Their Advance Being Much Further Than Was
Desired, They Were Recalled, And It Was At The Moment That Buchanan
Riddell,
Their brave Colonel, stood up to read Lyttelton's note
that he fell with a Boer bullet through his brain, making
One more
of those gallant leaders who died as they had lived, at the head of
their regiments. Chisholm, Dick-Cunyngham, Downman, Wilford,
Gunning, Sherston, Thackeray, Sitwell, MacCarthy O'Leary,
Airlie - they have led their men up to and through the gates of
death. It was a fine exploit of the 3rd Rifles. 'A finer bit of
skirmishing, a finer bit of climbing, and a finer bit of fighting,
I have never seen,' said their Brigadier. It is certain that if
Lyttelton had not thrown his two regiments into the fight the
pressure upon the hill-top might have become unendurable; and it
seems also certain that if he had only held on to the position
which the Rifles had gained, the Boers would never have reoccupied
Spion Kop.
And now, under the shadow of night, but with the shells bursting
thickly over the plateau, the much-tried Thorneycroft had to make
up his mind whether he should hold on for another such day as he
had endured, or whether now, in the friendly darkness, he should
remove his shattered force. Could he have seen the discouragement
of the Boers and the preparations which they had made for
retirement, he would have held his ground. But this was hidden from
him, while the horror of his own losses was but too apparent.
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