THE EYES OF THE ARMY, NATAL POLICE ON PATROL.
The Boers at Chieveley.
On November 12 the first ray of light pierced the deep gloom in Natal, when the first troops of General Hildyard's brigade landed from the Roslin Castle at Durban. They were at once sent up country to Estcourt. On this same day a general movement of Boers coming from the Free State began upon Central Natal. On the 13th the railway line was destroyed at Chieveley, one station to the south of Colenso. A force of about 500 Boers was seen at Chieveley on this day. The armoured train arrived while they were actually at work destroying the line and temporarily drove them back. About the same time parties of Boers were seen at Estcourt, and some alarm began to be felt for the troops at that place. On the 14th the Lismore Castle and Yorkshire arrived at Durban, on the 15th the Gascon, and on the 16th the Hawarden Castle, and landed fresh reinforcements, which were hurried up to General Hildyard at Estcourt.
THE DUBLIN FUSILIERS CLIMBING INTO THE ARMOURED TRAIN ON THE DAY OF THE DISASTER.
FIRING A GUN FROM AN ARMOURED TRAIN.
Armoured train wrecked near Chieveley.
[Nov. 15, 1899.
On the 15th a second and easily preventable reverse befell our troops in Natal, causing general discouragement. This was the derailment of an armoured train near Chieveley—a catastrophe which had been foreseen for some days by every private and subaltern in the British camp. Early on the 15th the train, with a company of Dublin Fusiliers, half a company of Durban Light Infantry, and one wretched little muzzle-loading 7-pounder gun from H.M.S. Tartar, mounted on a truck and manned by bluejackets, left Estcourt. The train passed Frere, the station south of Chieveley, in safety without seeing any Boers. Just beyond Chieveley, however, the enemy were made out in some strength upon a hill. A message reporting this fact was sent back to Estcourt, whereupon the train was promptly ordered to return to Frere. The order was obeyed, but when less than two miles from Frere, a hill in front commanding the line at a distance of only 600 yards, was seen to be held by the enemy. The Boers gave no sign of life till the train was close under them, and then opened a tremendous fire from their rifles and from two field guns and a Maxim automatic one-pounder. Simultaneously the driver of the locomotive put on all steam and the train headed furiously down a steep gradient towards Frere. But the enemy had made full preparations. A large stone had been placed on the line, and this derailed the leading truck (containing plate-layers' tools, a breakdown gang, and the guard), an armoured car behind it, and another truck. The occupants were flung through the air, and several of them severely injured. The engine, one armoured car, and the truck with the 7-pounder, kept the rails.