From Spearman's Hill the Ladysmith heliograph could be seen endeavouring to call up the British. The signalmen were speedily in communication, when they learnt that Sir George White's officers could make out the enemy in large numbers moving west and south to the threatened point. And the men on Spearman's Hill, for their part, could see hundreds and thousands of small dark figures at work upon the slopes and crests of the mountains opposite. "Every favourable bit of ground they could be seen inspecting," says Mr. Burleigh, "while hundreds toiled in every direction. Their object was unmistakable—to draw line after line of trenches and to erect forts which would command every inch of ground from the river front up to and beyond the crested ridges four miles north. Besides that, to the west, they were crowning lofty Spion Kop with defences and gun-positions." In a word, while the British infantry were slowly and painfully marching to find the enemy's right flank, the Boers by virtue of their mobility had already prolonged that flank so far to the west that it could not be turned. Yet the confidence in the British army as to the success of the move was so great that already officers were betting two to one on the relief of Ladysmith before the lapse of another week.
Alec Ball.]
General Buller's plan of attack.
[Jan. 11-16, 1900.
After the seizure of Spearman's Hill and Potgieter's Drift, a long interval of apparent inactivity on the British side followed. The naval guns arrived at Potgieter's Drift and were placed in position on the hill, but they refrained from shelling the Boer lines. General Buller fixed his headquarters hard by at Spearman's Camp. Meantime, the British troops anxiously watched the Boers. "What are we showing ourselves and our guns here for?" was the question which they asked each other, to draw the not too satisfactory answer, "To give the enemy plenty of time to get ready." Yet, as a matter of fact, this criticism was not altogether just. Though in the light of after events it can be seen that a rapid blow would have had many chances in its favour, though, as Napoleon said, "Celerity is better than artillery," such action must have carried with it grave risks. General Buller, preferring caution and sure-going, wished to attract all the attention of the enemy to Potgieter's and then to strike elsewhere. Five miles west of Potgieter's were two fords known as Trichard's and Wagon Drifts; five miles east another known as Skiet Drift. Roads to these ran from Springfield, and the movement of troops along the roads could not be seen by the enemy, owing to the heights which fringed the south bank of the Tugela. When all his preparations were complete, ample supplies of food and ammunition accumulated at Springfield, and his army concentrated, General Buller had determined to move General Warren across at Trichard's Drift with instructions to turn the enemy's right. Thus the apparently foolish and purposeless demonstration at Potgieter's was not without its object. Great delay was caused by the state of the unmetalled roads and the immense difficulty of moving over them 650 ox-waggons. Between Frere and Springfield there were no less than three places where all the waggons had to be doubled-spanned and where some even required three spans. There the oxen had to be detached from two waggons and attached to a third, while the vehicles behind them were brought to a dead stop. The marching of the troops was not altogether well-managed, since the men had alternately to run and halt, than which nothing could be more wearying.
[Photo by Caney, Durban.
Jan. 16, 1900.] Preparations for the Coming Battle.
At last, on January 16, a supply of seventeen days' provisions was ready at Springfield. The position of the British Army was now as follows:—At Spearman's Camp and Potgieter's Drift were General Coke's and General Lyttelton's Brigades, forming the centre of the British Army. Watching Skiet Drift, near which the enemy had been seen in some force, and guarding the British right, was the greater part of Bethune's Mounted Infantry. At Springfield the main force was concentrated—three brigades strong, with six batteries, under the command of Sir Charles Warren. On the evening of the 16th this force marched north-westwards to Trichard's Drift, where it was to pass the river next day. With it went the Cavalry Division under Lord Dundonald. Sir Charles Warren's orders were, having crossed the Tugela, to advance north-westwards along the front of the Boer position, leaving Spion Kop on his right, and swinging his force round the westward extremity of the Boer line of defence, in the neighbourhood of Acton Homes. Thence a comparatively open stretch of country extended to the neighbourhood of Ladysmith.