Wilson's brigade was amongst the troops sent to Natal – by late November it was encamped on the Mooi River, 509 miles from besieged Ladysmith. Wilson's brigade took part in the Battle of Colenso (15 December), in which British troops, advancing after an inadequate artillery bombardment, were shot down by entrenched and largely hidden Boers armed with magazine rifles. Wilson later drew to the attention of Leo Amery, who was writing the "Times History of the War in South Africa" of how Hildyard's 2nd brigade had advanced in open order and had suffered lighter casualties than Hart's 5th (Irish) brigade's close order attack. After Gatacre's defeat at Stormberg (10 December) and Methuen's defeat at Magersfontein (11 December), the battle was the third defeat of Black Week.