Three Years' War

ith Be

c held a joint council of war on the 1st of Novembe

ad several skirmishes with the enemy. On the 15th of November he engaged an armoured train, capturing a hundred of the Bri

mmandos from Winburg and Harrismith, and two Krupp guns. On the following day a brush took place with the enemy, who, however, speedily fell back on Ladysmith. On the 3rd, a few of t

vance upon them, for between them and us lay an open plain, which would have afforded no cover. One of our guns, which was placed exactly in front of the enemy, d

em. Nevertheless, the enemy's infantry, backed up by the thunder of twelve guns, did make an attempt to reach us; but though they advanced repeatedly, they we

efforts to outflank us on that side, and also made it impossible for the English to bring their guns farther east, so as to command the tafel-kop. They did, indeed, make an attempt to place some guns between us

tions. To advance would have been to expose ourselves to the fire of their heavy guns, whereas

is always the case in such battles, little was done except by the big guns, which kept up a perpetual r

unded, among the latter being Veld

t loss, but we were unable to ascertain its extent. M

left Natal; though both the Transvaalers and Free S

that the English on that occasion acted with great skill and prudence, and that the courage of their leaders deserved every praise. Yet, if we had only been on our guard, we might have beaten off the storming party; but

hat he had assumed the chief command over the English army encamped between Estcourt and Colenso. The number of

hance came. I must, however, be silent about his successes and his failures, for, as I left Natal on the 9th of December, I had no personal experience of his methods. But this I