Had These Men Been With The Others On The Gun
Ridge They Might Have Restored The Fight, But They Had Not Reached
It When The Position Was Taken, And To Persevere In The Attempt To
Retake It Would Have Led To Certain Disaster.
The only just
criticism to which the regiment is open is that, having just come
off blockhouse duty, they were much out of condition, which caused
the men to straggle and the movements to be unduly slow.
It was fortunate that the command of the column devolved upon so
experienced and cool-headed a soldier as Wools-Sampson. To attempt
a counter-attack for the purpose of recapturing the guns would, in
case of disaster, have risked the camp and the convoy. The latter
was the prize which the Boers had particularly in view, and to
expose it would be to play their game. Very wisely, therefore,
Wools-Sampson held the attacking Boers off with his guns and his
riflemen, while every spare pair of hands was set to work
entrenching the position and making it impregnable against attack.
Outposts were stationed upon all those surrounding points which
might command the camp, and a summons to surrender from the Boer
leader was treated with contempt. All day a long-range fire,
occasionally very severe, rained upon the camp. Colonel Benson was
brought in by the ambulance, and used his dying breath in exhorting
his subordinate to hold out. 'No more night marches' are said to
have been the last words spoken by this gallant soldier as he
passed away in the early morning after the action.
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