Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1899-12-21
BULLER'S ABANDONED GUNS
Still Doubtful Whether They
Are in Beers Possession.
CONFLICTING STORIES ARE AFLOAT
One Says the British Forces
Recovered Them.
the British War Office soathinely De-
noupced by the Lendon Times for Not
Providing Effective Artillery at the Tugela
Riyer-war News Scant Today.
Associated Press Dispatch BY Special wires

Associated Press Dispatch by Special Wires
London, Eng, Dec. 20.-It still
seems doubtful whether the guns that
Gen. Butler abandoned at Colenso are
in the possession of tine Beers. Accord
ing to dispatch to The Associated
Press, sent from Durham the evening
Of the battle. and which has just been
received here, the guns remained where
they were left by the British troops,
and were covered by the heavy guns Of
Gen. Hildyards brigade, occupy ing an
intrenched position. The dispatch adds
that the Boels have not attempted to
cross the river and carry off the guns,
while advices from Pretoria to The
Associated Press, under the same date,
say that an official Boer dispatch re-
ports that two guns. ID wagons and a
quantity Of ammunition were cap
tured, besides 20S prisoners.
Further accounts of the Tugela River
oattle emphasize the ignorance of the
British Intelligence Department in re-
gard TO the disposition of the Boer
forces. The British were not aware
that the Beers were intrenched along a
series Of low lying hills Immediately
porthward of Colcnso bridge until o
staggering fire compelled them to re,
hoht Wh6h buo dbbhCh Sb6iltd dDOub
to succeed. The Beers we've also 10
greater strength than anticipated 1t
becomes clearer also that the British
guns were lost in attempting to get
within effective range OF the Boer
artillery, showing that the latter out
ranged the British ordnance, which,
in spite of numerical superiority, was
wholly inadequate to reply to the long
range Boer guns. The British War
Office comes in for scathing denun-
citation from the Times today for not
providing effective artillery. 1t is
pointed out in this connection that
the long-range naval guns participating
iu the same attack escaped.
There was no news this morning to
enlighten the general situation. The
War Office reported that Gen. French
reconnoitered northward of Arundel
December 18th. After Smelling Jasfon.
TEN farm, three miles eastward of the
Boer position, the New Zealanders adj
vanced and occupied the farm. The
Boer guns then opened, and the Boers
advanced to the attack, SO Gen. French
ordered retirement.
The latest news from Mafeking, dated
December 9th, has just been received.
1t said desultory bombardment was
continuing, and that the sharpshooters
were engaged in smart duel mornings
and evenings The dispatch also de.
scribed u novel method of sending a
message adopted by some Beers Docem-
her Ath. A 5-pounder shell fired into
the town that day did not explode. 1t
was opened and found to contain a
letter, as follows:
Dear Powell (Col. Baden Powell) F.:
Excuse iron messenger; no other means
Of communicating. Please tell Mrs
49,, mother and family all we'll Don't
drink all the whisky, Leave some fer
US when we get in. ~
The sender's signature was torn off.
a special dispatch from Durham,
dated December 18th, says ii is
rumored that Gen. Butler called for
volunteers to recover the abandoned
guns, and that party issued from the
camp at midnight and secured the
guns, which were uninjured.
Revised lists CT the British casualties
at the battle of Colenso show that 1877
commissioned officers and men
we're XII lied.