the summit of
which they brought a gun into action and fired on to the head of Sir G.
White's force, which was in column of route on the road, but without
doing any damage. The action began at 8.30 a.m.

At the commencement of the action the battalion was in reserve, and was
ordered to extend and lie down at the foot of the first slope facing the
enemy's position, and some 300 yards north-west of the railway line,
sending scouts to the crest of the ridge to watch the front. Four
companies were shortly afterwards ordered to advance in attack
formation, forming their own supports, and to place themselves on the
left of the Gloucester Regiment, which was in front of the Regiment at
the time. The Regiment was then on the extreme left of the firing-line.
The four companies of the reserve worked round under cover to a small
nullah about 300 yards on the left and then advanced up it. The
firing-line advanced, under slight rifle fire, across a rocky plateau
till they gained a small ridge overlooking the front, and opened fire by
section volleys on to a ridge about 800 yards in front, from which a
rather heavy fire was coming.

The Maxim gun under Lieutenant Price-Dent came into action in rear of
the left of the line and fired at the enemy to the left front.

The enemy's fire from this ridge was soon silenced, and from that time
the only objective the line had was a few scattered Boers and their
horses on the rear slope of the high hill to the left front, some 2000
yards distant.

The reserve was deployed into two lines of double companies on and below
a small ridge of rocks some 250 yards in rear of the firing-line. At
about 2 p.m. the retirement commenced, and the battalion gradually
followed the Liverpool Regiment and became rearguard. Ladysmith was
reached about 3.30 p.m., after a sixteen-mile march in torrents of rain.

The casualties of the battalion during the day were:--

1 private killed.[1]
25 privates wounded, none dangerously.

[Footnote 1: This private, the first man of the Regiment killed in the
war, was Private Winsor. He was shot dead through the heart by a stray
bullet.]

This action was known as the action of Reitfontein.

On October 26th General Yule's force marched into Ladysmith. They had
had a bad time, having marched in drenching rain, day and night, from
Sunday till Wednesday. The garrison of Ladysmith gave them food on
arrival, the Regiment supplying the Dublin Fusiliers (officers and men)
wi