tion, where
they halted for the night. The news of this rapid development caused a
great stir in Ladysmith. As early as the 15th Sir George White had
decided upon the evacuation of the camp, which lay outside the town,
but hitherto no orders had been issued to this effect. All the 18th
the work of removing the troops and stores from the camp to the town
defences previously selected was pushed on with such despatch, that by
10 p.m. these were well manned. The Pietermaritzburg column, which had
reached Colenso, was ordered back to Onderbrook. Next day the General
rode around Ladysmith, re-adjusting with great care the line of
defence selected on the 16th. Instructions were then sent to
Wolseley-Jenkins to resume his march to Pietermaritzburg, the Imperial
Light Horse alone being taken from the column and brought back into
Ladysmith.[116]

[Footnote 112: 5th Lancers, 19th Hussars, M.I., 1st King's
(Liverpool) regiment.]

[Footnote 113: On the 15th the Intelligence estimate of the
Free State forces in the Drakensberg was as
follows:--Olivier's Hoek, 3,000; Tintwa, 1,000; Van Reenen's,
1,200, with 15 guns; Nelson's Kop, 3,500, with detachments in
the passes to the north. Total, 11,000 men.]

[Footnote 114: Telegram No. 30 of 18th October, 1899,
Ladysmith. Sir G. White to Secretary of State.]

[Footnote 115: Strength: 19th Hussars, one field battery,
five squadrons Imperial Light Horse (raised at Maritzburg in
Sept. 1899), seven companies Liverpool regiment,
half-battalion 2nd King's Royal Rifles, under
Brigadier-General C. B. H. Wolseley-Jenkins. The other half
of the latter battalion was already in Maritzburg.]

[Footnote 116: The whole of Wolseley-Jenkins' column
eventually returned to Ladysmith during the night of
22nd-23rd October.]

[Sidenote: Kock Oct. 19th and night of Oct. 19th-20th seizes
Elandslaagte station.]

Meanwhile, the Boer General, Kock, having arrived on the summit of the
Biggarsberg on the 19th, promptly pushed patrols down the southern
slopes. Field Cornet Potgieter, the leader of one of these, pressing
on in company with a party of Viljoen's men, under Field Cornet
Pienaar, dashed into Elandslaagte station, some twenty miles
southward, and attacked and captured a supply train which was steaming
through the station on its way to Glenco