On the morning of August 25 we marched from Pretoria, and in accordance with instructions, three companies ( E, F, and H ) under Major Pelletier , were left at Silverton, to relieve a like number of men of the Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry, which was ordered to move further eastward down the line.
In addition to these three companies , one troops of Roberts' Horse, and one section of the 18th Battery ,R.F.A., formed the garrison.
With the remaining four companies, A , B, C, and D, I moved forward on to Eerste Fabricken, and here I took over command of that station, and relieved the remainder of the D.C.L.I.
I found here one troop of Roberts' Horse.
G Company , R.C.R. was still doing duty on the armoured train.
Eerste Fabricken , I found was a village of some importance, and the site of the Hatherley Distillery.The enemy was in small parties hovering about in the vicinity to the northward, threatening to cut the railway line - Pretoria -Middelburg - over which large numbers of troops and supplies were passing to the headquarters of the army.
Brigadier-General Barker, R.E , was in command of the line with heardquarters at the time at Bronkhurst Spruit.
The defences of Eerste Fabricken, I found already made , consequently the duties entailed upon officers and men were not heavy , nor was the enemy very energetic, although on the 30th of August , one of the M.I. patrol was killed and two horses shot.
From Lieut.Col. Otter's Report A page 25 Sessional Paper No 35 A Report Of the Secretary Of State of Canada For The Year Ended December 31 1900
From the above, Yorke was already at Eerstefabrieken when the R.C.R arrived, and it would appear that he was shot on the 30th of August according to Otter, remarking he was killed out right.Also the enemy was northward of Eerstefabrieken - which would be towards the Magaliesberg mountain range. Tigerspoort to the south.