ation of war--Sir George White and the defence of
Natal--The force at Glencoe--Battle of Talana Hill--General Yule's
retirement--Battle of Elandslaagte--Useless victories--Enemy's
continued advance.

Before taking up the history of the siege proper it will be well here to
pass briefly in review the events which led up to the isolation and
investment of Ladysmith. When war was declared by the Government of the
Transvaal in its despatch of the 9th October 1899, it found Her
Majesty's Government in very great measure unprepared. A month earlier,
however, reinforcements of 10,000 troops had been ordered to Natal from
India and elsewhere, and the major part of these were already in the
Colony. General Sir George White, who had arrived at Durban on 7th
October, had strongly advocated the abandonment of the northern district
of Natal, but allowed himself to be overborne by the urgent
representations of Sir W.F. Hely-Hutchinson, who believed the withdrawal
would involve grave political results. Sir William Penn Symons believed
that the districts in question could be defended by a comparatively
small force, and he was allowed to make the experiment. At that time
there were with him at Glencoe three battalions of infantry, a brigade
division of the Royal Artillery, the 18th Hussars, and a small body of
mounted infantry. The enemy crossed the borders immediately upon the
expiry of the term stipulated in the ultimatum, and on the 20th October
was fought the battle of Talana Hill.

This first battle of the campaign demonstrated at once the soundness of
Sir George White's views. General Symons's little army worthily
maintained the military traditions of their race, and in the face of a
terrible fire from modern rifles, in the hands of the stubbornest of
foes, rushed the enemy's position and swept him from the heights. But
victory demanded heavy toll. The gallant commander nobly expiated the
mistaken judgment which had led him so seriously to underrate the
strength of the invaders, and nearly forty officers killed, wounded, and
taken prisoners, figured on a list of about 430 casualties. So heavy a
price was paid for a brief success and the knowledge that the enemy was
too strong to make it safe to hold the Glencoe position longer.

General Yule, who now took command of the column, abandoned his camp on
the 22nd October, and withdrew by a circuitous route to Ladysmith,
which was reached on the 26th. In the meantime,