nowdon, Northumberland
Fusiliers, under a very heavy fire picked up and brought in a
wounded man of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders; No. 3955,
Private Smarley, Northumberland Fusiliers, No. 1 of a Maxim
detachment, who showed great coolness and judgment when
wounded.

"Major Lindsay, Royal Artillery, 75th Battery, ignored a
painful wound, and continued in command of his battery.
Lieutenant Begbie, Royal Artillery, suddenly placed in command
of his battery, led it and brought it into action with great
coolness.

"Captain Farrell, wounded a second time, continued to do his
duty, having first placed a wounded man on one of the
gun-carriages. Wounded gunners and drivers continued at their
duty.

"Lieutenant Rochford Boyd, Royal Artillery, on this, as on
former occasions, showed himself reliable and capable of acting
without orders.

"I personally bring to notice the value of Lieut.-Colonel
Rhodes's service and Major Streatfeild's service in sending
forward reinforcements to Major-General Pole-Carew, for on this
movement the result of the evening's success depended.

"I cannot too highly commend the conduct of the troops, ably
assisted by the Naval Brigade, for on them the whole credit of
our success rests."

There were some miraculous escapes, one sergeant in the Coldstream
Guards having had many nasty experiences. In an account of them he
said:--

"During the afternoon some one seemed to have spotted me from
the trenches. First a shot struck the side of my boot and
struck my rifle just in front of my face, filling my eyes with
dirt and splinters. I rose up a little, when another shot
struck the middle finger of my left hand. I had got on my
knees, when a bullet struck me fair in the chest on the buckle
of my haversack, breaking it through the centre and causing a
slight puncture of the skin and bruising my chest. Have been
congratulated as being the luckiest beggar in my battalion."

The terrible nature of the fighting was described by an officer in the
Guards, who must have had a charmed life. He wrote:--

"We had no cover except little scrub bushes about six inches
high, and the ground sloped gently down to the Boers from about
2000 yards. I don't suppose troops have ever been in a more
damnable position. I sat up occas