they arrived on the 29th. Louis Botha withdrew into the
hills of Wonderfontein with his main army, leaving a con-
siderable force on the Bothas Berge, north of Middelburg,
threatening the left flank of any further advance eastward
on the part of the British.
Meanwhile Buller (who had previously moved from
Standerton back to Paarde Kop, to be nearer Hildyard, who
was co&stantly threatened by the forces under Christian
Botha near Volksrust) sent Lyttleton and two cavalry brig-
ades to threaten the Boer left flank east of Middelburg, these
troops reaching Amersfoort (25 miles north of Volksrust)
on the 5th of August. Clery was left to guard the rail-
road between Standerton and Heidelberg; Hildyard near
Volksrust.
Botha at first retired before Buller, but finally made a
stand on a ridge north of Amersfoort.
On August 6th the British attacked the position : Dun-
donald on the west side, the infantry on the east; the latter,
with the King's Royal Fusiliers on the right, and the Gordon
Highlanders on the left, continued the attack, in spite of the
heavy artillery fire, till 5 p. m., when the Boers retired. The
roads were so bad that the train was so far to the rear; conse-
quently Buller was compelled to remain in Amersfoort on
the 7th.
On the 8th he continued his advance, reaching Rood (on
the Vaal) on the 9th, and on the 12th Ermelo, in rear of the
forces of Christian Botha, who were retiring on Carolina.
On the 15th he reached Twyfelaar, near Carolina. Mean-
while French's reconnoitering parties from Middleburg over
Wonderfontein had established communication with Buller.
