detachments killed or wounded. Shortly afterwards
Captain Herbert rode up, and was understood by General Buller to
confirm the previous report, with the exception that he estimated that
six rounds per gun were still left. It was not until the following day
that the General Commanding knew that men had been all along available
to fight the guns. He had already ordered the retirement of Hart's
brigade, but, until hearing of this fresh mishap, had still hoped to
succeed with his main attack. The operation orders had contemplated
that the fire of the whole of the Naval guns and of both brigade
divisions of Royal artillery (amounting in all to 44 guns) should be
concentrated on the Colenso kopjes, so as to pave the way for an
attack upon them. The 2nd brigade division had been diverted to assist
Hart's brigade and, conceiving from the reports now made that the 1st
brigade division and six of the Naval guns were permanently out of
action for the day, Sir Redvers immediately decided that the artillery
left to him was insufficient and that "without guns it would be
impossible to force the passage of the river."[236] He determined,
before falling back, to make an effort to save Long's guns from what
seemed to him their desperate position.

[Footnote 236: See despatch to Secretary of State, dated 17th
December, 1899.]

[Sidenote: He decides to withdraw from the attack. 8 a.m.]

[Sidenote: The distribution of the troops at 8 a.m.]

He came to this decision, which marks the crucial point of the action,
a little before 8 a.m.[237] Hart's brigade was at that moment slowly
beginning to carry out the order to retire from the western loop of
the river. Barton's brigade, save the two companies Royal Scots
Fusiliers and the half-battalion Irish Fusiliers, which had been
pushed forward to support Long's guns, had not been engaged, although,
to meet any advance of the enemy from the bush near the river on the
right front, the Brigadier had moved the Royal Welsh Fusiliers some
1,000 yards beyond the point where they had first halted. Neither the
2nd nor the 4th brigade had yet fired a shot. The former had been
halted by Major-General Hildyard a little in front of Naval Gun Hill,
with its right on the railway and its left near some kraals, awaiting
the completion of the artillery preparation. Two battalions of the 4th
brigade, the 2nd Scottish Rifles and the 3rd King's Royal Rifles, were
lying close beside Hildyard's br