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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n the darkness on their flank and in front.To advance might be to fall into a prepared ,jambush in the darkness. To fall back wouldhave been the most prudent course, though thatwas not without its dangers. But it was decidedto occupy at once a good position and hold ontill daylight ; so the column moved up a slopeot the hillside till it reached unopposed a flatsummit, and there some of the men rested, whileothers built up low breastworks of loose stones.When the day broke, they were soon attackedon all sides. But before following further thestory of the left column, we must see what washappening in the centre and on the right. Two other columns had moved out before dawnto their allotted positions. Ian Hamiltonsbrigade faced Pepworth Hill ; Grimwoods, withFrenchs cavalry on its right, was pushed outtowards Farquhars Farm. Low kopjes andbroken ground afforded a good deal of shelter forboth men and guns. The first shot was fired shortlyafter five a.m. by a heavy Boer gun on the summit II
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4° THE BOER WAR. of Pepworth. The shell fell in the town. Thenalmost immediately the enemy seemed to havebecome aware of the infantry advance. The gunchanged its target and fired at the British brigadein the centre. Lighter guns on Pepworth Hilland a battery on a ridge near Farquhars Farmopened fire. They used smokeless powder, andfor some time it proved very difficult to ac-curately locate the Boer gun positions. Ourartillery was brought into action, and after awhilebegan to pick up the ranges, and there was aperceptible diminution in the Boer fire. It hadnot been effective at any time, for though the gun-ners laid their guns fairly well, the shells generallyfailed to burst properly. At seven oclock riflefire was heard far away to the north-west. It wassupposed that Carletons column was at workholding back the Free Staters. The diminutionin the Boer artillery fire was encouraging. It wasreported, too, that a large body of men hao beenseen riding awav by the western slope of Pepworth

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