Following the Reitz incident, the government party had become very cautious, rarely sleeping in the same place on successive nights. Steyn and de Wet met at Blijdschap on 16^th November. A letter had arrived from Louis Botha suggesting that this might be a favourable moment for the opening of overtures for peace on the basis of the independence of the Boer republics. Botha had enjoyed a smashing success at Bakenlaagte on 30^th October which may have prompted the letter. Steyn, of course, returned a characteristically fiery reply. De Wet now decided to take the field and attacked the Imperial Light Horse at Tyger Rivier Poort on 18^th December but was forced to retire into the Langberg. Wessel Wessels had a success at Tafelkop on 20^th December but de Wet dealt the British a stunning blow in the early hours of Christmas morning, 1901. The attack was nade on a force of 500 Imperial Yeomanry encamped on the top of a small hill called Groenkop, between Harrismith and Bethlehem.