On the 20th they halted to rest; and to clean arms and accoutrements. In the afternoon there was a general parade; but it was of a motley crew. The clothing was some of it in rags; some patched with leather; some men had no shoes; some wore sandals made of raw hide and fastened with thongs. And those who had seen the smart Battalion three months before could scarcely have recognised it in the gaunt, unshaven, and ragged warriors on this parade.
On the 21st they marched about fourteen miles and joined the division in the general camp.
On the 25th the Battalion marched to King William’s-town and arrived there on the following day.
On the 31st two companies, Captain Horsford’s and (late) Gibson’s, commanded by Lieutenant Hardinge,[194] crossed the Buffalo river and marched for Fort Peddie, being ordered to join the camp of the 6th Foot, to form a force under Lieutenant-Colonel Michel; the Head-quarters and remaining four companies of the Battalion continuing at King William’s-town.
On February 4 the two detached companies marched to Tamaka; and on the next day, crossing the Keiskamma river at the Line drift, proceeded to Buckraal.
On the 6th they started about four in the morning, and marched to the Fish river bush, a few miles to the right of Fort Peddie, where they arrived about ten and halted for breakfast. But just as the Riflemen were lighting their fires, an order was issued that the two companies were to skirmish through the bush; and if no enemy opposed them to skirmish on to Trumpeter’s drift.[195] Leaving their untasted breakfasts, they dashed into the bush and made their way through it in extended order, until two in the afternoon, when they halted and breakfasted. And at three, falling in again, proceeded through the bush till they emerged from it on the Graham’s-town road about a mile from the great Fish river; to which they advanced, and forded it, the water reaching to the middle, just at sun-set. After this hard day’s work they marched into the barrack built on the bank of the river; and were hospitably received by a detachment of the 91st which then occupied it.
A private, who had been missing when they fell in after breakfast, made his appearance here about eleven at night; and his arrival unharmed was a sufficient proof that no Kaffirs were lurking in the bush. On February 7 these two companies marched to Fort Peddie.