The Record of a Regiment of the Line | Page 8

on Pepworth. Of the remainder of
Hamilton's Brigade, the Rifle Brigade (which had only arrived in
Ladysmith that day) and a half battalion Devon Regiment were told off
to bring up the rear, whilst the other half battalion of the Devons was
left on Limit Hill, two miles outside Ladysmith, to act as a covering
force.
* * * * *
The Naval Brigade under Lambton arrived at Limit Hill with three
naval 12-pounders just as the retirement was taking place, and they
were at once ordered back into the town. They returned without coming

into action. As they were retiring down the road past the Piggery by the
Orange Free State Junction Station, a well-aimed shell from Pepworth
Hill upset one of their guns, killing some of the ox-team and a gunner
who was being carried back wounded in an ambulance.
The half battalion of the regiment under Major Curry was ordered to
take up a defensive position on Limit Hill and to stay there for the
night.
The Boer force was within 1000 yards, and it was thought probable that
they would follow up their defeated foe. Their patrols were continually
coming to within 300-500 yards of the Devons' outpost line.
As the half battalion was well covered from view, it was deemed
expedient and prudent not to expose their position and weakness by
firing, but rather by lying quiet to trust to the Boer imagination,
allowing them to think there was a larger force in position at Limit Hill
than there really was. This plan was eminently successful, for except
for Boer patrols the position was not threatened.
Orders were received by this half battalion at 9 a.m. on November 2nd
to retire on to Ladysmith. The defenders of Ladysmith being unaware
of the fact that any of their own troops were in front of them, and
mistaking friend for foe, got down on their knees to fire as the
companies of the Devons appeared in sight.
The half battalion which had retired with the rest of the force into
Ladysmith on October 30th received orders at 10 a.m. on the 31st to
strike camp, move off and form part of the garrison of section "A" of
the defences of Ladysmith, under the command of Colonel W.G. Knox,
C.B. The second half battalion followed them.

CHAPTER II
SIEGE OF LADYSMITH

1899-1900
The siege of Ladysmith had now commenced; communication to the
south was interrupted on November 2nd, and on the same day the
Boers had their guns in action on Bulwana Mountain and were shelling
the works and town freely.
The perimeter of Ladysmith was divided into four sections, A, B, C, D,
under Colonel W.G. Knox, General Howard, Colonel Hamilton, and
Colonel Royston respectively. Section A extended from Devon Post to
Cove Redoubt; on the west of this was section B, extending as far as
Range Post on the Klip River. Section C included Maiden Castle,
Wagon Hill, and Cæsar's Camp, whilst the plain between Cæsar's
Camp and Devon Post was held by the Natal Volunteers under Colonel
Royston.
The battalion was ordered to take up the two posts of Cemetery Hill
and Helpmakaar Hill. These were the most eastern kopjes of the
defences. They skirted the Helpmakaar road and were immediately
under Bulwana and Gun Hill. These were distant only some five
thousand yards, and dominated Devon Post.
The battalion was distributed: three companies on Helpmakaar Hill,
two companies on Cemetery Hill, with three companies in reserve near
the road and river-bed immediately beneath Cemetery Hill.
Devon Post received its first shells on the morning of the 3rd. These
were aimed at the tents of the reserve companies, which were rather
ostentatiously pitched on the plain by the river-bed under Cemetery
Hill. The shells were fired from a high-velocity 3-inch gun on Bulwana.
The tents were immediately moved closer under the hill, where they
were out of sight from Bulwana. The Boer guns were then trained on to
the working parties, and some fifty shells were burst in the works (just
commenced and affording little cover) on Helpmakaar and Cemetery
Hill posts, but without doing much damage. After this, owing to shell
fire, it was impossible to work except at night, or when Bulwana was
obscured by fog. The fortifications and defences were, however, hastily
pushed forward, and the platforms for the two large and ancient

howitzers known as "Castor" and "Pollux" were soon completed.
Shortly after the commencement of the siege one of the few shells fired
into Ladysmith which did any damage, burst amongst a party of Natal
Carbineers on the road under Cemetery Hill, killing five men and seven
horses.
On November 5th the Intombi Camp was formed, and all the wounded
and most of the women and children, with a few of the