Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-12-19
Detailed Accounts of Buller's Reverse
Begin to Come In.
IRISH BRIGADE MADE TEE ATTACH
Additional Details of Gen. French's S
Retreat to Arundel.
REVISED LIST OF KILLED

| dent of the Daily Mall telegraphing from
| Frere Camp, Natal, December 10, and de-
scribing the Tugela river battle, says:
| 1.-The Beers in great force occupied
| strong intrenched position. commanding the
river and reaching back about 500 yards
| from its further side. Gen. Hart's brigade
on the left, first attempted a crossing under
a murderous Nordenfeldt and rife fire. The
| Royal Dublin Fusiliers. the Royal Innis-
| killing Fusiliers, the Kings Own Scottish
| Borderers and the Connaught Rangers
| crossed with superb and unflinching gal
| lantry. but the position on the other side
was found utterly untenable.
The British suffered heavily from a per-
| feet hail of artillery and shrapnel while
their own artillery was very badly mauled.
| They were. therefore, obliged to recross the
| river.
"On the right Gen Hildyard's brigade
| displaying equal heroism, succeeded in en-
tering the village of Colenso, but the 9th
| Battery encountered murderous fire and
was compelled to retire. leaving guns and
| ammunition wagons on the Vedt. This bri-
| gade also was obliged to fall back.
| Meanwhile Gen. Bartons brigade also
| failed to take possession of Hilangwri hill.
| as was intended, and the entire force re-
| tired on Chieveley. Gen. Clery was in COM
| mand.'
| Another Account of the Fight.
| A special cablegram to the New York
! Herald from London contains this dispatch,
| dated Chieveley Camp, Natal, Friday:
| The troops of the Ladysmith relief col
| umn left here at o'clock this morning
| going toward Colenso.
| Our main body of cavalry moved to the
! right. with field battery. Next to them
| was the Union Fusilier brigade, under Gen.
Barton Then came Gen. Hildyard's bri-
| gade. while upon the extreme left was Gen.
Hart's Irish brigade accompanied by sew
| eral field guns.
While Barton's and Hfldyards men ad-
vanced to envelop Coenso. Gen. Hart on
| the left tried to ford the Tugela river, two
miles to the west.
A battery Of big naval guns firing lyddite
| shells and 12-pounders posted at the CEN
ter, began hammertpg away at the enemy's
works north of the TugeIa. 1t was not,
however. until the infantry attacked that
| the enemy disclosed the position of its can
non.
British Faced Terrible Fire
With great resolution and courage our
| soldiers pushed ahead in the face of a ter
rible fire of shells and rifle bullets. which
caused a spatter on the ground like hail
stones.
A portion of our field and naval guns
| were caught within short range of the en-
enys trenches on the river bank and the
battery suffered severely.
The FusilierS drove IN. Ioa-s +-o,, ~,
| lenso. ''AA ~
Gen. Hart forded the TugeIa at nom b,t
| IN view Of the number of the enemy,s guns
and the strength of their defensive works
IT was realized that ultimate success in a
Irontal attack must necessarily be very
costly and was improbable Thereunon the
troops were Withdrawn. Our losses We're
several hundred killed and wounded The
Boer casualties also were serious
hoers Supplied for Long Struggle.
j. B. Robinson. the South African mil
hohalre, writes to the Daily Chronicle re-
asserting that the Beers have unlimited
srpphes OF ammunition and ample stores
OF food, and declaring that all statements
to the contrary should be ignored
Gen. Lord Roberts and his staff will coil
Saturday.
Gen. Lord Kitchener. who has been an
pointed chief of the staff of Gen. Lord Rob
erts of kandahar, the new commandments
chief of the British forces in South Africa.
leaves Omdurman Tuesday, and will ar
rive at Cairo Friday He will start for
cape Town as soon as possible
The queen passed quiet day at Windsor
she took an airing in the afternoon 1t is
S. Satid her majesty may leave Windsor for
osborne, Isle of Wight, December % A. J.
Balfour dined with the queen this evening
British Navy Needed Mt Home
George J. Goschen, first lord of the ad-
mlralty, when distributing prizes to vol
upteers and rifiemen in London this even
ing, said:
Il little thought, when I accepted this
invitation, that l would address men to
whom an appeal had been made to stand
shoulder to shoulder with the regulars in
South Africa. The possession of 10000 vol
unteers will be regarded by the country, 1
am sure, as great element of security,
and l am confident that they are all pre-
pared TO do their duty.
me colonies also are prepared to do
thelr snare, and Canada and Australia are
10 the lore. welcoming the opportunity to
go to the 'front.' Enthusiastic cheering
After praising the great services of the
naval brlgades assisting the troops in South
Africa and testifying to the constant
anxiety Of naval men to be in the thick of
the fighting, Mr.. Goschen said:
1T is impossible to grant their desires,
although these soldiers and sailors would
be glad to go to South Africa in thousands
bee ause, when 10000 regulars have left
our shores, the responsibility for the eff.-
cheney of our. navy will be immensely in
creased. believe the preparedness of the
navy has contributed essentially to assist
Britons to remain calm and confident, de-
spite the black outlook
we have not only to look at South
africa, but at the situation and at possible
emergencies all around, and without being
an alarmist, would insist that we must
sacrifice to the imperative duty that every
ship be fully and properly Manned
Admiral Beresford's Suggestion.
Rear Admiral Lord Charles Beresford is
quoteu IN an interview as saying:
1.-The issue of the war will depend more
upon artillery than anything else, especially
at the siege of Pretoria and other places
where the biggest battles are expected
Therefore I urge that all the naval guns
which can be spared from the reserves and
other ships be mounted on artillery trains
and timbers for field service Immediately
This move is necessary, as there are no
quick-firing twelve-pounders of 1900 weight
in the army.
1.-THE government should Immediately
commission every ship in the division of the
navy as needful precaution against any
nation seeking to take advantage of Great
Britain's condition. No friendly nation
could object. 1t would only be running
water through hosepipes SO as to prepare
for fire.
'I am greatly pleased to see Gems. Rob-
erts and Kitchener go to the aid Of Gen,
Butler"
Gen. French Has to Retreat,
The war ONCE in London last evening
posted revised List OF the casualties in
the battle Of MagerBfontein, giving Afty-