Battles of the nineteenth century . from the battle-fields, but also with thousands of sick, the resultof the long days and nights of exposure indriving rain and steaming mist on the UpperTugela. But, though defeated, the men whowere now once more concentrated at Chieveleyand Frere were not disheartened, and afterthree great failures they had still a touching con-fidence in General Buller. If Ladysmith couldonly hold out, they believed that he wouldstill lead them successfully to its relief; but thereports brought through the Boer lines fromLadysmith by Kaffir runners, and the briefermessages
Battles of the nineteenth century . from the battle-fields, but also with thousands of sick, the resultof the long days and nights of exposure indriving rain and steaming mist on the UpperTugela. But, though defeated, the men whowere now once more concentrated at Chieveleyand Frere were not disheartened, and afterthree great failures they had still a touching con-fidence in General Buller. If Ladysmith couldonly hold out, they believed that he wouldstill lead them successfully to its relief; but thereports brought through the Boer lines fromLadysmith by Kaffir runners, and the briefermessages flashed by the heliograph, were notencouraging. The garrison were eating theirhorses. Sickness had increased to an alarmingextent, and the entire absence of any attempt onthe part of Sir George White to co-operate withthe relieving force showed that his army was nolonger in a condition for active operations in thefield, and that the most that could be hoped forwas that it would hold on behind its defencesuntil help came. S^SV .^ ^^. Tini ADVANCE VAAL KRANiZ: bKEiCU M^i. 19^ CHAPTER XXIII. PREPARATIONS FOR LORD ROBERTS S ADVANCE. WE must now turn our attention from theNatal campaign to the more importantand more successful operations whichwere soon to begin upon the western border ofthe Free State. Lord Roberts, with iiis Chief-of-the-Staff, Lord Kitchener, had landed at CapeTown on January lOth, and he remained there forsome time, organising the transport and pushingforward by rail, to the north of the Colony andto the western border of the Free State, thelarge reinforcements which were daily beinglanded. At the beginning of November there hadbeen 24,000 British regulars in South the end of the year 70,000 more had beenlanded. Li the course of January and the firstdays of February, 30,000 more arrived. Natalhad provided 7,000 volunteers, and Cape Colony12,500. The other Colonies of the Empire pro-vided about 20,000 men, so that altogether, afterallowing for losses
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