The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-12-29
BRITISH DEFEATS IN THIS CENTURY
This Article Was Written Before
Disasters at Stormberg, nIagersfon-
tein and TugeIa River.

tein and Tugela River.
From the London Chronicle.
The disaster which occurred near Lady
smith on Monday, when some 1900 British
and Irish troops were surrounded and cap
tured by the Beers, is only an incident in
a war which must eventually end in our
favor. stn 1t is a serious reverse in it
self, since it brings up the total number
of prisoners now in the hands of the enc
my to a number which probably exceeds
2,000-about one-ninth of the force with
which we began our campaign in Natal
Without pausing in this place to consider
the tactics which led to so unhappy a re-
suit, at the very moment when Sir George
White was carrying out fairly successfll
operation few miles away, it may be of
interest to recall some of the principal
reverses of British arms during the past
three generations.
Our first great disaster after the conclu-
sion of the Napoleonic wars was the loss
of 10000 men, including British infantry
and cavalry, and large contingent of
Sepoys, in attempting to force the Khyber
Pass in 1871. We had sent double expe-
dition, under Burr1es, by way of Quetta
and the Bolan, and under Wade by way
of the Khyber, in order to back an I'M
popular claimant TO the throne of At
ghanistan against Dost Mahomed, wi o
was supposed to lean to the Russians. The
khan of Khelat had said to Burnes on his
way up, You have brought an army into
the country, but how do you propose to
take it back again?" That is the whole
gist of the matter; no one withstood our
resolute advance, but the hill-tribes, the
mountains, the Afghan winter, absolutely
barred retreat. OF the 10000 who retired
from Cabul, one solitary doctor ESCAPED to
tell the fate of the remainder. We have
g.. lie htfk a. ka oh
served that in this case we began by
backing a worthless man for an made
quate reason; we went up the country
slaughtering all our prisoners without
quarter, and we attempted a re-
treat through a blocked mountain
pass in an exceptionally severe winter.
Our reverses in the Crimea were matters
of commissariat and organization rather
than of arms; but the cost of this useless
war, both in blood and in money, was a
disaster In itself We do not enter it on
our black list, but no historian, and few
British officers, will make point of claim
ing important victories in the Crimean
war This attack upon Russia was fol-
lowed at a short interval by the Indian
mutiny, whereof the earlier chapters re-
cord what may be described as the most
frightful disasters of the century. The
revolt of the Sepoys took the Indian au-
thorities by surprise; the country between
Lower BGn2dl dtltl tine fulJdD DeGHUle
in 1857 an almost unbroken area of massa-
ere, and TO this day an Englishman can
scarcely hear the names of Delhi Luck
now Cawnpore without a shudder The
awfulness of the massacres is only paral-
leled by the awfulness of our revenge.
The second Afghan war began with our
invasion of the country of Shere Ali in
1878. AS in 1889, we march,
ed up country without much
trouble or loss, took possession or control
Of the passes, and established our resi-
dent at Cabul. The massacre Of Sir Cav
agnari was followed by a war of varying
fortunes. which brought Sir Donald Stew
art. Lord Roberts and other generals into
prominent notice. The battle of Mai
wand. fought on July H. 1880. was terri
bic disaster Burrowes lost over 1900
men out of the total garrison of 5000 at
Kandahar, and it was left to Lord Rob-
erts to relieve the isolated town by his
famous march.
We had our minor reverses during the
fifty or sixty expeditions against the hill
tribes within the past half-century. but no
other great disasters have befallen us in
India beyond those which have been men
toned.
The Zulu war inflicted on us the great
disaster OF Isandlana, when 1900 OF the
blacks surrounded Col Glyn on his march
from Helpmakaar. with two battailors OF
the Twenty-fourth, a battery, and a few
levies This calamity was almost an ex-
termination; and the news az Il reached
this country was only relieved by the ac-
count OF the splendid stand OF Lieuts.
Chard and Bromhead. with eighty men.
who defended the commissariat store AZ
Rorke's Drift against 400 natives. and 80
prevented the victorious impi of the Zu-
ius from entering Natal.
our disasters IN the Transgaal war 81
1851 arising out OF the annexation Of 1871.
have been sufficiently recalled 10 mind n
the past few months. The comparatively
Insignificant defeat az Brokers spruit
might well have been succeeded by d calm
confederation 81 ans claims 81 ths Beers
who Demanded the restoration " their Ia