The Engagement Opened Again With Redoubled Violence,
And Grimwood's Three Advanced Battalions Fell Back, Abandoning The
Ridge Which They Had Held For Five Hours.
The reason for this
withdrawal was not that they could not continue to hold their
position, but it was
That a message had just reached Sir George
White from Colonel Knox, commanding in Ladysmith, to the effect
that it looked as if the enemy was about to rush the town from the
other side. Crossing the open in some disorder, they lost heavily,
and would have done so more had not the 13th Field Battery,
followed after an interval by the 53rd, dashed forward, firing
shrapnel at short ranges, in order to cover the retreat of the
infantry. Amid the bursting of the huge 96-pound shells, and the
snapping of the vicious little automatic one-pounders, with a
cross-fire of rifles as well, Abdy's and Dawkins' gallant batteries
swung round their muzzles, and hit back right and left, flashing
and blazing, amid their litter of dead horses and men. So severe
was the fire that the guns were obscured by the dust knocked up by
the little shells of the automatic gun. Then, when their work was
done and the retiring infantry had straggled over the ridge, the
covering guns whirled and bounded after them. So many horses had
fallen that two pieces were left until the teams could be brought
back for them, which was successfully done through the gallantry of
Captain Thwaites. The action of these batteries was one of the few
gleams of light in a not too brilliant day's work. With splendid
coolness and courage they helped each other by alternate
retirements after the retreating infantry had passed them. The 21st
Battery (Blewitt's) also distinguished itself by its staunchness in
covering the retirement of the cavalry, while the 42nd (Goulburn's)
suffered the heaviest losses of any. On the whole, such honours as
fell to our lot were mainly with the gunners.
White must have been now uneasy for his position, and it had become
apparent that his only course was to fall back and concentrate upon
the town. His left flank was up in the air, and the sound of
distant firing, wafted over five miles of broken country, was the
only message which arrived from them. His right had been pushed
back, and, most dangerous of all, his centre had ceased to exist,
for only the 2nd Rifle Brigade remained there. What would happen if
the enemy burst rudely through and pushed straight for the town? It
was the more possible, as the Boer artillery had now proved itself
to be far heavier than ours. That terrible 96-pounder, serenely
safe and out of range, was plumping its great projectiles into the
masses of retiring troops. The men had had little sleep and little
food, and this unanswerable fire was an ordeal for a force which is
retreating. A retirement may very rapidly become a rout under such
circumstances.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 67 of 435
Words from 34512 to 35011
of 225456
