emain as true to us in this as in
former wars, and that He will not allow the blood shed and to
be shed in this struggle, that will probably last yet a year,
to extinguish us and our children."

THE BATTLE OF LOMBARD'S KOP

Towards the end of October Sir George White decided that something must
be done to protect his line of communication with the south. The Boers
were spreading out in crescent form and drawing gradually nearer to the
town. On the north were troops commanded by General Joubert. On the west
was a Free State commando, and on the east was General Lucas Meyer, who
owed us a grudge after the events of Talana Hill. Reinforced by troops
from General Erasmus, he now desired to press towards the railway with a
view to seizing it at some point south of the town. It was necessary at
all costs to put a stop to this scheme. Colonel Ian Hamilton with an
Infantry Brigade was therefore despatched on the 27th to Lombard's Kop,
a hill some five miles east of Ladysmith. There he bivouacked for the
night, with a view to clearing the enemy out at the point of the bayonet
on the morrow. He never brought his plan into execution, however, for
Sir George White, having been informed of the size of Meyer's force,
ordered him to fall back on the town. On Sunday the 29th it was
discovered that the Boers were intrenched in lines that extended over
twenty miles, while "Long Tom," their six-inch gun, was perched on
Pepworth Hill, its big ominous muzzle being situated some 7500 yards to
the north of Ladysmith. In addition to this formidable weapon,
field-guns with a range of some 8000 yards were posted about in
well-concealed positions. For the protection of our line of
communication it was necessary that the enemy, though three times as
strong as the British force, should be dispersed, and that night, at
half-past ten o'clock, Colonel Hamilton again set out with three
battalions, the Devons, the Gordons, the Manchesters, and a Brigade
Division of Artillery. The night was dark but clear, and the troops
marched along the Newcastle Road to Limit Hill, a strong kopje some
three miles north of Ladysmith, and half-way between that town and
Pepworth Hill. There they bivouacked for the night. While this party was
moving as described, a small force under Colonel Carleton, composed of
four and a half companies of the Gloucestershire Regiment and six
companies of the Royal Irish Fusiliers and No. 10 Mounta