Battle of Colenso
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Colenso was the third and final battle fought during the Black Week
of the Second Boer War
. It was fought between British and Boer
forces from the independent South African Republic and Orange Free State in and around Colenso
, Natal
, South Africa on 15 December 1899.
Inadequate preparation and reconnaissance, and uninspired leadership led to a heavy, and in some respects humiliating, British defeat.
was dispatched to South Africa at the head of an Army Corps, and appointed Commander in Chief of all British forces in South Africa. On arrival, he found British garrisons besieged on widely separated fronts, with limited communications between the fronts. Having detached forces under Generals Lord Methuen and Gatacre
to the western and central fronts, Buller assumed command of his largest detachment and proposed to lead it to the relief
of a besieged British force in Ladysmith
, in Natal.
On this front, the Boers had made some raids and reconnaissances into the southern part of the province, but in the face of a large British army, they had retired north of the Tugela River
at Colenso and dug in there, blocking the road and railway line to Ladysmith. Buller originally intended making a flank march to cross the Tugela at Potgieters Drift 50 miles (80.5 km) upstream of Colenso. On hearing that Gatacre and Methuen been defeated at the battles of Stormberg
and Magersfontein
, Buller felt he needed to relieve Ladysmith as soon as possible and resume overall command of the forces in South Africa, and was worried that a move to Potgieters would put him out of telegraph communications with the rest of South Africa. He also lacked wagons and draught animals, and feared that a defeat at Potgieters Drift would leave his force isolated and trapped. He decided to make a frontal assault at Colenso after two days' artillery bombardment beginning on 13 December.
commanded the Boers on this front. The basic Boer fighting unit was the commando, nominally consisting of all the available fighting men from a district, led by an elected Commandant and administered by a Feldcornet. Botha had nine such commandos and the Swaziland
Police available. He deployed his chief strength north of the river, covering the drifts (fords). His plan was to open fire when the British were about to cross, or were crossing, the river, enfilade their right flank and rear with a force deployed on a hill known as Hlangwane south of the river, and attack their left with another force which would cross the river several miles upstream.
The preparatory British artillery fire missed the camouflaged Boer trenches, but the defenders of Hlangwane abandoned their positions and retreated across the river. After exhortations arrived by telegram from President Paul Kruger
of the South African Republic, detachments selected by lot reoccupied Hlangwane the day before Buller attacked.
Botha deployed the Middelburg
and Johannesburg
commandos, with a contingent from the Orange Free State
, at Robinson's Drift, 8 miles (12.9 km) upstream from Colenso; the Ermelo
commando at the Bridle Drift 3 miles (4.8 km) upstream from Colenso; the Zoutpansberg
commando and the Swaziland
police at the Punt Drift at the end of a loop in the river east of the Bridle Drift, the Heidelberg
, Vryheid
and Krugersdorp
commandos in a range of low kopjes and the river bank at Colenso itself, and the Wakkerstroom
and Standerton
commandos on Hlangwane.
Buller intended the 5th (Irish) Brigade
, to cross the Bridle Drift. The brigade consisted of the 1st Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers
, the 1st Connaught Rangers, 2nd Royal Dublin Fusiliers, and the 2nd Border Regiment
, and was commanded by the confident Major General Fitzroy Hart. Meanwhile, the 2nd Brigade under Major-General Henry J. T. Hildyard would occupy the village itself (where there was another ford and two bridges across the Tugela, although one bridge had been demolished). Hildyard's brigade consisted of the 2nd Devonshire Regiment, the 2nd Queen's Royal Regiment (West Surrey)
, the 2nd West Yorkshire Regiment, and the 2nd East Surrey Regiment
. Its attack was to be supported by artillery (the 16th and 44th Field Batteries of the Royal Artillery
and a battery of six naval 12-pounder guns) under Colonel C.J. Long.
A regiment of regular cavalry (the 7th Dragoon Guards
under Colonel J.F. Burn-Murdoch protected the left flank. On the right flank, Buller intended that a brigade of colonial light horse and mounted infantry under Lord Dundonald
would capture Hlangwane. (Although Buller recognised that Hlangwane was a difficult position to assault, he anticipated that once Hart's and Hildyard's troops had established bridgeheads on the north bank of the Tugela, the Boers would abandon the hill for fear of being isolated.) Dundonald's brigade consisted of Bethune's Mounted Infantry (three companies), Thorneycroft's
Mounted Infantry (three companies), the South African Light Horse (three squadrons) the Imperial Light Horse (one squadron), the Natal Carbineers
(one squadron), and two companies of mounted infantry detached from British infantry units)
Two more infantry brigades were in reserve: the 4th (Light) Brigade under Major General Neville Lyttelton
(2nd Cameronians (Scottish Rifles), 1st and 3rd battalions of the Rifle Brigade (Prince Consort's Own) and the 1st Durham Light Infantry
), and the 6th (Fusilier) Brigade
under Major General Geoffrey Barton (2nd Royal Fusiliers, the 2nd Scots Fusiliers
, the 1st Royal Welch Fusiliers
, and the 2nd Royal Irish Fusiliers
)
Buller also had another three batteries of field artillery (7th, 63rd and 64th), and another battery of eight naval 12-pounder guns and two 4.7-inch
naval guns to support the flanking mounted troops or in reserve.
Early on the morning of 15 December, Hart gave his men half an hour's parade ground drill, then led them in close column towards the Bridle Drift. However, his locally recruited guide, who spoke no English, led the brigade towards the wrong ford, the Punt Drift at the end of a loop in the river at 28°43′57"S 29°47′16"E. (The loop can be clearly seen to the right of the photograph at the head of the article.) Botha had ordered his men to hold their fire until the British tried to cross the river, but Hart's brigade jammed into the loop of the river was too good a target to miss. The Boers opened fire and Hart's brigade was to suffer over 500 casualties before they could be extricated. The battalions repeatedly tried to extend to the left and locate the Bridle Drift. On each occasion, Hart recalled them and sent them back into the loop.
Meanwhile, as Hildyard moved towards Colenso
, the two batteries of field guns under Colonel Charles James Long forged ahead of him, and deployed in the open well within rifle range of the nearest Boers. Once again, this was too tempting a target, and the Boers opened fire. The British gunners fought on even though suffering heavy casualties, but ammunition could not be brought to them and they were eventually forced to take shelter in a donga (dry stream bed) behind the guns. The bullock-drawn naval guns had not been able to keep up with the field guns, and were able to come into action 1600 yards (1,463 m) from the Boer trenches.
Buller, who had also heard that his light horse were pinned down at the foot of Hlangwane and unable to advance, decided to call the battle off at this point, even though Hildyard's men, advancing in open order, had just occupied Colenso. He went forward (being slightly wounded himself) and called for volunteers to recover Long's guns. Two teams galloped up, and hooked up and brought away two guns. One of those mortally wounded in this action was Lieutenant the Hon. Freddy Roberts
, the only son of Field Marshal Lord Roberts
, who was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross
. Several other Victoria Crosses were also awarded. A second attempt to recover the guns failed when horses and volunteers were shot down by Boer rifle fire.
During the afternoon, the British fell back to their camp, leaving ten guns, many wounded gunners and some of Hildyard's men behind to be captured during the night. Although Buller had committed few of his reserves, he reasoned that a full day under a boiling sun would have sapped their morale and strength. Lyttelton committed some of his troops to help Hart's brigade withdraw, but the cautious Major General Barton refused to support Dundonald's or Hildyard's hard-pressed troops.
Buller's army lost 143 killed, 756 wounded and 220 captured. Boer casualties were estimated at 50.
Over the next month he made his original intended flank march to Potgieters Drift, but this ended with the disastrous Battle of Spion Kop
. Eventually he returned to Colenso, and forced his way over the Tugela by laboriously outflanking and capturing Hlangwane, which dominated the Boer left flank. Even so, another ten days' fighting were necessary, but eventually Botha's forces were broken and forced to retreat, temporarily demoralised. Ladysmith was relieved
on 28 February 1900.
After the battle of Colenso, four soldiers were awarded the Victoria Cross
, the highest decoration for gallantry that can be awarded to British (and today Commonwealth) forces. All crossed an exposed area of intense Boer fire and rescued two guns of the 16th and 44th Batteries when their crews had become casualties or been driven from their weapons. They were Captain Walter Norris Congreve
, Captain Harry Norton Schofield
, Corporal George Edward Nurse
and Lieutenant Freddy Roberts
who was mortally wounded.
Black Week
In one disastrous week, dubbed Black Week, from 10-17 December 1899, the British Army suffered three devastating defeats by the Boer Republics at the battles of Stormberg , Magersfontein and Colenso , with 2,776 men killed, wounded and captured...
of the Second Boer War
Second Boer War
The Second Boer War was fought from 11 October 1899 until 31 May 1902 between the British Empire and the Afrikaans-speaking Dutch settlers of two independent Boer republics, the South African Republic and the Orange Free State...
. It was fought between British and Boer
Boer
Boer is the Dutch and Afrikaans word for farmer, which came to denote the descendants of the Dutch-speaking settlers of the eastern Cape frontier in Southern Africa during the 18th century, as well as those who left the Cape Colony during the 19th century to settle in the Orange Free State,...
forces from the independent South African Republic and Orange Free State in and around Colenso
Colenso, KwaZulu-Natal
Colenso is a town in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. It is located on the southern bank of the Tugela River. The original settlement was contained within a loop on the river, but it subsequently expanded southwards and eastwards...
, Natal
KwaZulu-Natal
KwaZulu-Natal is a province of South Africa. Prior to 1994, the territory now known as KwaZulu-Natal was made up of the province of Natal and the homeland of KwaZulu....
, South Africa on 15 December 1899.
Inadequate preparation and reconnaissance, and uninspired leadership led to a heavy, and in some respects humiliating, British defeat.
Background
Shortly before the outbreak of the war, General Sir Redvers BullerRedvers Buller
General Sir Redvers Henry Buller VC GCB GCMG was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces....
was dispatched to South Africa at the head of an Army Corps, and appointed Commander in Chief of all British forces in South Africa. On arrival, he found British garrisons besieged on widely separated fronts, with limited communications between the fronts. Having detached forces under Generals Lord Methuen and Gatacre
William Forbes Gatacre
Lieutenant General Sir William Forbes Gatacre KCB, DSO was a British soldier, born near Stirling, and educated at Royal Military College Sandhurst. He entered the army in 1862 and retired in 1904, after serving in various conflicts....
to the western and central fronts, Buller assumed command of his largest detachment and proposed to lead it to the relief
Relief of Ladysmith
When the Second Boer War broke out on 11 October 1899, the Boers had a numeric superiority within Southern Africa. They quickly invaded the British territory and laid siege to Ladysmith, Kimberley and Mafeking...
of a besieged British force in Ladysmith
Ladysmith, KwaZulu-Natal
Ladysmith is a city in the Uthukela District of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. It is north-west of Durban and south of Johannesburg. Important industries in the area include food processing, textile and tyre production...
, in Natal.
On this front, the Boers had made some raids and reconnaissances into the southern part of the province, but in the face of a large British army, they had retired north of the Tugela River
Tugela River
The Tugela River is the largest river in KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa. The river originates in the Drakensberg Mountains, Mont-aux-Sources, and plunges 947 metres down the Tugela Falls...
at Colenso and dug in there, blocking the road and railway line to Ladysmith. Buller originally intended making a flank march to cross the Tugela at Potgieters Drift 50 miles (80.5 km) upstream of Colenso. On hearing that Gatacre and Methuen been defeated at the battles of Stormberg
Battle of Stormberg
The Battle of Stormberg was the first British defeat of Black Week, in which three successive British forces were defeated by Boer irregulars in the Second Boer War.-Background:...
and Magersfontein
Battle of Magersfontein
The Battle of MagersfonteinSpelt incorrectly in various English texts as "Majersfontein", "Maaghersfontein" and "Maagersfontein". was fought on 11 December 1899, at Magersfontein near Kimberley on the borders of the Cape Colony and the independent republic of the Orange Free State...
, Buller felt he needed to relieve Ladysmith as soon as possible and resume overall command of the forces in South Africa, and was worried that a move to Potgieters would put him out of telegraph communications with the rest of South Africa. He also lacked wagons and draught animals, and feared that a defeat at Potgieters Drift would leave his force isolated and trapped. He decided to make a frontal assault at Colenso after two days' artillery bombardment beginning on 13 December.
Boer plans
After Piet Joubert, the Commandant-General of the Transvaal, had been incapacitated after falling from his horse, Louis BothaLouis Botha
Louis Botha was an Afrikaner and first Prime Minister of the Union of South Africa—the forerunner of the modern South African state...
commanded the Boers on this front. The basic Boer fighting unit was the commando, nominally consisting of all the available fighting men from a district, led by an elected Commandant and administered by a Feldcornet. Botha had nine such commandos and the Swaziland
Swaziland
Swaziland, officially the Kingdom of Swaziland , and sometimes called Ngwane or Swatini, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa, bordered to the north, south and west by South Africa, and to the east by Mozambique...
Police available. He deployed his chief strength north of the river, covering the drifts (fords). His plan was to open fire when the British were about to cross, or were crossing, the river, enfilade their right flank and rear with a force deployed on a hill known as Hlangwane south of the river, and attack their left with another force which would cross the river several miles upstream.
The preparatory British artillery fire missed the camouflaged Boer trenches, but the defenders of Hlangwane abandoned their positions and retreated across the river. After exhortations arrived by telegram from President Paul Kruger
Paul Kruger
Stephanus Johannes Paulus Kruger , better known as Paul Kruger and affectionately known as Uncle Paul was State President of the South African Republic...
of the South African Republic, detachments selected by lot reoccupied Hlangwane the day before Buller attacked.
Botha deployed the Middelburg
Middelburg, Mpumalanga
Middelburg is a large farming and industrial town in the South African province of Mpumalanga.Middelburg was established as Nasareth, , in 1864 by the Voortrekkers on the banks of the Klein Olifants River. The name was changed in 1872 to Middelburg to mark its situation midway between the Transvaal...
and Johannesburg
Johannesburg
Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
commandos, with a contingent from the Orange Free State
Orange Free State
The Orange Free State was an independent Boer republic in southern Africa during the second half of the 19th century, and later a British colony and a province of the Union of South Africa. It is the historical precursor to the present-day Free State province...
, at Robinson's Drift, 8 miles (12.9 km) upstream from Colenso; the Ermelo
Ermelo, Mpumalanga
Ermelo is the educational, industrial and commercial centre of the 7,750 km² Gert Sibande District Municipality in Mpumalanga province, Republic of South Africa. Mixed farming and anthracite, coal and torbanite mining take place here...
commando at the Bridle Drift 3 miles (4.8 km) upstream from Colenso; the Zoutpansberg
Zoutpansberg
Zoutpansberg was the north-eastern division of the Transvaal, South Africa. This was the district to which Louis Tregardt and Jan van Rensburg, the forerunners of the Great Trek, journeyed in 1835. In 1845 Hendrik Potgieter, a prominent leader of the Voortrekkers, moved there...
commando and the Swaziland
Swaziland
Swaziland, officially the Kingdom of Swaziland , and sometimes called Ngwane or Swatini, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa, bordered to the north, south and west by South Africa, and to the east by Mozambique...
police at the Punt Drift at the end of a loop in the river east of the Bridle Drift, the Heidelberg
Heidelberg, Gauteng
Heidelberg is a town with 70,707 inhabitants in the Gauteng province of South Africa at the foot of the Suikerbosrand next to the N3 highway, which connects Johannesburg and Durban.- History :...
, Vryheid
Vryheid, KwaZulu-Natal
Vryheid is a coal mining and cattle ranching town in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Vryheid is Afrikaans for "freedom" or "liberty".-History:...
and Krugersdorp
Krugersdorp, Gauteng
Krugersdorp is a mining city with between 378,821 and 408,065 inhabitants in the West Rand of the Gauteng province of South Africa. Krugersdorp was founded in 1887 by Marthinus Pretorius and named after Paul Kruger....
commandos in a range of low kopjes and the river bank at Colenso itself, and the Wakkerstroom
Wakkerstroom
Wakkerstroom, , is the second oldest town in Mpumalanga province in South Africa. It was established in 1859 and its name is an Afrikaans translation of the Zulu name for the river that flows near the town, uThaka, ...
and Standerton
Standerton
Standerton is a large commercial and agricultural town lying on the banks of the Vaal River in Mpumalanga, South Africa which specialises in cattle, dairy, maize and poultry farming. The town was established in 1876 and named after Boer leader Commadant AH Stander. During the Second Boer War a...
commandos on Hlangwane.
British plans
Buller was handicapped by shortage of competent staff officers, as most of the staff of his Army Corps had been dispersed, like the Corps itself, to the various distant fronts throughout South Africa. He also lacked information on the geography of the area, and possessed only a sparsely detailed blueprint map based on railway and farm surveys, and a crude sketch map made by an artillery officer.Buller intended the 5th (Irish) Brigade
British 5th Infantry Brigade
The 5th Infantry Brigade was a regular British Army formation from the First World War to disbandment in 1999.- History :During both World War I and the Second World War the 5th Brigade was part of the 2nd Infantry Division. It served in France in 1940, was evacuated to Britain from Dunkirk and...
, to cross the Bridle Drift. The brigade consisted of the 1st Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers
Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers
The Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers was a Irish infantry regiment of the British Army formed in 1881 by the amalgamation of the 27th Regiment of Foot and the 108th Regiment of Foot...
, the 1st Connaught Rangers, 2nd Royal Dublin Fusiliers, and the 2nd Border Regiment
Border Regiment
The Border Regiment was an infantry regiment of the line in the British Army, formed in 1881 by the amalgamation of the 34th Regiment of Foot and the 55th Regiment of Foot....
, and was commanded by the confident Major General Fitzroy Hart. Meanwhile, the 2nd Brigade under Major-General Henry J. T. Hildyard would occupy the village itself (where there was another ford and two bridges across the Tugela, although one bridge had been demolished). Hildyard's brigade consisted of the 2nd Devonshire Regiment, the 2nd Queen's Royal Regiment (West Surrey)
Queen's Royal Regiment (West Surrey)
The Queen's Royal Regiment was a regiment of the English and later British Army from 1661 to 1959. It was the senior English line infantry regiment of the British Army, behind only the Royal Scots in the British Army line infantry order of precedence...
, the 2nd West Yorkshire Regiment, and the 2nd East Surrey Regiment
East Surrey Regiment
The East Surrey Regiment was a regiment in the British Army formed in 1881 from the amalgamation of the 31st Regiment of Foot and the 70th Regiment of Foot...
. Its attack was to be supported by artillery (the 16th and 44th Field Batteries of the Royal Artillery
Royal Artillery
The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery , is the artillery arm of the British Army. Despite its name, it comprises a number of regiments.-History:...
and a battery of six naval 12-pounder guns) under Colonel C.J. Long.
A regiment of regular cavalry (the 7th Dragoon Guards
7th Dragoon Guards
The 7th Dragoon Guards was a cavalry regiment in the British Army, first raised in 1688. It saw service for three centuries, before being amalgamated into the 4th/7th Dragoon Guards in 1922....
under Colonel J.F. Burn-Murdoch protected the left flank. On the right flank, Buller intended that a brigade of colonial light horse and mounted infantry under Lord Dundonald
Douglas Cochrane, 12th Earl of Dundonald
Lieutenant-General Douglas Mackinnon Baillie Hamilton Cochrane, 12th Earl of Dundonald was a Scottish representative peer and a British Army general.-Military career:...
would capture Hlangwane. (Although Buller recognised that Hlangwane was a difficult position to assault, he anticipated that once Hart's and Hildyard's troops had established bridgeheads on the north bank of the Tugela, the Boers would abandon the hill for fear of being isolated.) Dundonald's brigade consisted of Bethune's Mounted Infantry (three companies), Thorneycroft's
Mounted Infantry (three companies), the South African Light Horse (three squadrons) the Imperial Light Horse (one squadron), the Natal Carbineers
Natal Carbineers
The Natal Carbineers Regiment is an Infantry regiment of the South African Army. As a reserve unit, it has a status roughly equivalent to that of a British Territorial Army or United States Army National Guard unit.- South Africa, 1879 :...
(one squadron), and two companies of mounted infantry detached from British infantry units)
Two more infantry brigades were in reserve: the 4th (Light) Brigade under Major General Neville Lyttelton
Neville Lyttelton
General Sir Neville Gerald Lyttelton GCB, GCVO, PC was a British Army Officer. He served as Chief of the General Staff.-Army career:...
(2nd Cameronians (Scottish Rifles), 1st and 3rd battalions of the Rifle Brigade (Prince Consort's Own) and the 1st Durham Light Infantry
Durham Light Infantry
The Durham Light Infantry was an infantry regiment of the British Army from 1881 to 1968. It was formed by the amalgamation of the 68th Regiment of Foot and the 106th Regiment of Foot along with the militia and rifle volunteers of County Durham...
), and the 6th (Fusilier) Brigade
6th Infantry Brigade (United Kingdom)
- World War I :The brigade was part of 2nd Division. It was composed as follows;*1st Battalion, The King's *2nd Battalion, The South Staffordshire Regiment*13th Battalion , The Essex Regiment...
under Major General Geoffrey Barton (2nd Royal Fusiliers, the 2nd Scots Fusiliers
Royal Scots Fusiliers
-The Earl of Mar's Regiment of Foot :The regiment was raised in Scotland in 1678 by Stuart loyalist Charles Erskine, de jure 5th Earl of Mar for service against the rebel covenanting forces during the Second Whig Revolt . They were used to keep the peace and put down brigands, mercenaries, and...
, the 1st Royal Welch Fusiliers
Royal Welch Fusiliers
The Royal Welch Fusiliers was an infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Prince of Wales' Division. It was founded in 1689 to oppose James II and the imminent war with France...
, and the 2nd Royal Irish Fusiliers
Royal Irish Fusiliers
The Royal Irish Fusiliers was an Irish infantry regiment of the British Army, formed by the amalgamation of the 87th Regiment of Foot and the 89th Regiment of Foot in 1881. The regiment's first title in 1881 was Princess Victoria's , changed in 1920 to The Royal Irish Fusiliers...
)
Buller also had another three batteries of field artillery (7th, 63rd and 64th), and another battery of eight naval 12-pounder guns and two 4.7-inch
QF 4.7 inch Gun Mk I - IV
The QF 4.7 inch Gun Mks I, II, III, and IV were a family of United-Kingdom 120-mm naval and coast defence guns of 1888 and 1890s which served with the navies of various countries. They were also mounted on various wheeled carriages to provide the British Army with a long range gun...
naval guns to support the flanking mounted troops or in reserve.
The battle
Meanwhile, as Hildyard moved towards Colenso
Colenso, KwaZulu-Natal
Colenso is a town in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. It is located on the southern bank of the Tugela River. The original settlement was contained within a loop on the river, but it subsequently expanded southwards and eastwards...
, the two batteries of field guns under Colonel Charles James Long forged ahead of him, and deployed in the open well within rifle range of the nearest Boers. Once again, this was too tempting a target, and the Boers opened fire. The British gunners fought on even though suffering heavy casualties, but ammunition could not be brought to them and they were eventually forced to take shelter in a donga (dry stream bed) behind the guns. The bullock-drawn naval guns had not been able to keep up with the field guns, and were able to come into action 1600 yards (1,463 m) from the Boer trenches.
Buller, who had also heard that his light horse were pinned down at the foot of Hlangwane and unable to advance, decided to call the battle off at this point, even though Hildyard's men, advancing in open order, had just occupied Colenso. He went forward (being slightly wounded himself) and called for volunteers to recover Long's guns. Two teams galloped up, and hooked up and brought away two guns. One of those mortally wounded in this action was Lieutenant the Hon. Freddy Roberts
Frederick Hugh Sherston Roberts
Frederick Hugh Sherston Roberts VC , son of the famous Victorian commander Field Marshal Frederick Roberts, 1st Earl Roberts, was born in Umballa, India, and received the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and...
, the only son of Field Marshal Lord Roberts
Frederick Roberts, 1st Earl Roberts
Field Marshal Frederick Sleigh Roberts, 1st Earl Roberts, Bt, VC, KG, KP, GCB, OM, GCSI, GCIE, KStJ, PC was a distinguished Indian born British soldier who regarded himself as Anglo-Irish and one of the most successful British commanders of the 19th century.-Early life:Born at Cawnpore, India, on...
, who was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
. Several other Victoria Crosses were also awarded. A second attempt to recover the guns failed when horses and volunteers were shot down by Boer rifle fire.
During the afternoon, the British fell back to their camp, leaving ten guns, many wounded gunners and some of Hildyard's men behind to be captured during the night. Although Buller had committed few of his reserves, he reasoned that a full day under a boiling sun would have sapped their morale and strength. Lyttelton committed some of his troops to help Hart's brigade withdraw, but the cautious Major General Barton refused to support Dundonald's or Hildyard's hard-pressed troops.
Buller's army lost 143 killed, 756 wounded and 220 captured. Boer casualties were estimated at 50.
Aftermath
Although replaced as Commander in Chief in South Africa by Lord Roberts, Buller remained in command in Natal despite the death of the Hon. Freddy Roberts.Over the next month he made his original intended flank march to Potgieters Drift, but this ended with the disastrous Battle of Spion Kop
Battle of Spion Kop
The Battle of Spion Kop was fought about west-south-west of Ladysmith on the hilltop of Spioenkop along the Tugela River, Natal in South Africa from 23–24 January 1900...
. Eventually he returned to Colenso, and forced his way over the Tugela by laboriously outflanking and capturing Hlangwane, which dominated the Boer left flank. Even so, another ten days' fighting were necessary, but eventually Botha's forces were broken and forced to retreat, temporarily demoralised. Ladysmith was relieved
Relief of Ladysmith
When the Second Boer War broke out on 11 October 1899, the Boers had a numeric superiority within Southern Africa. They quickly invaded the British territory and laid siege to Ladysmith, Kimberley and Mafeking...
on 28 February 1900.
After the battle of Colenso, four soldiers were awarded the Victoria Cross
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
, the highest decoration for gallantry that can be awarded to British (and today Commonwealth) forces. All crossed an exposed area of intense Boer fire and rescued two guns of the 16th and 44th Batteries when their crews had become casualties or been driven from their weapons. They were Captain Walter Norris Congreve
Walter Norris Congreve
General Sir Walter Norris Congreve VC KCB MVO DL was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces...
, Captain Harry Norton Schofield
Harry Norton Schofield
Lieutenant-Colonel Harry Norton Schofield VC was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.-Details:Schofield was 34 years old, and a captain in the Royal...
, Corporal George Edward Nurse
George Edward Nurse
George Edward Nurse VC was born in Enniskillen, County Fermanagh, Ireland. He was educated in the Channel Islands where both his parents had been born...
and Lieutenant Freddy Roberts
Frederick Hugh Sherston Roberts
Frederick Hugh Sherston Roberts VC , son of the famous Victorian commander Field Marshal Frederick Roberts, 1st Earl Roberts, was born in Umballa, India, and received the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and...
who was mortally wounded.