Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1899-12-21
LOST ELEVEN BIG GUNS.
Attempt to Cross TdgeIa River
was q Failure.
BOERS' FIRE WAS DEADLY.
Gen. Butler Tells n HHmfliaiing story
Of How His Soldiers Walked Bind
ly Into Trap Set for Them by a
Cunning Enemy.

London, Dec. 16.-The war office has
received a dispatch announcing that
Gen. Butler has met with a serious re-
verse. Gen. Butler was attempting to
cross Tugela river. Finding it impos-
sible to effect his object he ordered
retirement in order to avoid greater
losses. He left II guns behind.
The following is the text of Gen.
Buffers dispatch announcing his re-
verse: "Chieveley camp, Dec. 15-I re-
gret to report serious reverse. I
moved in full strength from our camp
near Chieveley at four o'clock this
morning. There are two fordable
places in the Tugela river and it was my
intention to force a passage through
at one of them. They are about two
miles apart My intention was to force
one or the other with one brigade, sup
ported by central brigade Gen.
Hart was to attack the left road Gen.
Hildyard the right road and Gen. Lyt-
tleton was to take the center and to
support either. Early in the day | saw
that Gen. Hart would not be able to
force a passage and | directed him to
withdraw. He had, however, attacked
with great gallantry and his leading
battalion, the Connaught rangers,
/ fear, suffered great deal. Col.
l. c. Brooke was seriously wounded
81 then ordered Gen. Hildyard to adj
vance, which he did and his leading
regiment, the East Surrey, occupied
Colenso station and the houses near
the bridge. At that moment / heard
that the whole artillery | had sent to
supporl the attack-the 14th and Goth
field batteries and six naval 12-pounder
quick firers, under Col.Long. had ad-
vxnced close to the river in Longs de-
sire to be within effective range 1t
proved to be full of the enemy, which
suddenly opened a CALLING fire at close
range, killing all their horses and the
gunners were compelled to stand to
their guns. Some of the wagon teams
got shelter in donga and desperate
efforts were being made to bring out
the field guns. The fire, however, was
too severe and only two were saved.
OF the IS horses 13 were killed, and
as several drivers were wounded I
would not allow another attempt, as it
seemed that they would be a shell
mark sacrificing life to a gallant at
tempt to force the passage. Unsup-
ported by artillery I directed the
troops to withdraw, which they did in
good order. Throughout the day a
considerable force of the enemy was
pressing on my right flank, but was
kept back by mounted men under Lord
Dundonald and part of Gen. Barton's
brigade. The day was intensely hot
and most trying on the troops, whose
conduct was excellent. We have
abandoned ten guns and lost by shell
fire one. The losses in Gen. Hart's
brigade are, l fear heavy, although
the proportion of severely wounded is,
| hope, not large. The 18th and Goth
field batteries also suffered severe
losses. We have retired to our camp
at Chieveley."
The news of Gen. Buffers reverse
was received so late that morning
newspaper comment is confined to per-
functory expressions of extreme regre
and disappointment, and of the necesi-
ty of calmness and redosbled efforts to
retrieve the position. This latest check
is regarded as the most serious event
in England's military history since the
Indian mutiny.
The Standard says: Gen. Buffers
dispatch is deplorable reading. 1t is
the now familiar story of concealed
Beers and of British troops marching
up blindly almost to the very muzzles
of the enemy's rifles. 1t cannot be
doubted that the moral effect will be
to aggravate our difficulties over the
whole field of operation. The country
has discovered with annoyance and
surprise that subduing Boer farmers is
about the hardest work we have en-
tered upon since the Indian mutiny.
Their commandants have shown them
selves able to give our generals useful,
but expensive lessons in modern tao
tics"