The Governor of Natal considered it necessary to hold the position for political and economic reasons, so he dispatched Lieutenant-General Sir William Penn Symons to take control of the troops at Glencoe.

As dawn broke and the British spotted the Boers on Talana Hill, these guns opened fire, ineffectually.

Symons went forward to urge them on, and was mortally wounded in the stomach – although he was able to mount his horse and ride back into Dundee, where he later died.

Under Symons' successor, Brigadier-General James Yule, the KRRC managed to reach a small stone wall at the foot of Talana Hill, where the Dublin Fusiliers were pinned down by Boer fire.

With the Royal Artillery laying down accurate fire on the summit, the KRRC supported by the RIF were able to proceed up the hill.

General Erasmus's men, who had so far played no part in the battle due to Impati being shrouded in fog, surrounded the British mounted detachment and forced them to surrender.