The country immediately round
Springfield was level and well cultivated, with pretty farmhouses and
orchards scattered about. Some little distance to the west rose two hills,
Swartz Kop, which had been occupied by the mounted infantry, and Spearman's
Hill, named from a farm near its base. Here General Buller had established
his head-quarters. Spearman's Hill, which was generally called Mount Alice,
was a very important position, and here the naval guns were placed, their
fire commanding the greater portion of the hills on the other side of the
Tugela, and also Potgieter's Drift, where it was intended the passage of the
river should be made. Swartz Kop was a less important position, though it
also dominated a wide extent of country; but as ridges on the other side
covered some important points from its fire, Mount Alice was selected as the
position for the naval battery, and also for the signallers, as from here a
direct communication could be kept up by heliograph and flash- light with
one of the hills held by the defenders of Ladysmith.
[Illustration: THE NAVAL GUNS ON
MOUNT ALICE]
It was late on the 16th when the
convoy which the Maritzburg Scouts were escorting arrived at Springfield.
All day they had heard the boom of artillery and the rattle of machine-guns
and musketry along the line of hills on the other side of the Tugela and
from the heights of Mount Alice, and groaned in spirit as they laboured at
their work of assisting the waggons, that they were thus employed when hard
fighting was going on within eight miles of them.
At half-past two that day
Lyttleton's brigade had moved forward along the foot of Mount Alice to force
the passage of the river at Potgieter's drift. As soon as the Boers caught
sight of them, they could be seen galloping forward to take their places in
the trenches.
A thunder-storm that burst and a
torrent of rain screened the movements of the advancing troops from view for
some time, and enabled them to near the river without having to pass through
any shell fire from the Boer batteries on the hilltops. Between Mount Alice
and the river the brigade passed across meadows and ploughed fields. They
reached the ferry, but the boat was stuck fast, and an hour was lost at this
point before a party of sailors and colonial troops accustomed to such work
came forward to the aid of the Engineers, and speedily got it into working
order. But in the meantime the Scottish Rifles and the Rifle Brigade had
moved along the banks to the drift. Although usually almost dry, the water
was now coming down it breast-deep. Two gallant fellows went across, and
when they found the line of shallow water they returned and guided their
comrades over. The rush of the water was so great that many would have been
swept away; but, joining hands, they crossed in a line, and although this
was broken several times, it was always reformed, and not many lives were
lost.
As soon as some of the troops had
passed, they lined the bank until the two battalions were over, and then
advanced over some low hills, clearing out a few Boers who occupied some
advanced trenches. By six o'clock the ferry-boat began to carry the main
body across, taking over half a company at a time; but it was not until
half-past three in the morning that the horses, waggons, the guns of the
brigade, and a howitzer battery were on the northern bank, and the whole
brigade established on a ridge a mile beyond the river.
The Maritzburg Scouts were delighted
at receiving orders on the morning after their arrival at Springfield that
they were to move forward at once and encamp close to Spearman's Farm, and
to furnish orderlies for carrying messages for the general. They started at
once, and after an hour's fast riding arrived at the point assigned to them.
Twenty men and an officer were at
once sent to the farmhouse. They took with them three tents which they had
brought in the regimental waggon, and erected these some fifty yards from
the house; the rest of the troop established their camp at a point indicated
by a staff officer a quarter of a mile away. It had been two o'clock in the
morning before the convoy had reached Springfield, and horses and men were
alike tired out; and as soon as breakfast had been prepared and eaten most
of the troopers turned in to sleep. Chris and half a dozen of his party,
however, obtained leave from Captain Brookfield to ascend Mount Alice and
see what was going on. From half-past five a tremendous fire had been kept
up on the Boer positions. The naval guns were distributing their heavy
lyddite shells among the entrenchments distant from three to six miles, and
occasionally throwing up a missile on to the summit of the lofty hill known
as Spion Kop away to the left front. Not less steadily or effectively the
howitzer battery was pounding the Boer position.
At eight o'clock the lads reached
the top of Mount Alice, and watched with intense interest the picturesque
and exciting scene. Here they were far better able than they had been when
at Chieveley to see the general aspect of the country. On the right from
Grobler's Kloof hill after hill, separated apparently by shallow
depressions, rose, and from the higher points occasional flashes of fire
burst out as the guns tried their range against those on Mount Alice, whose
heights, however, they failed to reach. Spion Kop stood out steep and
threatening, its summit being some hundred feet higher than that of Mount
Alice. They could now see that it was not, as it had appeared from the
distance, an isolated and almost conical hill, but was, in fact, connected
with hills farther to the left by a ridge of which it was the termination.
Immediately behind it was a deep
valley, and the ascent from this side was to some extent commanded by the
guns on Mount Alice and Swartz Kop. Between Spion Kop and the river there
was a flat belt of country, and it was along this that Lord Dundonald had
ridden with his brigade of cavalry to Acton Homes, where he was still
stationed. The point of greatest interest, however, was at Trichardt's
Drift, lying six miles west of Mount Alice. From their look-out they could
make out the division under the command of Sir Charles Warren advancing to
the ford. As far as they could see, no serious opposition was being offered;
they could, however, in the intervals of silence of the guns, hear a
dropping musketry fire in that direction, and a few rounds of shot from
Warren's field-guns, but it was evident that only a small party of the enemy
could be disputing the passage.
Peters, who was intently watching
what was going on through his glasses, said: "They are at work at two points
on the river. I think they are building bridges."
The naval guns dropped a few shells
among the farm buildings and orchards facing the spot where the troops were
gathered, as a hint to the Boers that it was well within their range, and
that they had best abstain from interfering with what was going on. In an
hour from the time the troops reached the bank two bridges had been thrown
across the river, and the passage began. By ten o'clock the whole were
across, the firing soon after ceased, and Warren's troops bivouacked
quietly. It was all over for the day, and the lads returned to their camp.
The next day passed quietly, except that in the afternoon the Boer
entrenchments near Spion Kop and Brakfontein, a hill facing the position
occupied by Lyttleton's brigade, were pounded by the naval guns and
howitzers. A message was heliographed from Ladysmith that two thousand Boers
were seen moving towards Acton Homes, and as the occupation of that village
was of no value until the infantry arrived there, the cavalry were recalled
to a position where they could protect Warren's left flank from attack.
On the 19th, Warren pushed forward a
portion of his force with a view to driving back the Boers' right and
gaining the main road leading through Dewdrop to Ladysmith, while Woodgate's
brigade watched Spion Kop. Fighting went on all day, the British forcing the
enemy back step by step. On the 20th it began early and continued the whole
day. Every inch of the ground was contested stubbornly by the Boers, but the
Irish Brigade, who were in the hottest position, pressed them back fiercely
with sudden rushes, and, had the rest of the division kept up with their
advance, might have cleared the way through the enemy's centre. But the
cannonade to which the advancing troops were exposed was terrible. Maxims
and Nordenfeldts, the heavy cannon, and the field-pieces captured from us a
month before, hurled shot and shell incessantly among them, while the rattle
of the Boer rifles was continuous. Still, fair progress was made, and with
less loss than might have been expected in such strife. Two officers only
were killed, Captain Hensley of the Dublin Fusiliers, and Major Childe, who
was a most popular officer. He had a presentiment that he would fall, and
actually asked a friend the evening before to have a tablet placed over his
grave with the inscription, "Is it well with the child? It is well."
At three o'clock the fighting
slackened, and a heavy thunderstorm seemed to be the signal for firing to
cease. Later Sir Charles Warren summoned all the officers commanding corps,
and pointed out that there was not sufficient food remaining to allow of the
wide circuit by Acton Homes to be carried out, and gave his opinion that now
they had won so much ground, it was better to continue to advance by the
shorter line on which they were pushing, but that in order to do this it was
necessary that Spion Kop, whose fire would take them in the rear, should be
captured. This was unanimously agreed to, and General Warren then saw the
commander-in-chief, and obtained his consent to the change of plans. It was
not, however, considered necessary to take Spion Kop until the troops had
farther advanced. All Sunday, fighting was continued as before, but the
progress made was slower, as the Boers were largely reinforced and fresh
guns brought up.
The 22nd was comparatively quiet.
The situation was not improving. Five miles of rough ground had been won in
as many days' fighting, but the force was becoming lengthened out and the
line weaker. Lyttleton's force had to guard the line from Potgieter's Drift
to Warren's right against any attempt of the Boers to cut the lines of
communication. Woodgate was similarly employed in keeping the line from
Trichardt's Drift to Warren's left, and it became increasingly evident that
not much further progress could be made until the left of the advance was
protected by the establishment of guns on the great hill. It was then, on
the 23rd, decided that Woodgate's brigade should assault Spion Hop that
night. It was known that it was not strongly held.
Starting at six o'clock, the column
made its way slowly and with vast difficulty up the ascent. This was
everywhere rugged and rocky, and in many places so precipitous that men had
to be pushed or pulled up by their comrades.
Colonel Thorneycroft led the way
with a few men, finding out the spots at which an ascent was practicable,
and scouting on either side to discover if Boers were hidden; behind him
followed Woodgate leading his men. He was in bad health and quite unfit for
such a climb, but in spite of remonstrances he had insisted upon going,
although he was obliged to be assisted at the more difficult places. The
distance was not more than six miles, but it was not until nearly ten hours
after starting that the summit was gained. The hilltop was enveloped in
mist, and they were unseen until the Lancashire Fusiliers, who were leading,
were within fifty yards of the top. Then a Boer challenged them, and
directly fired his rifle. Almost instantly a dozen of his comrades joined
him, and bringing their magazines into play opened a fierce fusillade. But
the aim was hurried, they could scarce see their foes, and the Lancashire
men, cheering loudly, rushed up to the crest without loss.
The Boers did not await their
arrival; only one of them was bayoneted before he turned to fly, and but two
or three were overtaken by the eager soldiers. As soon as the Boers had
gone, the troops set to work to construct breastworks to hold the spot they
had gained against any attempts of the Boers to recapture. The ground was
too rocky for digging, and the stones that were scattered thickly about were
used for the purpose; but long before the breastwork could be completed a
dropping fire was opened by the enemy. The morning was gray and misty, and
the clouds hung heavily on the hilltop. As these cleared off slowly, it
could be seen that the position was less favourable than it had seemed, for
the flat crest extended some distance beyond the point they had entrenched,
and from the rocks and low ridges a hot fire broke out. Before the mist
cleared off, the Boers had crept up in considerable force, and were, it was
evident, preparing to retake the position that had been wrested from them.
By six o'clock the scattered fire
had grown into a continuous roar, the Boers occupying not only the nek
itself, but the flanks of the hill. Several times our men made rushes to
endeavour to clear off the foe, but these proved too costly, and they were
now lying or kneeling behind the unfinished barricade. In a very short time
the clouds had lifted sufficiently for the Boer artillery to discover the
exact position, and from the hills on three sides a terrible fire of shot
and shell, from cannon great and small and machine-guns, rained upon them.
Again and again parties of men started to their feet and dashed forward to
drive the hidden Boers facing them from their hiding-places. Sometimes they
succeeded for a time, but their numbers thinned so fast that the survivors
were forced to fall back again. To add to the horror of the situation, the
shot from our own guns also fell among the defenders, the officers
commanding the batteries not having been informed of the intention to occupy
the hill, and knowing nothing of the situation. Scores of men were killed or
wounded, but the position was held unflinchingly.
At ten o'clock General Woodgate was
mortally wounded by the fragment of a shell that struck him in the eye, and
Colonel Crofton took the command. He at once flashed a message to General
Warren, stating that Woodgate was killed, and that reinforcements must be
sent at once; General Coke was therefore ordered to take the Middlesex and
Dorset regiments, and assume the command. Immediately afterwards Warren
received an order from General Buller to appoint Lieutenant-colonel
Thorneycroft, who was colonel of a colonial force, to take the command. It
was now hoped that all was well there. Unfortunately, neither Buller nor
Warren was able to give his undivided attention to the struggle on the
mountain, for Lyttleton's brigade had advanced before daybreak against the
eastern slopes of the hills running north from Spion Kop. They advanced
briskly, their Maxims clearing out the Boers, from whose fire they suffered
but little; but they sustained some loss from the shell fire from Mount
Alice, the sailors having been as uninformed of the advance the brigade were
to make as they were of the capture of Spion Kop. The Scottish Rifles and
the 3rd King's Royal Rifles pushed on rapidly and gained the spur farthest
north. Had there been guns on Spion Kop the object of the movement would
have been attained, and the advance by direct road on Ladysmith have become
a possibility; but no guns had reached the summit, and the troops there were
so far from being able to render assistance that they were with difficulty
maintaining their desperate resistance. As the two rifle regiments were
therefore exposed to a concentrated fire from the Boer batteries, and were
without support, they were directed to withdraw, but the order had to be
repeated three times before it was obeyed. The fire slackened at this point
to some extent in the afternoon, no farther advance being attempted, but it
raged as hotly as ever on the summit of Spion Kop.
As neither General Buller nor Warren
had come up to see the state of things on the all-important position of
Spion Kop, General Coke went down in the evening to explain the situation.
He stated that unless the artillery could silence the enemy's guns the
troops could not support another day's shelling. In the evening two naval
twelve-pounders, the R. A. mountain battery, and one thousand two hundred
men as reliefs, started to ascend the hill and to strengthen the
entrenchments. On the way up they met Colonel Thorneycroft and the rest of
the force coming down, that officer, who had displayed splendid gallantry
throughout the day, having decided on his own responsibility that the
position could not be longer held. Strangely enough, the news of the
retirement was not communicated to General Buller, who, after reporting in
his despatches written next morning that Spion Kop was firmly held, was
riding to the front when he for the first time learned the news. Altogether
it was a day of strange blunders, redeemed only by the splendid bravery of
the troops engaged. The news came as a heavy blow to the army, but it was
supposed that a fresh attempt would be made to capture the position by
ascending the northern spurs that had been carried and held for a time by
the two rifle battalions. But while soldiers think only of the chances of
battle, and burn to engage the enemy, a feeling only accentuated by previous
failures, generals in command have to take other matters into consideration.
They may feel that they may conquer in the next fight, but what is to
follow? In this case the chances of success would be smaller than before,
the loss more serious, for the Boers from all parts had united to oppose us.
Many of the cannon had been brought over from the positions from which
Ladysmith was bombarded. The advantage of surprise gained by the long march
from Chieveley had been lost; more serious still was it that a large
proportion of the provisions, brought at the cost of so much labour and
exhaustion of the transport animals, was consumed, and what remained would
be insufficient had fresh battles to be fought to capture the positions, one
behind another, held by the Boers.
General Buller was the last man to
retire as long as there was a hope of success. He knew that not only at
home, but all over the civilized world, men were anxiously awaiting the news
of his second attempt to relieve Ladysmith, and it must have been hard
indeed for him to have to acknowledge a second reverse; but in spite of this
he sternly determined to fall back. The movement was admirably executed;
every horse, waggon, gun, and soldier was taken safely across the Tugela
without hindrance by the Boers, a fact that showed how deeply they had been
impressed with the valour of our soldiers. Sullenly and angrily the troops
marched away. Had they had their will they would have hurled themselves
against the Boer entrenchments until the last man had fallen. To them the
necessities of the situation were as nothing; to retreat seemed an
acknowledgment that they had been beaten, a feeling that is seldom
entertained by British soldiers. Their losses had been heavy, but there were
still enough of them, they thought, for the work they had to do, and it was
with a deep feeling of unmerited humiliation that they received the order to
retire.
The feeling, however, was not of
long endurance, for two days later, when they had settled down in camp near
the Tugela and round Spearman's Farm, the general rode through the lines,
congratulating the troops on the valour they had displayed, and promising
them that ere long they would be in Ladysmith.
"I shall be heartily glad when we
are there," Chris said when he heard what the general had promised, "not
only for the sake of the town, but for our own. We are really doing no good
here. It is hateful to look on when other fellows are fighting so
desperately. If it were not that the orders were strict against the mounted
Colonial corps going out over the country, to clear the scattered Boers out,
we might be doing useful service; and as soon as Ladysmith is relieved--that
is to say, if we can hold out till we get there--I should certainly vote
that we come back here instead of staying with the army, and go on again on
our own account."
"I quite agree with you," Carmichael
said. "Still, it is something to have seen two big fights."
"Yes," Brown grumbled, "but if we
tell anybody that we were there, naturally the first question will be, 'What
part did you take in it', and we shall have to own that we took no part at
all, and only looked on at a distance at the other fellows fighting. I call
it sickening."
"Well, never mind, Brown," Chris
said; "after all, during this business, we have killed twice our own number
of Boers at the least, and if everyone had done as much the Boers would be
pretty well extinct."
"Yes, there is certainly something
in that," Brown admitted, "but if we had been allowed to scout on our own
account it would be hard if we had not killed twice as many more by this
time."
"We certainly might have done so,
but you must remember, also, that a great many of us might have been killed
too. One cannot always expect to have the luck we had in those two fights;
and, I am sure, we should bitterly regret gaps being made in our number."
"That we should," Harris said
warmly. "We were all good friends before, but nothing to what we are now
after living so long together, roughing it and sharing each others' dangers.
For my part I would rather go without any more fighting than that any of us
should go down."
"I agree with you thoroughly,
Harris," Chris said. "As most of us are likely to remain out here for life,
we shall often meet, and I do hope that when we talk of these times we
shan't have our pleasure marred by having to say how we miss so and so, and
so and so. I should be sorry even to lose one of our blacks. They have stuck
to their work well, and are always cheerful and willing in the worst of
weather and under the most miserable conditions. I should really be very
sorry if any of them were killed."
It needed but a day or two for the
troops to recover their cheerfulness. It was certain that they would soon be
launched against the enemy again, and it was known that General Buller would
himself command. The ground was now more known than it was before, the plans
could he better laid, and all looked forward confidently to the next
engagement.
No thanks were due to the weather
for the renewed spirits of the men. It rained almost unceasingly. The flat
ground on which the troops were encamped was a sea of mud. There was one
good effect in this: there was water in all the spruits, and the men were
able to indulge in a wash-up of their clothes and an occasional bath; and
although they had to put their clothes on wet, they were scarcely more damp
than when they took them off. There was other work to be done. Two naval
guns, a mountain battery, and some large cannon were with great labour got
up on the top of Swartz Kop.
The lads had given up the two tents
allotted to them to let the rest of the men have more room, and they now
felt the full benefit of their little shelter tents. The allowance
throughout the rest of the camp was sixteen men to a tent. On coming in and
out, as the men were muddy up to the knees, it was impossible to keep these
even tolerably clean, and the discomfort of so many men crowded together and
obliged to live, eat, and sleep in such confined quarters was very great
indeed.
The lads on the other hand, suffered
from none of these inconveniences, and except that they could not stand up,
and could only sit upright in the middle of the tent, they were perfectly
comfortable. The tents were about seven feet wide on the ground, and as much
long. Their natives had cut and brought in bundles of grass, which made them
soft beds, one on each side of the tent. A blanket was stretched on each
bed, another doubled lay over it. It was a strict rule that everyone should
take off his boots on entering his tent, and leave them just inside the
entrance. They had purchased at the sale of the effects of some of the
officers killed in action some more blankets and rugs, and these were thrown
over the entrance to the front of the tents at night, and made them
perfectly warm and comfortable. A trench some eighteen inches deep was dug
round each tent, and this kept the floor fairly dry.
Some blankets had been given to the
Kaffirs, who constructed a little shelter, in which they squatted by day and
slept at night, and in which cooking operations were carried on. The lads
had no occasion to feel dull, for they now knew many officers in the line
regiments, and among the Colonial troops, as well as the naval brigade; and
"Brookfield's boys", as they were generally called, were always welcome, and
it was seldom that more than half of them dined in their own camp. Chris
could always have been an absentee, for the sailors had told to each other
the story of his attempt to blow up the bridge at Komati-poort, and he
received any number of invitations. But he by no means liked to have to
retell the story, and generally made some excuse or other for remaining in
camp.
Another battery of artillery arrived
on the 31st of January, and on the 3rd of February there were sports in the
camp of the South African Light Horse, and a camp-fire sing-song afterwards.
The men were all now in high spirits, for it was certain that in a day or
two another attack would be made. On Sunday, February 4th, it was known that
the move would commence the next day.
General Buller's plan was to make a
strong feint against Brakfontein, the highest hill of the ridge connected
with the Spion Kop range, while the real attack was to be delivered against
an isolated hill named Vaal Krantz, which, as viewed from Swartz Kop and
Mount Alice, seemed to be the key to the whole position, and it was thought
that its possession would open the way for a direct advance to Ladysmith.
All was now in readiness for the attack, and the sailors had with steel
hawsers, and the aid of the troops, got four more naval guns on to Swartz
Kop.
Before daybreak the troops were
ready to advance. The regular cavalry were near the base of Swartz Kop,
while all the Colonial Horse, under Lord Dundonald, were near Potgieter's
Drift. At six o'clock the cavalry went forward, but not far, for the morning
was so misty that the artillery could not make out the Boer positions until
an hour later, when a tremendous fire was opened from Mount Alice, Swartz
Kop, and guns placed on a lower spur of Spion Kop. While this was going on,
a bridge was thrown by the Engineers across another drift. Major-general
Wynne led the Lancashire brigade in the direction of Brakfontein. They went
forward in skirmishing order, supported by five field batteries and the
howitzer battery, all of which kept up an incessant fire of lyddite, shell,
and shot against the Boer position, their fire being guided by an engineer
officer in a balloon, who was able from a lofty altitude to signal where the
Boers were clustering most thickly.
When another bridge had been
completed General Lyttleton advanced with his brigade across it, and as the
feint against Brakfontein had succeeded in gathering the greater portion of
the Boers at the spot they supposed to be most in danger, the Lancashire
brigade was withdrawn, retiring in excellent order, the movement being
covered by an incessant firing of the guns with them, which completely
dominated those of the Boers. Lyttleton's brigade now pressed forward under
a storm of musketry and shell from machine and other guns, which were
answered even more thunderously by the British artillery. The din was
tremendous--greater even than any that had been previously heard. It seemed
impossible that men could live for a moment in such a storm of missiles. But
they pressed on unfalteringly, and the batteries with them as steadily
maintained their fire, though shells fell continually round and among them.
The batteries that had gone out with the Lancashire Brigade now directed
their fire against Vaal Krantz, having moved across from Brakfontein under a
tremendous fire. One of the waggons lost all its horses; but the five
artillerymen with it manned the wheels and brought it safely out of fire.
At three o'clock Lyttleton's brigade
advanced in earnest, and dashed forward at the double against Vaal Krantz,
heedless of the rifle fire from the hills on both flanks and from the front.
The defenders soon lost courage, as they saw the Durhams and 3rd King's
Royal Rifles dashing up the hill with bayonets fixed, and scarce two hundred
of them remained till the British gained the crest. These were speedily
scattered or bayoneted.
The position when won was found to
be unsatisfactory, for it was dominated by a hill beyond, which could not be
seen from the British look-out stations, and the cannon of Spion Kop were
able to sweep the plateau. At one time the Boers gathered and made an effort
to retake the hill, but two more battalions were sent up to reinforce the
defenders, and the enemy were driven back and the fire gradually languished.
The troops remained on the ground they had won during the night. From
prisoners they learned that four thousand Boers occupied Doornkloof, the
hill on their flank, and that the whole of the Transvaalers under Joubert
were gathering in their front.
The baggage waggons were all
collected by the river in readiness to advance; but the way was not yet
sufficiently cleared for them, and the Boer guns on Brakfontein and Spion
Kop commanded the road which they would have to traverse. It was evident to
all that no advance was possible until the guns on these heights had been
silenced or captured. For the same reason the two brigades of cavalry had
remained inactive. During the night the Boers set fire to the grass on Vaal
Krantz, and by the assistance of the light kept up a shell and Maxim fire
upon the troops holding it. By morning they had brought up one of their big
hundred-pound Creusot guns on to Doornkloof, and it added its roar to the
chaos of other sounds. Under the shelter of its fire and that of the other
guns the Boers made several attempts to recapture the hill, but were smartly
repulsed each time they advanced.
All day Tuesday and Wednesday the
uproar of battle never ceased. We could advance no farther. The Boers could
not drive us back, although they made a very determined night attack on
Hildyard's brigade. That afternoon General Buller held a council of war, at
which all the generals were present. Their opinions were unanimous that the
Boer position could not be forced without terrible loss, and that when they
arrived at Ladysmith they would but add to the number shut up in that town,
as it might be found as difficult to force their way out as to arrive there.
General Hart pleaded to be allowed to make an attempt on Doornkloof with his
brigade; but, strongly held as that position was, it was deemed impossible
that it could be captured by a single brigade. The original intention was
that guns should be taken up on to Vaal Krantz, and that with their
assistance a strong force would wheel round and take Doornkloof in the rear;
but owing to the discovery that the former hill was dominated from several
points, it was found impracticable to carry the plan into execution. Orders
were therefore given for the supply column, which had advanced some
distance, to retire.
As the movement was being carried
out, the Boers kept up a heavy fire upon the waggons and on the hospital,
which, relying upon the protection of the Red Cross flag, had advanced
within range, but here, as upon almost every occasion, the enemy paid no
respect whatever to the Geneva emblem, although when, as once or twice
happened, one of our shells fell near an ambulance of theirs, they had sent
in indignant protests against our conduct. All that night and the next day
the movement to the rear continued, and not only were the infantry moved
across the Tugela, but the guns on Swartz Kop and Mount Alice were removed,
and orders were given for a general retirement to Springfield, a proof that
the next attack would be made in an entirely different direction.
