Sterkstroom (F 13)

Name: Sterkstroom

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In the first confusion and distraction of his defeat Gatacre ordered a general retreat to Queenstown. That retreat would probably have been followed by the spread of invasion and rebellion as far as Tarkastad and Cradock, and by the interruption of the railway communication along the main line from Port Elizabeth to Naauwpoort. Fortunately he countermanded the order almost immediately, in consultation with his staff, and now decided only to fall back as far as Sterkstroom, thus making his headquarters actually nearer to the Boers than they had been before at Putter's Kraal. The bulk of the infantry and the artillery were sent back by train to Sterkstroom during the afternoon. The detachment from Pen Hoek, which had arrived in the course of the day and had reconnoitred out towards Stormberg, returned to its position the following day. The rest of the mounted troops remained at Cyphergat watching Molteno, and then returned to Bushman's Hoek. A few days later Gatacre was reinforced by the arrival of the 79th Battery, R.F.A., and of the 1st Battalion of the Derbyshire Regiment, while the Northumberland Fusiliers were sent down to East London to recruit and be reorganised. The situation in Eastern Cape Colony was now more critical than ever, but fortunately the Boers made no attempt to follow up their success immediately, and before Christmas Gatacre himself, undiscouraged by his reverse, was carrying on successful minor operations in the direction of Dordrecht.

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