A hundred and seventy killed and wounded (of whom only fourteen were killed) was a trivial price for such a result.

At last from the captured ridges the exultant troops could see far away the haze which lay over the roofs of Ladysmith, and the besieged, with hearts beating high with hope, turned their glasses upon the distant mottled patches which told them that their comrades were approaching.
By February 20th the British had firmly established themselves along the whole south bank of the river, Hart's brigade had occupied Colenso, and the heavy guns had been pushed up to more advanced positions.

The crossing of the river was the next operation, and the question arose where it should be crossed.

The wisdom which comes with experience shows us now that it would have been infinitely better to have crossed on their extreme left flank, as by an advance upon this line we should have turned their strong Pieters position just as we had already turned their Colenso one.

With an absolutely master card in our hand we refused to play it, and won the game by a more tedious and perilous process.