ging ▁Kim ber ley . ▁The ▁remainder ▁of ▁C ron je ' s ▁force ▁arrived ▁from ▁the ▁Sie ge ▁of ▁M af ek ing . ▁ ▁Their ▁force ▁now ▁number ed ▁ 8 , 5 0 0 ▁f igh ters , ▁ex cluding ▁camp ▁follow ers ▁and ▁the ▁African ▁labour ers ▁who ▁performed ▁the ▁actual ▁work ▁of ▁dig ging ▁the ▁Bo er ▁ent rench ments . ▁ ▁Ko os ▁de ▁la ▁Rey ▁had ▁been ▁absent ▁from ▁the ▁army ▁immediately ▁after ▁the ▁Battle ▁of ▁the ▁Mod der ▁River , ▁having ▁gone ▁to ▁Jacob sd al ▁to ▁b ury ▁his ▁son ▁Ad ria an , ▁who ▁had ▁been ▁killed ▁by ▁a ▁British ▁shell ▁during ▁the ▁battle . ▁He ▁arrived ▁at ▁the ▁def ensive ▁positions ▁on ▁ 1 ▁December ▁and ▁survey ed ▁the ▁Bo er ▁lines ▁the ▁following ▁day . ▁ ▁He ▁found ▁the ▁def ences ▁lack ing , ▁and ▁real ised ▁that ▁C ron je ' s ▁position ▁at ▁Sp yt f onte in ▁was ▁vulner able ▁to ▁long ▁range ▁art illery ▁fire ▁from ▁the ▁hills ▁at ▁Mag ers f onte in . ▁ ▁He ▁therefore ▁recommended ▁that ▁they ▁should ▁move ▁their ▁def ensive ▁position ▁forward ▁to ▁Mag ers f onte in , ▁to ▁den y ▁the ▁British ▁this ▁opportunity . ▁C ron je , ▁who ▁was ▁the ▁more ▁senior ▁officer , ▁disag re ed ▁with ▁him , ▁so ▁De ▁la ▁Rey ▁te legraph ed ▁his ▁ob jections ▁to ▁President ▁Martin us ▁The un is ▁Ste yn ▁of ▁the ▁Orange ▁Free ▁State . ▁ ▁After