General Buller's plan was to make a strong feint against Brakfontein,
the highest hill of the ridge connected with the Spion Kop range, while
the real attack was to be delivered against an isolated hill named Vaal
Krantz, which, as viewed from Swartz Kop and Mount Alice, seemed to be
the key to the whole position, and it was thought that its possession
would open the way for a direct advance to Ladysmith. All was now in
readiness for the attack, and the sailors had with steel hawsers, and
the aid of the troops, got four more naval guns on to Swartz Kop.
Before daybreak the troops were ready to advance. The regular cavalry
were near the base of Swartz Kop, while all the Colonial Horse, under
Lord Dundonald, were near Potgieter's Drift. At six o'clock the cavalry
went forward, but not far, for the morning was so misty that the
artillery could not make out the Boer positions until an hour later,
when a tremendous fire was opened from Mount Alice, Swartz Kop, and guns
placed on a lower spur of Spion Kop. While this was going on, a bridge
was thrown by the Engineers across another drift. Major-general Wynne
led the Lancashire brigade in the direction of Brakfontein. They went
forward in skirmishing order, supported by five field batteries and the
howitzer battery, all of which kept up an incessant fire of lyddite,
shell, and shot against the Boer position, their fire being guided by an
engineer officer in a balloon, who was able from a lofty altitude to
signal where the Boers were clustering most thickly.
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