GLENCOE.
The railway on the left runs to Pretoria; that on the right to Dundee.
Oct. 19, 20, 1899.] The Campaign Opens.
The early days of the war in Natal encouraged this belief. On October 12 the Boers seized Laing's Nek and began crossing the Drakensberg in small parties. A few shots were exchanged between the scouts on either side, but there was no real fighting. No one fancied that Dundee was in any danger; on the 16th, a correspondent wrote from Ladysmith that the enemy was expected to remain inactive. Nor were any great precautions taken by General Symons. His officers reconnoitred from time to time; patrols and pickets were out; the main force lay in a valley dominated by lofty hills, some point on which he meant to occupy when the approach of the enemy made it necessary. As he could not know from what quarter the enemy would come, this central position was perhaps the best that could be assumed. There was little ammunition at Dundee, and the place was entirely dependent for most things, including supplies, upon its communications with Ladysmith.
[Photo by H. Nicholls.
The Boers, perfectly informed of the British position, and directed by skilful strategists, had really determined to attack this Dundee force with the greater part of their army. The Johannesburg commando, 2,000 strong, under General Kock, opened operations by moving south from Laing's Nek, and on October 19 seized a position at Elandslaagte, astride of the railway between Dundee and Ladysmith. A train laden with supplies was captured by the Boers. The 20th was fixed by Generals Joubert and Meyer for the annihilation of General Symons' force. Meyer was to attack from the east with 7,000 men, Joubert from the north-west with 17,000. On the night of the 19th, Meyer's men seized Talana Hill, a precipitous height to the east of and overlooking the British camp at Dundee. They placed several guns in position there. At 2·30 a.m. of the 20th a British picket was driven in. The night was dark and misty; as the dawn spread over the grey hills, out of the mist came the boom of a heavy gun, and a shell dropped plump in the middle of the astonished Britishers.
Battle of Dundee.
Thus General Symons was taken completely by surprise. But in this emergency he showed a courage and a decision which were above all praise. As the day broke he put his breakfastless, hungry men into line of battle and sent out his three field batteries to respond to the enemy's artillery fire, which now grew very galling. Along the ridge of Talana Hill, through the thick, wet mist, the Boers could be at times made out. So long as they remained there our position was untenable. They must be dislodged, and dislodged at whatever cost.