When Half-Way Up A Warm Fire Was
Opened Upon Them In The Darkness.
Colonel Watson gave the order to
retire, intending, as it is believed, that the men should get under
the
Shelter of the dead ground which they had just quitted, but his
death immediately afterwards left matters in a confused condition.
The night was black, the ground broken, a hail of bullets whizzing
through the ranks. Companies got mixed in the darkness and
contradictory orders were issued. The leading company held its
ground, though each of the officers, Brett, Carey, and Butler, was
struck down. The other companies had retired, however, and the dawn
found this fringe of men, most of them wounded, lying under the
very rifles of the Boers. Even then they held out for some time,
but they could neither advance, retire, or stay where they were
without losing lives to no purpose, so the survivors were compelled
to surrender. There is better evidence here than at Magersfontein
that the enemy were warned and ready. Every one of the officers
engaged, from the Colonel to the boy subaltern, was killed,
wounded, or taken. Eleven officers and one hundred and fifty men
were our losses in this unfortunate but not discreditable affair,
which proves once more how much accuracy and how much secrecy is
necessary for a successful night attack. Four companies of the
regiment were sent down to Port Elizabeth to re-officer, but the
arrival of the 1st Essex enabled French to fill the gap which had
been made in his force.
In spite of this annoying check, French continued to pursue his
original design of holding the enemy in front and working round him
on the east. On January 9th, Porter, of the Carabineers, with his
own regiment, two squadrons of Household Cavalry, the New
Zealanders, the New South Wales Lancers, and four guns, took
another step forward and, after a skirmish, occupied a position
called Slingersfontein, still further to the north and east, so as
to menace the main road of retreat to Norval's Pont. Some
skirmishing followed, but the position was maintained. On the 15th
the Boers, thinking that this long extension must have weakened us,
made a spirited attack upon a position held by New Zealanders and a
company of the 1st Yorkshires, this regiment having been sent up to
reinforce French. The attempt was met by a volley and a bayonet
charge. Captain Orr, of the Yorkshires, was struck down; but
Captain Madocks, of the New Zealanders, who behaved with
conspicuous gallantry at a critical instant, took command, and the
enemy was heavily repulsed. Madocks engaged in a point-blank rifle
duel with the frock-coated top-hatted Boer leader, and had the good
fortune to kill his formidable opponent. Twenty-one Boer dead and
many wounded left upon the field made a small set-off to the
disaster of the Suffolks.
The next day, however (January 16th), the scales of fortune, which
swung alternately one way and the other, were again tipped against
us.
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