Early the next day, before the enemy had made any movement, we started
for Blauwbank,[18] and, having arrived there, we took up our positions.
Shortly afterwards the fight began; it was confined entirely to the
artillery.

We soon saw that we should have to deal with the whole of Lord Roberts'
force, for there it was, advancing in the direction of Paardenberg's
Drift. It was thus clear that Lord Roberts had not sent his troops to
Koffiefontein with the intention of proceeding by that route to
Bloemfontein, but that his object had been to divide our forces, so as
to march via Paardenberg's Drift to the Capital.

I accordingly withdrew with three hundred and fifty of the burghers in
the direction of Koffiefontein, and then hid my commando as best I
could. The remainder of the men--about a hundred in number--I placed
under Commandant Lubbe, giving him orders to proceed in a direction
parallel to the advance of the English, who now were nearing
Paardenberg's Drift, and to keep a keen eye on their movements. It was a
large force that Lubbe had to watch. It consisted chiefly of mounted
troops; but there were also nine or ten batteries and a convoy of light
mule waggons.

I thought that as General Cronje was opposing them in front, my duty was
to keep myself in hiding and to reconnoitre.

I wished to communicate with General Cronje before the English troops
came up to him, and with this object I sent out a despatch rider. The
man I chose for the mission was Commandant G.J. Scheepers--whose name
later in the war was on every man's lips for his exploits in Cape