unteering to
withdraw the guns.[238] Captain Reed, by General Buller's direction,
and with the assistance of Major F. C. Cooper, A.D.C., withdrew from
the rear donga the unwounded drivers and horses of No. 1 brigade
division, and took them back to the wagons of the 7th Field battery.
No order to retire appears to have been sent to the artillery officers
and men in the front donga. A written message--"I am ordered to
retire; fear that you cannot get away"--was sent by Lieut.-Col. E. O.
F. Hamilton, commanding 2nd Queen's, to the donga, addressed to
"O.C.R.A., or any other officer," but it did not reach an officer's
hands.

[Footnote 238: For conspicuous gallantry displayed in the
attempt to carry away the guns, the following were awarded
the Victoria Cross: Captain W. N. Congreve, Rifle Brigade;
Captain H. L. Reed, 7th battery R.F.A.; Captain H. N.
Schofield, R.F.A.; Lieutenant the Hon. F. H. S. Roberts,
King's Royal Rifle Corps (posthumous); Corporal G. E. Nurse,
66th battery R.F.A.; and Private C. Ravenhill, Royal Scots
Fusiliers. For devotion to the wounded under very heavy fire,
Major W. Babtie, C.M.G., Royal Army Medical Corps, also
received the Victoria Cross.]

[Sidenote: The mounted brigade.]

Whilst the fortunes of the day had thus been proving unfavourable to
the main attack, the mounted brigade had been endeavouring to carry
out its part in the programme. The 7th battery R.F.A., according to
orders, reported before daylight to Lord Dundonald. Lord Dundonald
detached the Royal Dragoons to watch the left flank of the general
advance, detailed Bethune's M.I. to act as baggage guard, and moved
off from his rendezvous on the west side of the railway at 4 a.m.
Crossing the line at the platelayer's cottage about 4.30 a.m., he
advanced on Hlangwhane, employing the Composite regiment[239] to
reconnoitre to the front and flanks.

[Footnote 239: This regiment was made up of one squadron
Natal Carbineers, a detachment of Natal Police, one squadron
Imperial Light Horse, and one mounted company formed from 2nd
King's Royal Rifles and Dublin Fusiliers; Major R. L. Walter,
7th Hussars, was on that day in command.]

[Sidenote: The mission of the mounted brigade.]

The Commanding Officers were informed by the Brigadier that their
mission was "to prevent the enemy working round on the rig