Battles of the nineteenth century . do was to send back to ask for orders ; but wegot no reply to our messages, so after a time,when it was so dark that long range was im-pos,sible, we retired to the fort, and then ourartillery seemed to be coming to the fore, fora shell burst just over the trees. It was said thatwe were to rush the position in the dark, butit vvfas palpable that we were all thoroughly attempt. They had reached the river edge at aplace where onh the north bank was held bvthe enemj-. In the course of the afternoon, the NinthBrigade on the left, led by General Pole-Carew,made a
Battles of the nineteenth century . do was to send back to ask for orders ; but wegot no reply to our messages, so after a time,when it was so dark that long range was im-pos,sible, we retired to the fort, and then ourartillery seemed to be coming to the fore, fora shell burst just over the trees. It was said thatwe were to rush the position in the dark, butit vvfas palpable that we were all thoroughly attempt. They had reached the river edge at aplace where onh the north bank was held bvthe enemj-. In the course of the afternoon, the NinthBrigade on the left, led by General Pole-Carew,made a determined and partly successful at-tempt to advance. They had the same hardtask before them that faced the Guards Brigade,writes Lord Methuen in his despatch. On theextreme left (the Boer right) an outcrop of rocksand small kopjes on the left bank of the river,considerably in advance of the main position,Were held by the enemy, and checJsed theadvance of the Loyal North Lancashire. Some000 yards east, the same side of the river, a. 90 THE BOER WAR farmhouse and kraal on a slight eminenre,covering the dam and drift at the west end otthe villare. also checked the advance. A wither-ing fire Inru these buildings checked the advanceof the br: ;ade. They were, however, carried,early in the afternoon, by two companies of theYorkshire Light Infantry, under Lieutenant-Colonel Barter, together with some Highlandersand Northumberland Fusiliers. Lieutenant Fox,Yorkshire Light Infantry, gallantly led thisassault ; he was severely wounded. Almost atthe same moment, the rocks and kopjes on theextreme left were carried by the Loyal NorthLancashire. We had now won the river andwest side of the village, out of which the enemywere soon chased. Major-General Pole-Carewled his men in a gallant manner for three-quarters of a mile up the bank, when he wasforced back, and had to content himself withholding a fairly good position he had gained onthe right bank. Pole-Carew sent to Methuen for help, and
Size: 1151px × 2172px
Photo credit: © The Reading Room / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, bookpublisherlondo, bookyear1901
