The army of Boer General Piet Cronjé was retreating Escaping from its entrenched position at Magersfontein towards Bloemfontein after its lines of communication were cut Removing by Major General John French , whose cavalry had recently outflanked Besieging the Boer position to relieve Kimberley .

Cronjé 's slow-moving Self_motion column was intercepted Preventing_or_letting by French at Paardeberg , where the Boer general eventually surrendered Surrendering after a prolonged Change_event_time siege Besieging , having fought Hostile_encounter off an attempted direct assault Attack by Lieutenant General Horatio Kitchener .