William Gatacre, the general in command of troops in the Cape Midlands, decided to dislodge the Boers from their position in order to secure the railway lines which supplied the larger March on Kimberley by Lord Methuen.

Due to a failed night march and a badly coordinated assault, the Boers repulsed the British army, with the Northumberland Fusiliers suffering high casualties.

A force of 3,000 was to be taken by train to Molteno, the nearest railway station to Stormberg still in British hands, and march by night to attack a hill known as the Kissieberg, which dominated the Boers' position.

A small Boer picket with one 75mm Krupp gun under Sergeant Hendrik Muller of the Free State Artillery Corps, opened fire.

[1] He remained in command of the understrength 3rd Division, but after General Lord Roberts replaced Buller as Commander-in-Chief, he was sidelined to various occupation and "mopping-up" duties.

He was eventually relieved of command after failing to rescue the Royal Irish Rifles who surrendered to Orange Free State Commandant-General Christiaan de Wet after a siege at Reddersburg on 3 April 1900.