Identifier: battlesofninetee06forb (find matches)
Title: Battles of the nineteenth century
Year: 1901 (1900s)
Authors: Forbes, Archibald, 1838-1900 Atteridge, A. Hilliard (Andrew Hilliard)
Subjects: Battles Military history, Modern
Publisher: London New York : Cassell and Company
Contributing Library: University of California Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Internet Archive

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ough to be sure of the nature or extent of the enemy's defences. On the morning of the 28th, as the troops broke up from their camp and began to move northwards along the veldt beside the railway, a native brought word that the Boers were in force along the river banks. But then native reports of the enemy's numbers had been generally found to be unreliable ; and as Methuen rode with his staff well to the front of the advance, he spoke of being over the river early in the day, and even pointed out a large white house surrounded by trees, near the railway bridge, as a good place for the staff to halt for breakfast and establish the headquarters. At that moment, Boer sharpshooters were watching his advance from the house, and waiting for the word to open fire. The force with Lord Methuen had been augmented on the eve of the battle by the arrival by railway of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, the first battalion of General Wauchope's Highland Brigade to reach the front. This made up for the small infantry
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86 THE BOER WAR. detachments lie had left on his hue of communications. At sunrise the Lancers had been sent out to scout in front. On the right marched the Guards Brigade, under Colville; on the left the Ninth Brigade, now under the command of Brigadier-General Pole-Carew. The Highlanders formed a link between the two brigades. Lord Methuen's artillery at the beginning of the battle consisted of the naval battery and the 18th and 75th Batteries R.A. The 62nd R.F.A. had been left at Belmont on the line of communications. In the course of the morning a telegraphic message was sent to call it up to the front, and the guns arrived at half-past four in the afternoon, after a march of twenty miles under the blazing sun. The horses were so tired that for the last few miles all the gunners walked in order to help them a little. The fact that the battery was left behind is one more proof that at the beginning of the day Methuen did not expect any serious opposition to his advance. Before describing the fight

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