A. Morrow.]
Contraventions of usages of war.
[Nov. 23, 1899.
As the ridge of the second position was gained, the Boers once more took to flight, carrying with them, for the most part, their killed and wounded. A few small parties were, however, cut off and made prisoners. At this juncture there was the usual and apparently inevitable abuse of the white flag. One was raised when the British storming line was only fifty yards away. Our men at once ceased fire, whereupon a shot was fired at our men by one of the party which had raised the white flag. Nor was this an isolated incident. Colonel Crabbe, of the 3rd Grenadiers, and Lieutenant Willoughby were slightly wounded by men who fired upon them under cover of the white flag; Mr. Knight, the gallant correspondent of the Morning Post, was shot in the arm with an explosive bullet in the same manner. But even more horrible treachery was displayed by a wounded Boer to Lieutenant Blundell. That officer stooped to give his disabled enemy a drink of water, when the Boer shot him, inflicting a mortal wound.
While the storming of the second ridge was proceeding, the Naval Brigade rendered valuable aid by shelling the enemy's position at 1,800 yards. The field artillery, too, poured in a heavy fire. Nothing was more admirable than the manner in which the British infantry went forward under a perfect tempest of bullets and carried one after another of the Boer lines of defence with never a check. The men cheered at each rush; as they mounted the slopes, through the crackle of the musketry came, from the rear, the stirring tunes of a regimental band. It was the Scots Guards' band, stationed well behind the firing line, the only one that played its regiment into action.
"By George! A British infantryman is a plucky chap!" wrote an artillery officer of this stage of the battle. "The bullets were coming quite thick enough for us where we were, so you can tell what it was like for them climbing those hills. I believe our fire helped the Coldstreams a lot in driving out the Boers; anyhow, they have written to thank us for having lessened much their losses. After the place was taken the Boers were off down the other side like lightning and away. We went round to the right flank of the hills and saw them a long way off on another range of hills. Eventually we started back to camp about 10·30 a.m. and watered horses, arriving back about 1·30. The left flank was carried in much the same way. Altogether, it was rather a good battle. The place we attacked is, I believe, called Kaffirs' Kop. We were in action, I suppose, about an hour. I was surprised at not feeling more alarmed; as a matter of fact, one has too much to think about."
F. J. Waugh.]
Administering the Sacrament to a dying soldier under heavy fire.