But
The Gallant Colonials Were Out On Their First Action, And Their
Fiery Courage Pushed The Attack Home.
Leaving their horses, they
advanced a mile and a half on foot before they came within easy
range of
The hidden riflemen, and learned the lesson which had been
taught to their comrades all along the line, that given
approximately equal numbers the attack in the open has no possible
chance against the concealed defence, and that the more bravely it
is pushed the more heavy is the repulse. The irregulars carried
themselves like old soldiers, they did all that mortal man could
do, and they retired coolly and slowly with the loss of 130 of the
brave troopers. The 7th Field Battery did all that was possible to
support the advance and cover the retirement. In no single place,
on this day of disaster, did one least gleam of success come to
warm the hearts and reward the exertions of our much-enduring men.
Of Barton's Brigade there is nothing to be recorded, for they
appear neither to have supported the attack upon Hlangwane Hill on
the one side nor to have helped to cover the ill-fated guns on the
other. Barton was applied to for help by Dundonald, but refused to
detach any of his troops. If General Buller's real idea was a
reconnaissance in force in order to determine the position and
strength of the Boer lines, then of course his brigadiers must have
felt a reluctance to entangle their brigades in a battle which was
really the result of a misunderstanding.
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