Was in Ladysmith when war broke out; was present at Rietfontein, 24th October 1899; and on the night of 29th October was sent out as part of the ill-fated column intended to seize Nicholson's Nek (see 1st Gloucester Regiment and 1st Royal Irish Fusiliers). It will be remembered that the mules with the ammunition and the screw guns stampeded. Mules with two guns and about 70 men of the battery managed to get back to the camp. In Sir George White's despatch of 23rd March 1900, 8 non-commissioned officers and men were mentioned. After being rearmed with more useful weapons the battery advanced north with General Buller and was present at Bergendal (see 2nd Rifle Brigade) and other actions. One officer and 1 non-commissioned officer were mentioned in General Buller's final despatch. In the second phase of the war the battery did much hard and useful work, chiefly in the Eastern Transvaal. It appears from Lord Kitchener's despatch of 8th July 1901 that during a great part of that year the 10th Mountain Battery had one gun with Spens, one with Benson, one with Babington, and one with F W Kitchener. All these columns operated in the Eastern Transvaal.
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