▁to ▁re organ ise , ▁and ▁to ▁improve ▁their ▁next ▁line ▁of ▁defence ▁at ▁Mag ers f onte in . ▁ ▁P rel ude ▁ ▁Bo er ▁def ences ▁After ▁the ▁Battle ▁of ▁the ▁Mod der ▁River , ▁the ▁Bo ers ▁initially ▁retre ated ▁to ▁Jacob sd al , ▁where ▁a ▁comm ando ▁from ▁M af ek ing ▁linked ▁up ▁with ▁them . ▁The ▁following ▁day , ▁C ron je ▁moved ▁his ▁forces ▁ ▁north ▁to ▁Sch olt z ▁N ek ▁and ▁Sp yt f onte in , ▁where ▁they ▁began ▁to ▁fort ify ▁themselves ▁in ▁the ▁hills ▁that ▁made ▁up ▁the ▁last ▁def ens ible ▁position ▁along ▁the ▁railway ▁line ▁to ▁Kim ber ley . ▁Although ▁closer ▁to ▁the ▁British ▁camp ▁than ▁the ▁Bo er ▁camp , ▁Jacob sd al ▁was ▁left ▁poor ly ▁def ended , ▁and ▁continued ▁to ▁function ▁as ▁the ▁Bo ers ' ▁supply ▁base ▁until ▁ 3 ▁December . ▁ ▁The ▁Free ▁State ▁government ▁decided ▁to ▁rein force ▁C ron je ' s ▁position ▁after ▁the ▁Battle ▁of ▁Bel mont . ▁ ▁Between ▁eight ▁hundred ▁and ▁a ▁thousand ▁men ▁of ▁the ▁Heil br on , ▁K ro on stad ▁and ▁Beth le hem ▁command os ▁arrived ▁at ▁Sp yt f onte in ▁from ▁Natal , ▁accompanied ▁by ▁elements ▁of ▁the ▁F icks burg ▁and ▁Lady brand ▁command os ▁from ▁the ▁Bas uto ▁border . ▁Rein for c ements ▁were ▁also ▁brought ▁up ▁from ▁the ▁Blo em hof ▁and ▁Wol mar anst ad ▁command os ▁who ▁were ▁bes ie