Loss of Long’s guns

Copy of a letter from Capt. H. D. White-Thomson (Adjutant Royal Artillery) to Mrs
Holford)

 

 

Dear Mrs Holford,

I little thought when last I saw you after having stayed at Castle Hill that I should have to write to tell you that your son was a prisoner in the hands of the Boers. He will not be able to write to you himself I am afraid, so I will try and tell you all about it, and I know he would not have told you how splendidly, pluckily he fought his guns under as hot a fire as we any of us hope to experience in this world. We started off in the early morning and were led by Col. Long up to within 1200 yards of Fort Wylie, a strong hill just north of Colenso, the other side of the Tugela. Not a sign of a Boer was visible. I fancy Col. Long must have thought the Boers had retired. We had orders to spy on some trenches on a hill behind Fort Wylie, but just as the batteries moved up into action a tremendous fire met us from Fort Wylie, guns and rifles. After about a minute one of the enemies, shells burst right over our left gun, disabling all the men at it. Col. Long at once went there and worked the gun himself, at the same time commanding his other forces all the time, hours it seemed – tho it was really over one hour we kept shooting away shells and bullets coming all among the guns. Goldie was killed, Gethier wounded, Colonel Hunt shot, Colonel Young wounded, all close to your son who had two wonderful escapes, once he turned just in time for a bullet to take off the second button of his coat, while another bullet grazed his cheek. He worked away like a horse and nothing could have been done better. Gradually the enemy’s fire relaxed, and became insignificant, but we had fired nearly all our ammunition and still the infantry did not come to draw the fire off us and so we withdrew the men under cover of a dry watercourse, handy to support our infantry advance, when it should come. There we lay from about 9 till 3.30 under a pitiless sun, and no water to speak of. Then to our horror we saw the infantry retiring instead of coming on. Even then we hoped the Boers would not dare to cross the river. They would not if there had been a small detachment of infantry left with us, but some of them did come across and went among the
guns. Your son and Birch then volunteered to go by themselves and fire case at the Boers but the result would not have justified the almost certain loss of their lives and they were forbidden. Meanwhile we were surrounded. The wounded were allowed to go to their own ambulances, except Col. Long who was detained a prisoner. Major Bailward, Birch and your son were not touched and consequently were made prisoners. With the exception of Col. Long who was wounded dangerously, I was the senior R.A. officer to come out of our position, and so I have written an account of the action, and told you how finely your son behaved and I truly hope he may get some reward, one that will compensate for his having been made a prisoner in spite of his most gallant conduct.

Yours v. sincerely
H. D. White Thomson.

 

 

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There is a remarkable book on the subject of Colonel Long’s guns called “Halt, Action Front” by Darrel Hall, sadly now with the great Artillery battery in the sky. Darrel is considered to be the artillery expert and in his book gives chapter and verse on the action.