iver. Unhappily, there can be no doubt that
one of our doctors was heavily fired on whilst dressing a man's wounds
on the field.

_December 11, 1899._

Soon after two in the night I heard rifle-firing, then two explosions,
and heavier rifle-firing again, apparently two or three miles away. It
was too dark to see anything, even from the top of the hill, but in the
morning I found we had destroyed another gun--the 4.7 in. howitzer on
Surprise Hill. For weeks past it had been one of the most troublesome
guns of the thirty-two that surround us. It had a long range and
accurate aim. Its position commanded Observation Hill, part of the
Newcastle road, Cove Hill, and Leicester Post, the whole of the old camp
and all the line of country away to Range Post and beyond. It was this
gun that shelled the 18th Hussars out of their camp and continually
harassed the Irish Fusiliers. It was constantly dropping shells into the
69th Battery and on the K.R.R. at King's Post. Surprise Hill is a
square-topped kopje, from 500 feet to 600 feet high, between Thornhill's
Kopje and Nicholson's Nek. It overlooks Bell's Spruit and the scene of
"Mournful Monday's" worst disaster. From Leicester Post, where two guns
were always kept turned on it, the distance is 4,100 yards--just the
full range of our field guns. From Observation Hill it is hardly 2,500
yards. The destruction of its gun was therefore of the highest
importance.

At ten o'clock last night four companies of the 2nd Rifle Brigade
started from their camp on Leicester Post, with six sappers, under Mr.
Digby Jones, and five gunners under Major Wing, of the 69th Battery. The
whole was commanded by Colonel Metcalfe of the battalion. They marched
across the fairly open grassland toward Observation Hill, and there
halted because the half-moon was too bright. About midnight they again
advanced, as the moon was far down in the west. They marched in fours
towards the foot of the hill, but had to cross the Harrismith Railway
two deep through a gap where the wire fences were cut with nippers. One
deep donga and a shallower had to be crossed as well. At the foot of the
hill two companies were left, extended in a wedge shape, the apex
pointing up the hill. The remaining two companies began the ascent. The
front of the hill is steep and covered with boulders, but is greener
than most South African hills. About half-way up half a company was left
in support. The small assaulting party then cli