'Murray rode with despatches from Smithfield to De Wet's Dorp, and
finding that our column had left, he decided to overtake us, after
having rested his horse; but in the meantime some of the enemy's
scouts had entered the town, had taken his horse, saddle and
bridle, and were making a vigorous search for him, but in vain; and
under cover of the darkness he walked out and reached us in the
early morning. He came and woke me up, and I took him to the
commanding officer. We marched out again in the grey of the
morning, and at about ten o'clock a.m. we saw dense clouds of dust
rising away in the distance to our extreme right, and shortly
afterwards saw horsemen galloping towards us, whom we vainly hoped
might be our own cavalry, sent to our relief by Lord Roberts at
Bloemfontein; but in a few minutes all our hopes were shattered,
when we heard firing and saw our men engaging the enemy and
retiring upon the adjacent kopjes, which we at once took possession
of, and arranged our hospital, planting the Red Cross flag
immediately in front of our ambulance wagons and hospital tents.

'The battle, now known as the battle of Muishond-fontein, commenced
at 10.45 a.m. on Tuesday, April 3, 1900, and continued all day. At
3.40 p.m. the enemy's guns arrived on the scene of action, and
began shelling us from three different positions. We were
completely surrounded by a force of 3,200, under Commandant De Wet,
who, according to his own testimony to us afterwards, had five
guns, four of which were in action, as well as a Vickers-Maxim.
Shortly after the fighting began bullets and shells were dropping,
and exploding in close proximity to our hospital. The Red Cross
flag had four bullet-holes. Two of the mules, standing in harness
and attached to one of our ambulance wagons, were killed. The