all their trenches were
absolutely hidden, and gun positions seemed to be everywhere. The iron
bridge of Colenso was plainly visible through my telescope and was
intact, and to all intents and purposes there was not a soul anywhere
in sight to oppose our advance.

The Naval Battery of 4.7 and the 12-pounders under Captain Jones
quickly got into position in front of us, and on all sides we saw our
troops being thrown forward in extended order, forming a front of
about four miles, with Cavalry thrown out on the flanks and field
batteries galloping up the valley to get into range at 4,000 yards.
All was dead silence till about 5.30 a.m., when the Naval guns
commenced a heavy shell fire on the Boer positions. It was a fine
sight; shell after shell poured in for an hour on the Boer trenches at
a range of 5,000 yards, and all was soon one mass of smoke and flame.
Not a sound came in reply till our troops reached the river bank, when
the most terrific rifle fire I have ever heard of, or thought of, in
my life, was opened from the Boer rifle pits and trenches on the river
bank which had completely entrapped our men. Colonel Long, in command
of the Artillery on the right of the line, unwittingly or by order,
led his batteries in close intervals to within easy rifle range of
those pits, when suddenly came this hail of bullets, which in a few
minutes completely wrecked two field batteries (the 14th and 66th
Batteries), killed their horses and a large number of the men, and
threw four of the Naval 12-pounders under Ogilvy into confusion,
although he was fortunately able to bring the guns safely out of
action in a most gallant manner, with the loss of a few men wounded
and thirty-seven oxen.

Many brave deeds were done here. Schofield, Congreve, Roberts, Reed,
and others of the R.A. specially distinguished themselves by
galloping-in fresh teams or using the only horses left in the two
batteries, and bringing two guns out of action. With others at this
spot poor Roberts met a heroic death and Colonel Long was badly
wounded.

The firing all along the river bank was now frightful; shells from
well-concealed Boer batteries played continuously upon our troops; the
sun was also fearfully hot without a breath of air; and about 9 a.m.
we noticed a sort of retiring movement on the left and centre of our
position, and saw men straggling away to the rear by ones and twos
completely done up, and many of them wounded. A field battery on the