With the Flag to Pretoria: A History of the Boer War of 1899-1900. Volume 1Wilson, Herbert Wrigley
History
With the Flag to Pretoria: A History of the Boer War of 1899-1900. Volume 1
Wilson, Herbert Wrigley
South African War, 1899-1902
The conduct of the day's fighting provoked some bitter, perhaps
intemperate, complaints of the British generals' tactics. It was said
of one of the Brigade Commanders that "he took personal command of the
York and Lancaster and the South Lancashire regiments, and ordered a
futile bayonet charge at an enemy nearly fifteen hundred yards away.
This attracted such heavy fire that the two regiments sought shelter
and declined to follow their officers another yard."
[Illustration:
[_Photo by Chas. Knight._
MAJOR-GENERAL HART.
Major-General A. FitzRoy Hart, C.B., commanding the 5th Brigade of the
10th Division.]
[Sidenote: JAN. 20-21, 1900.] _Ineffectiveness of the British Guns._]
[Sidenote: Lyttelton's advance.]
On the afternoon of the 20th, to support Sir Charles Warren's attack,
General Lyttelton advanced directly upon the Boer trenches which lined
the eastern slope of Spion Kop and the southern slope of Brakfontein.
This was a totally distinct movement from Sir Charles Warren's, and was
directed from Potgieter's Drift. The howitzers and naval guns aided the
infantry with their fire. At the same time Bethune's Mounted Infantry
were ordered to move along the river to the east; they speedily came
into contact with the enemy in strong force, and as their orders were
to do nothing more than demonstrate, retired. But the presence of the
enemy in strength in this quarter, close to Skiet's Drift, seriously
menaced the British line of communications. Meantime, General Lyttelton
pushed up to within 1500 yards of the main Boer entrenchments, and
after long-range firing slowly fell back, with two killed and fifteen
wounded or missing.
[Illustration: [_Photo by Barnett._
RUSSIAN DOCTORS WITH THE BOER ARMY PICKING UP BRITISH SHELLS.]
[Illustration: INDIAN AMBULANCE CART WITH BULLER'S ARMY.]
[Sidenote: Warren telegraphs for howitzers.]
[Sidenote: [JAN. 21, 1900.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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