e to the road near the village. Part of these were
already occupied by the 2nd Queen's. Between Bullock's two foremost
Devon sections and Burrell's five companies lay the companies of the
Royal Scots Fusiliers, which formed the original escort to the guns,
and behind them, in support, were those two other companies of R. S.
Fusiliers which had been despatched by General Barton, when he
observed that an attempt was being made to withdraw the field guns. To
the right, and on the left rear of Bullock, four companies of Irish
Fusiliers were still extended. At this time, therefore, nearly ten
companies of infantry were in the firing line. Three companies of the
Queen's, about seven of the Devon, two of the Irish, and two of the
Scotch Fusiliers were in immediate support, and the remainder of the
2nd and 6th brigades and a battalion of the 4th brigade (the King's
Royal Rifles) were near at hand in rear. During this period of the
fight, Lieutenant R. E. Meyricke, Royal Engineers, of his own
initiative, worked down the spruit above the Bulwer bridge to the
river, and thence along its bank to the bridge, which he tested under
heavy fire, and found not to be mined.

[Sidenote: Sir Redvers, in zone of fire, orders Naval guns to retire.]

After giving his orders to General Hildyard's brigade, Sir Redvers
rode forward with Lieut.-General Clery and his staff into the zone of
fire, Captain M. E. Hughes, R.A.M.C., being killed, and Sir Redvers
himself hit by a shrapnel bullet. On reaching that donga, where
Lieutenant Ogilvy's Naval guns were still in action, General Buller
ordered their retirement. Two of these guns, whose oxen had been kept
at hand, went off to join the main Naval battery under Captain Jones.
The remaining four were withdrawn out of range one by one with the
help of artillery horses, and were eventually brought back to camp by
fresh spans of oxen. This withdrawal was covered by "C." squadron of
the 13th Hussars. The casualties among Ogilvy's party during the day
only amounted to three men wounded, and twenty-eight oxen killed,
wounded or lost.

[Sidenote: He stops despatch of ammunition to Long's guns.]

The field guns were still in the open, beyond the further donga, under
cover of which the surviving officers and men of the brigade division
were lying, hoping for ammunition to enable them to resume the action.
Major W. Babtie, R.A.M.C., who had volunteered to go forward to the
gun line, was attending to the woun