As Roberts's army occupies Pretoria, the Boer fighters in the Orange Free State retreat into the Brandwater Basin, a fertile area in the north-east of the Republic.
This offers only temporary sanctuary, as the mountain passes leading to it can be occupied by the British, trapping the Boers.
A force under General Archibald Hunter sets out from Bloemfontein to achieve this in July 1900.
The hard core of the Free State Boers under De Wet, accompanied by President Steyn, leave the basin early.
Those remaining falls into confusion and most fail to break out before Hunter traps them.
Forty-five hundred Boers surrender and much equipment is captured but as with Roberts's drive against Kruger at the same time, these losses are of relatively little consequence, as the hard core of the Boer armies and their most determined and active leaders remain at large.
