Infantry Did At Last Arrive, But In Such Small
Numbers That It Made The Situation More Difficult Instead Of Easing
It.
Colonel Bullock had brought up two companies of the Devons to
join the two companies (A and B) of Scots Fusiliers who had been
the original escort of the guns, but such a handful could not turn
the tide.
They also took refuge in the donga, and waited for better
times.
In the meanwhile the attention of Generals Buller and Clery had
been called to the desperate position of the guns, and they had
made their way to that further nullah in the rear where the
remaining limber horses and drivers were. This was some distance
behind that other donga in which Long, Bullock, and their Devons
and gunners were crouching. 'Will any of you volunteer to save the
guns?' cried Buller. Corporal Nurse, Gunner Young, and a few others
responded. The desperate venture was led by three aides-de-camp of
the Generals, Congreve, Schofield, and Roberts, the only son of the
famous soldier. Two gun teams were taken down; the horses galloping
frantically through an infernal fire, and each team succeeded in
getting back with a gun. But the loss was fearful. Roberts was
mortally wounded. Congreve has left an account which shows what a
modern rifle fire at a thousand yards is like. 'My first bullet
went through my left sleeve and made the joint of my elbow bleed,
next a clod of earth caught me smack on the right arm, then my
horse got one, then my right leg one, then my horse another, and
that settled us.' The gallant fellow managed to crawl to the group
of castaways in the donga.
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