Surrender of Ladysmith 1900

Have just returned from a tour of Zulu and Boer War battle sites ,spent 4 days staying in Ladysmith , on touring the site and discussions with the tour guide one thing struck me , the highest ground which dominated the whole town was held for the whole period by the Boers ,it was their artillery position and could wreak havoc whenever they required , I asked the guide why was this not done , he agreed and said if required the town could have been levelled in a matter of days ? The British general whose task it was to relive the town did in fact send a telegram to the general holding the town which said if you require surrender the town ! He also sent a similar message to HM government stating is it worth the effort to relive Ladysmith ? In the end the town held out ,Buller relived the town and England rejoiced .But if the Boer artillery had been allowed to reduce the town ,or the powers that be had decided to withdraw ,13000 regular British troops would have gone in the bag ! This would have been up to this time the largest capitulation of troops in the 19 century and surrendering to a group of part time troops , the effect I believe may have kept England from entering a continental war in 1914 ? In 1900 European powers would have stepped in to arrange talks ,a huge embarrassment to the empire and unknown effects at home .
 
Maybe it had something to do with the limited number of siege guns and matching munitions that the Boers had on hand. IIRC, they were also besieging Kimberly and Mafeking too, so that would've split up their guns and forced them to ration their shells more carefully.
 
Checked that ,and they had good ammunition and excellent trained German gunners , it seems when they requested to shell the camps , hospital ,stores ect they were denied permission ? By the Boer leadership I just wonder if the Boer command was prepared to accept 13000 prisoners ? Many of the European nations were waiting developments on the side lines ,there was a German , Italian and Irish battalion serving on the Eastern Front , my thoughts are that if the town falls ,Britian is forced by the likes of Imperial Germany to the table ,concede to the Boers , this has implecations to other countries within the Empire , fall of the British government a huge embaresment to the army's pride , further implecations in Ireland ,though it would not stop the coming world war in Europe it could have Britian in a position where it does not become involved
 
I don't know what would happen, but I think the fall of Ladysmith would be met by stiffened British resistance to the very thought of negotiations. As for the surrendered British troops, the Boers could probably still house and quarter them reasonably well as the British had yet to adopt a scorched earth policy in terms of razing Boer farmsteads at this stage of the conflict.
 
Anyone else more qualified to answer have something to say? I'm afraid what little I know of the Second Boer War comes from one or two documentaries and Wikipedia. I am trying to get my hands on a Boer account of the war from my university library, though.
 
Rember the British one the first 2 battles then retreated to Ladysmith !with Mornfull Monday and then Blackweek the British were in some ways beginning to reel , Buller realised he was not the man for the job , it was after Colenso that the generals threw the rule book away and defeated the Boers at Tugula Heights which included the first time the British had used divisional attacks and a creeping barrage , but if following Colenso Ladysmith had fallen would the European powers have interviend on behalf of he Boers ? Not with troops but supply of arms in from Portugase East Africa ,and more likely proposed talks ,this may well have been the biggest defeat of any colonial power in he 19th century
 
Top