Historical records of the 91st Argyllshire ... - waughfamily.ca

9 1ST ARGYLLSHIRE HIGHLANDERS. 167and nothing of note occurred till the month "ofJuly.In that month two companies, under commandof Captain Rawstorne, marched to Colesberg toco-operatewith a force under the immediatecommand of the governor, Lieutenant-General SirHarry Smith, againstnorth-east district.tothe rebel Boers in theThis detachment was orderedproceed as quickly as possible, but on arrivingat Botha's Drift, it was found that the GreatFish River was in full flood, and there was nomeans of conveying the men across ; so, afterwaiting two days, and finding it did not godown, Captain Rawstorne determined to try andford the river. He first allowed a sergeantnamed Grant (promoted ensign in 1858), whovolunteered to do it, to swim across and showthat it was feasible ;he then ordered the mento fall in and march down to the drift. Thethird man (Fraser) who entered the water wasswept away, but Sergeant Grant immediatelyjumped in, and succeeded in bringing him to thebank a long way down the river. Anothersoldier, Private J.Hillyard, seeing that Grantwas in difficulties, as Fraser was insensible, wentto the rescue ;but he no sooner reached them