General Woodgate was entrusted with the command, and Colonel Thorneycroft with much of the arrangement and direction of the night attack.  It does not seem that anything but good resulted from this too soon broken co-operation.  Thorneycroft declined to attack on the night of the 22nd because the ground had not been reconnoitered, and he wanted to be sure of his way.  The infantry therefore had another day’s shelling on the 23rd.  Good reconnaissances were, however, made, Lyttelton was strengthened by two Fusilier battalions from Chieveley, Warren was reinforced by Talbot Coke’s Brigade and the Imperial Light Infantry, and at one o’clock on the morning of January 24 General Woodgate started from his camp with the Lancashire Fusiliers, the Royal Lancaster Regiment, two companies of the South Lancashires, and Thorneycroft’s Mounted Infantry.  Guided by Colonel Thorneycroft the force made its way successfully up the southern spur of the mountain, over most difficult and dangerous ground, and surprised the Boers guarding the entrenchments on the summit.  At three o’clock those listening in the plain heard the sudden outburst of musketry, followed by the loud cheers of the troops, and knew that the position had been carried.  Ten soldiers were killed and wounded in the firing.  Six Boers perished by the bayonet.  The force then proceeded to fortify itself, but the surface of the hill was extremely unsuited to defence.  The rocks which covered the summit made digging an impossibility, and were themselves mostly too large to be built into sangars.  Such cover, however, as had been made by the Boers was utilised and improved.

Morning broke, and with it the attack.  The enemy, realising the vital importance of the position, concentrated every man and gun at his disposal for its recapture.  A fierce and furious shell fire was opened forthwith on the summit, causing immediate and continual loss.  General Woodgate was wounded, and the command devolved on a regimental officer, who, at half-past six, applied for reinforcements in a letter which scarcely displayed that composure and determination necessary in such a bloody debate.

Sir Redvers Buller then took the extreme step of appointing Major Thorneycroft—­already only a local lieutenant-colonel—­local Brigadier-General commanding on the summit of Spion Kop.  The Imperial Light Infantry, the Middlesex Regiment, and a little later the Somersets, from General Talbot Coke’s Brigade, were ordered to reinforce the defence, but General Coke was directed to remain below the summit of the hill, so that the fight might still be conducted by the best fighting man.