History of the War in South Africa 1899-1902 v. 1 (of 4): Compiled by Direction of His Majesty's GovernmentGreat Britain. War Office
History
History of the War in South Africa 1899-1902 v. 1 (of 4): Compiled by Direction of His Majesty's Government
Great Britain. War Office
South African War, 1899-1902
The Scots Guards, who were marching on the point marked +c+ on map No.
10, were within about 150 yards of the foot of the kopje, and had
hardly fixed bayonets, when the enemy opened upon them. Col. A. H.
Paget ordered the charge to be sounded, and, with a ringing cheer, his
men carried the hill with comparatively small loss, to find themselves
exposed, not only to frontal but to cross fire from both flanks. The
musketry from the right ceased as soon as the Grenadiers stormed the
kopjes which they attacked, while, thanks to the initiative of Bt.
Lt.-Col. W. P. Pulteney, that from the left was checked. This officer,
whose company was on the left of the line of the Scots Guards, found
himself under heavy fire from the kopje marked +d+. Advancing against
it he dislodged its defenders, who, in their precipitate retreat to
Table Mountain, left some thirty ponies behind them. Colonel Pulteney
mounted as many of his men as possible upon them, galloped in pursuit
across the valley, then dismounted and worked up the kopje at the
south-western angle of Table Mountain (+b+ on map No. 10), until he
was stopped by the enemy concealed amongst its boulders.
[Sidenote: of Grenadiers.]
The front line of the Grenadiers was about 350 yards from the kopjes
when they first came under fire. To close with their enemy, the men
were ordered to double and then instinctively quickening their pace
they arrived panting at the foot of the hills, which loomed black and
threatening before them. Under a very heavy fusilade, which at times
came from both flank and front, the Grenadiers carried the position,
but not without considerable loss in officers and men. They were led
by Col. E. M. S. Crabbe, who fell wounded within a few feet of the top
of the kopje, and were reinforced as they reached the summit by the
battalion reserve under Major D. A. Kinloch. The Boers fought
gallantly on this part of the field; some indeed, as was also the case
on Table Mountain, clung so tenaciously to their defences that they
perished by the bayonet. As soon as the ground to the front of the
Grenadiers and Scots Guards had been cleared of the enemy, both
battalions were re-assembled by their commanding officers.
[Sidenote: The left attack.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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