The British forces were on the move northwards and Lieutenant-Colonel Pilcher had engaged a Boer commando on 16 May at Hofman’s Drift, about 35 km north of the Free State town, Hopetown.
In this engagement the British suffered a number of casualties, and they decided to retire to Bothaville.
A further engagement resulted two days later on 18 May, on the farm Lambrechtsfontein.
In this engagement Lieutenant Coulson was awarded the Victoria Cross for gallantry – he returned to the scene of the engagement to rescue a fellow wounded soldier who had had his horse shot from beneath him. In this action, Coulson was shot and killed.
