ain Haldane requested him to endeavour, with the
assistance of the Durban Light Infantry company, to clear the line.
Haldane meanwhile with the naval gun and the Dublin kept back the
enemy. The naval gun was almost at once put out of action. After an
hour's work under a heavy shell and rifle fire, Mr. Churchill
succeeded in his task, but the coupling between the engine and the
rear trucks had been broken by a shell, the engine itself injured, and
its cab was now filled with wounded. Captain Haldane accordingly
ordered the engine to move back out of fire towards Frere, and,
withdrawing his men from the trucks, directed them to make a dash for
some houses 800 yards distant, where he hoped to effect a further
stand. During this movement across the open veld two privates, without
orders, held up white handkerchiefs; the Boers ceased fire, galloped
in on the retreating soldiers, and called upon them to surrender. Thus
Captain Haldane, a subaltern of the 2nd Dublin Fusiliers, Mr. Winston
Churchill, and 53 men were captured. One officer and 69 men succeeded
in making their way back to Estcourt, their retirement being covered
by a detachment of mounted troops sent out to their assistance. The
remainder of the 4 officers and 160 men, of whom the original party
consisted, were killed or wounded. General Buller, in commenting
subsequently on this unlucky affair, recorded his opinion that the
officer in command "acted in trying circumstances with great judgment
and coolness." A Boer account mentions that the British troops fought
"with exceptional gallantry."

[Sidenote: Joubert divides his column and pushes south.]

Emboldened by this success, General Joubert determined to carry
onwards his raid to the south. For this purpose he divided his force
into two columns, 3,000 men being retained under his personal orders
to operate on the west side of the railway, and 1,200 detached to the
eastward under the command of his son, David Joubert. The western
column reached Tabanhlope, a hill thirteen miles west of Estcourt, on
the 16th, and there remained for two days, reconnoitring Estcourt with
patrols. The eastern column occupied Weenen on the 18th, and on the
following day both columns continued their movement southward,
inclining somewhat towards each other. On the 20th Piet Joubert
arrived at Hlatikulu, and, having halted there a night, he further
divided his command, sending forward a detachment with a field gun
towards Mooi River,