At The Same Time The C.I.V. Guns Were
In Imminent Danger, But Were Energetically Covered By Captain
Budworth, Adjutant Of The Battery.
Soon, however, the infantry,
Munster Fusiliers, and Yorkshire Light Infantry, which had been
carrying out a turning movement, came into action, and the position
was taken.
The force moved onwards, and on July 6th they were in
front of Bethlehem.
The place is surrounded by hills, and the enemy was found strongly
posted. Clements's force was now on the left and Paget's on the
right. From both sides an attempt was made to turn the Boer flanks,
but they were found to be very wide and strong. All day a
long-range action was kept up while Clements felt his way in the
hope of coming upon some weak spot in the position, but in the
evening a direct attack was made by Paget's two infantry regiments
upon the right, which gave the British a footing on the Boer
position. The Munster Fusiliers and the Yorkshire Light Infantry
lost forty killed and wounded, including four officers, in this
gallant affair, the heavier loss and the greater honour going to
the men of Munster.
The centre of the position was still held, and on the morning of
July 7th Clements gave instructions to the colonel of the Royal
Irish to storm it if the occasion should seem favourable. Such an
order to such a regiment means that the occasion will seem
favourable. Up they went in three extended lines, dropping forty or
fifty on the way, but arriving breathless and enthusiastic upon the
crest of the ridge. Below them, upon the further side, lay the
village of Bethlehem. On the slopes beyond hundreds of horsemen
were retreating, and a gun was being hurriedly dragged into the
town. For a moment it seemed as if nothing had been left as a
trophy, but suddenly a keen-eyed sergeant raised a cheer, which was
taken up again and again until it resounded over the veld. Under
the crest, lying on its side with a broken wheel, was a gun - one of
the 15-pounders of Stormberg which it was a point of honour to
regain once more. Many a time had the gunners been friends in need
to the infantry. Now it was the turn of the infantry to do
something in exchange. That evening Clements had occupied
Bethlehem, and one more of their towns had passed out of the hands
of the Freestaters.
A word now as to that force under General Hunter which was closing
in from the north. The gallant and energetic Hamilton, lean,
aquiline, and tireless, had, as already stated, broken his
collar-bone at Heidelberg, and it was as his lieutenant that Hunter
was leading these troops out of the Transvaal into the Orange River
Colony. Most of his infantry was left behind at Heidelberg, but he
took with him Broadwood's cavalry (two brigades) and Bruce
Hamilton's 21st infantry brigade, with Ridley's mounted infantry,
some seven thousand men in all.
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