian gave the man no time for reflection.
It was an uneasy slumber, on dust and rubble, interrupted once by the train quietly steaming away from beside us. But it came back. We were off again at 4.30 A.M., a merry crowd heaped together under blankets on the floor of the truck. We ground slowly on all day, and halted for the night at Viljoen's Drift, the frontier station. August 14.
The main body of the Army with the Commander-in-Chief at its head entered the Transvaal at Viljoen's Drift on May 27, and, like the pioneer columns of French and Ian Hamilton, met with no opposition. It was of good augury for the speedy subjugation of the South African Republic.
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