The Record of a Regiment of the Line | Page 7

were nearing Ladysmith
and attempting to surround the place, and a large force was ordered out
by Sir George White to reconnoitre.
This reconnaissance was under the command of Colonel Ian Hamilton,
and his column consisted of three cavalry regiments, three batteries,
and four infantry battalions, to which was added later one infantry
battalion and one battery.
Having advanced beyond the Nek between Lombards Kop and
Bulwana, and having crossed the Modder Spruit on the Helpmakaar
road, the Regiment was sent on outpost duty to the left front, whilst the
main body of the force halted on the bank of the stream.
From the outpost line large bodies of the enemy were observed
advancing over Long Hill. Boers were also seen very busy on the
kopjes south of Long Hill, entrenching.
At 8 p.m. orders were received from the officer commanding the
column, in which it was explained that the force was to make a night
march and attack, the infantry to advance at 2 a.m.
The Boer position as seen by the Regiment on the outpost line was
some three miles in length, and the point of attack was to be the
extreme left of their position, viz. Farquhar's Farm.
In the opinion of some the attack would have succeeded and the evil
days of the siege put back; in the opinion of others the attack could not
possibly have succeeded on account of the length of the Boer position,
which they had had time to strengthen and entrench, and which had not
been definitely reconnoitred.

At midnight fresh orders were received from Sir George White in
Ladysmith. The whole force was ordered to retire and to proceed back
at once into their positions in and about the town.
It was reported that the Boers were in great numbers, some 17,000
under Joubert, and that they had their big guns with them.
The Regiment commenced their retirement as rearguard to the force at
4 a.m., and reached camp at 6.30 a.m. on October 28th.
October 29th was a Sunday, and except for rumours, which were
prolific, a quiet day was spent.
The Boers were reported to be entrenching themselves a mile and a half
out on the Dundee road, and at the same time the Ladysmith defences
were being prepared, and blasting operations were being carried out for
the construction of military roads.
The battle of Farquhar's Farm was fought on October 30th, 1899.
The whole army was ordered out at 3 a.m.
The battalion formed part of the reserve brigade under Colonel Ian
Hamilton. This reserve brigade took up a position under Limit Hill, and
facing Pepworth Hill from the south.
The plan of the day was to have been as follows, had everything gone
as it was proposed:--
Five regiments of infantry, all the mounted troops, and four batteries of
artillery were to move round the enemy's left up the Helpmakaar road
towards Farquhar's Farm (the direction of the proposed night attack on
the night 27th-28th) to attack and drive in his left.
Two regiments of infantry with one mountain battery were to move off
to the left of the British position to hold the enemy's right (which
comprised the whole of the Free State Army), and prevent him from
getting into Ladysmith.

The main attack was to be made in the centre by Colonel Ian
Hamilton's Brigade by an assault on Pepworth Hill, where the Boer big
guns were located, and which was the key of the position.
The above was the plan; the result and the way in which it was carried
out is told in a few words.
The two infantry battalions and mountain battery, detailed to guard the
left flank, knocked up against the Free State Army under Cronje (which
was seen in the forenoon by the main body of General White's force,
coming over Walker's Hoek) on what is known now as Surprise Hill,
and which place is situated a little above and nearer Ladysmith than
Nicholson's Nek. Cronje attacked them in the dark, scattered the gun
mules which stampeded, and after some hours of hard fighting captured
the lot.
The force on the right, under Sir George White's personal command,
ran prematurely into Joubert's Transvaal Army, which had advanced
from its previous and partly reconnoitred position, and which had
formed up ready to receive them in a position somewhat nearer
Ladysmith. It received a very heavy cross fire from big guns, field guns,
machine guns, and musketry, and was put to confusion, the artillery and
the cavalry having some difficulty in extricating themselves. General
White took the Manchester Regiment and the Gordon Highlanders
from Hamilton's Brigade to cover the retirement, and his force came
back into Ladysmith fired into with wonderful accuracy, at a range of
about 7000 yards, by the big gun