John Charlton.]
[Nov. 3, 1899.
November 1 was spent in getting in the wounded, under a flag of truce. Next day the Boers bombarded the town, mortally wounding Lieutenant Egerton, but had one of their laagers captured by the British cavalry and a battery of artillery. In the afternoon General French left by train for Pietermaritzburg; at Pieters, two stations south of Ladysmith, the Boers were in position with a Maxim 1-pounder and fired on the train. The General only escaped death by lying on the floor of the compartment, as projectiles riddled the side of the carriage. The engine-driver showed great pluck and presence of mind, and this, the last train to leave Ladysmith, got through the enemy's lines in safety. Later in the afternoon railway and telegraph communications were interrupted, and Ladysmith was isolated.
THE ARMOURED TRAIN DESTROYED BY THE BOERS AT KRAAIPAN.
The destruction of this train was the first overt act of war (see page [49]). Kraaipan is a station between Mafeking and Vryburg on the Cape to Cairo Railway.
On the 3rd a sortie towards Bulwana Mountain was made by the besieged force, but the Boers were found to be too strong to be attacked. Already the enemy was developing an advance southwards into the heart of Natal; on the 2nd, Colenso, where lay a small British garrison of bluejackets and Dublin Fusiliers, was shelled, and the probability of the detachment being isolated and overwhelmed was so great, that it was, perhaps somewhat precipitately, withdrawn. The great railway bridge across the Tugela fell into the enemy's hands. Here, again, it would have been wise for the British troops to have broken up the bridges instead of leaving them for the enemy's use. It was certain that the Boers, when they should be at last driven back, would not be so obliging.
GENERAL BULLER'S ARRIVAL AT CAPETOWN.