A Hundred And Seventy Killed And Wounded (Of Whom Only
Fourteen Were Killed) Was A Trivial Price For Such A Result.
At
last from the captured ridges the exultant troops could see far
away the haze which lay over the roofs of Ladysmith, and the
besieged, with hearts beating high with hope, turned their glasses
upon the distant mottled patches which told them that their
comrades were approaching.
By February 20th the British had firmly established themselves
along the whole south bank of the river, Hart's brigade had
occupied Colenso, and the heavy guns had been pushed up to more
advanced positions. The crossing of the river was the next
operation, and the question arose where it should be crossed. The
wisdom which comes with experience shows us now that it would have
been infinitely better to have crossed on their extreme left flank,
as by an advance upon this line we should have turned their strong
Pieters position just as we had already turned their Colenso one.
With an absolutely master card in our hand we refused to play it,
and won the game by a more tedious and perilous process. The
assumption seems to have been made (on no other hypothesis can one
understand the facts) that the enemy were demoralised and that the
positions would not be strongly held. Our flanking advantage was
abandoned and a direct advance was ordered from Colenso, involving
a frontal attack upon the Pieters position.
On February 21st Buller threw his pontoon bridge over the river
near Colenso, and the same evening his army began to cross.
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