adron of the 13th Hussars towards Green Hill to
strengthen his right flank, and asked Major-General Barton to support
his attack on Hlangwhane with some infantry. General Barton was unable
to comply with this request. The Royal Fusiliers were at this moment
his last reserve, and having regard to his instructions, the G.O.C.,
6th brigade, did not feel justified, without the specific sanction of
General Buller, in committing this battalion to what appeared to him a
doubtful enterprise on intricate ground.

[Sidenote: Sir Redvers decides that Hlangwhane would be useless
without Colenso.]

[Sidenote: The decision 11 a.m. to abandon the guns and return to
camp.]

On receipt of this reply, Lord Dundonald directed his troops to hold
on to the positions they were occupying, and reported the situation to
the General Commanding-in-Chief, who now (about 10 a.m.) had left the
donga and ridden over to the mission station at the cross roads
between Advance Hill and Hussar Hill. There he received Lord
Dundonald's and General Barton's reports; the former was of the
opinion that, with the help of one or two battalions, he could carry
Hlangwhane, while the latter considered that his whole brigade,
including the eight companies now in the firing line by Long's guns,
would be needed if the hill was to be taken. Sir Redvers decided that
the occupation of Hlangwhane would be useless unless he had first
forced the passage of the Tugela at Colenso, and of this he had
already relinquished all hope. He therefore ordered the Commander of
the mounted brigade to keep his men well in hand, and not to allow
them to become too closely engaged in the bush. As regards the 6th
brigade, General Buller considered the Royal Fusiliers already too far
forward on the right flank, and ordered that the battalion should be
drawn in. Five companies of the battalion were accordingly moved to
the south; the other three companies remained with the commanding
officer, Lt.-Colonel C. G. Donald, in support of Thorneycroft, and
were advanced to a point half a mile in front of the position of the
7th battery. General Buller now went back to the donga, and thence
watched Captain Reed's effort to save Long's guns. After its failure,
Sir Redvers, sending away his staff and escort, rode personally
through part of the extended battalions of the 2nd brigade, and formed
the opinion that the men were too exhausted with the extreme heat to
be kept out all day, with the probabi