my was
moved up to the north-west of Chieveley, and collected in a large camp
on the western side of the railway, near Doornkop Spruit. It was, of
course, impossible to conceal this movement from the Boer commander on
the heights north of the river.

[Sidenote: Sir Redvers, Dec. 14th, issues his orders for attack.]

On the afternoon of the 14th Sir Redvers Buller, who had spent the
earlier part of that day in examining the enemy's positions through a
telescope, assembled his subordinate commanders and their staffs, to
communicate, and personally explain to them his instructions for the
operations of the following day. His plan was to try to force the
passage of the river by direct attack. The written orders signed by
the Assistant Adjutant-General of the 2nd division were not issued
until late in the evening, and did not reach the Brigadiers until
about midnight. They will be found at the end of this chapter. The
first paragraph of these orders appears to imply that the enemy's
entrenchments were limited to the Colenso kopjes; at any rate, it is
clear that the extent and strength of the Boer entrenchments westward
were not then known. These kopjes were selected as the object of the
main attack, and this duty was assigned to the 2nd brigade
(Hildyard's). The crossing of this brigade "by the iron bridge," that
is, the Bulwer bridge, was to be prepared by the fire of No. 1 brigade
division Royal Field artillery, less one field battery which was
replaced by six Naval guns. This artillery preparation was to be
assisted by the fire of the remaining Naval guns, two 4.7-in. and four
12-pounders,[224] and by that of the 2nd brigade division, which was
instructed to "take up a position whence it can enfilade the kopjes
north of the iron bridge." This latter artillery unit was also to "act
on any orders it receives from Major-General Hart."

[Footnote 224: Two Naval 12-prs. had been left at Frere; the
remaining two 12-prs. were placed on Shooter's Hill, at a
distance of about 6,000 yards from the bridge.]

[Sidenote: Orders for Hart.]

To Major-General Hart's brigade (the 5th) had been assigned a special
role; it was ordered to cross the river at the "Bridle Drift,
immediately west of the junction of Doornkop Spruit and the Tugela,"
and subsequently to move down the left bank of the river towards the
Colenso kopjes. The Commander-in-Chief hoped that this supplementary
crossing would be accomplished