On 11 October 1899, when the ultimatum issued to Britain had expired, the<br />Boer force consisting of roughly 11 400 burghers from the South African Republic<br />(hereafter ZAR), commanded by Generals Erasmus, Kock and Meyer and 6 000<br />burghers from the Orange Free State (hereafter OFS), under Chief Commandant<br />Prinsloo and Commandant De Villiers, invaded Natal and specifically Klip River<br />County. The Republican objective seems to have been to defeat the force under Major-<br />General William Penn-Symons at Dundee and to proceed to Ladysmith in order to<br />capture the town, which was located at the important railway junction between the<br />Republics and the Colony of Natal. Once this was achieved, the goal was to be<br />defensive and to halt the advance of British reinforcements.