following message from
Sir R. Buller:--

"'Congratulate all troops on gallant defence, especially Devon
Regiment.'"

The losses sustained by the garrison of Ladysmith on the 6th January
were:--

Killed. Wounded.
Officers 18 25

Men 150 224

Total killed and wounded, 417.

By the death of Captain Lafone the Regiment lost one of the
kindest-hearted and best officers that ever led a company.

The Boers' losses are estimated at 64 killed and 119 wounded. This
estimate may be considered low, for the _Standard and Diggers' News_,
copies of which were found later on in the war, gave six full-length
columns of killed and wounded amongst the various commandos.

A large donga was utilized by the Boers as a dressing station. The
violent storm on the afternoon of the 6th filled all the dry dongas and
turned them at once into mountain torrents. It is said that all the
wounded Boers in this donga were swept out into the Klip River and
drowned. The dead of the Regiment were buried with those of other
regiments, in a grave under Wagon Hill. Captain Lafone and Lieutenant
Field were buried in the cemetery in Ladysmith.

On the morning of January 8th all the wounded were sent by train to
Intombi Camp, including Lieutenant Masterson, who was doing well.

On January 9th the Regiment was concentrated at the railway cutting, the
company at the railway station having been permanently relieved from the
post by a company of the Liverpool Regiment. The battalion was thus
ready to be moved to any portion of the defences requiring assistance,
in case of attack.

The estimation in which the battalion was held at this time by the
Ladysmith garrison was well borne out by a remark made by Sir George
White. "The Devons," he said, "have never failed me yet. On the 6th they
held one place and took another."

A scare in the evening that the Boers were to attack again in the
morning caused various preparations to be made for their advent. The
garrison stood to arms at 3.15 a.m. awaiting the attack.

It is a curious fact that the Regiment was never ordered to stand to
arms in the morning before three o'clock at any time previous to or
after the 6th January, and the only time the Boers made a night attack
they did so at 2.15 a.m. This was on January 6th, on which day the
Regiment was ordered to stand to arms at 4.15 a.m.

During the night of January 9th-10t