Omaha daily bee., 1899-12-16
BULLER FALLS BACK
English General Regrets Reporting Serious
Reverse at Tugela River,
BoERS CAPTURE TEN OF HIS FIELD GUNS
British Are Only Able to Save Two Of Their
Artillery Pieces,
ENEMY KILL NEARLY ALL THE HORSES
Connaught Rangers Suffer Heavy Losses in
Leading the Attack,
ENVY KILL NEARLY ALL THE HORSES
COLONEL BROOKE SERIOUSLY WOUNDED
Day Intensely Hot nnd Most Trying
on English Troops-GenernI Hunts
brigade is Reported TO lie
BADLY Cut 20 Pieces.

4
on English Troops-GencrnI Hunts
brigade is Reported to lie
BADLY Cut 10 Pieces.
LONDON, Dec. 16.-I2,tT n. m.--Thc
| War ONCE has received n dispatch an
nouncing that General Butler has met
with u serious reverse, losing eleven
guns.
General Butler was attempting to
cross the TuEcin river. Finding il
impossible to effect his object he or
dered II retirement in order to avoid
greater losses. He left eleven guns
behind.
LONDON, Dec. 13.--The following Is the
text of General Buffers dispatch announcing
his reverse;
"CHEVELEY CAMP, Dec. 15-6:2O p. Ii,
i regret to report serious reverse.
moved in full strength from our camp near
Cheveley at this a. m. There are two for
midable places in the Tugela river and it was
my intention to force passage through one
Of them. They are about two miles apart.
MY intention was to force one or the
other with one brigade, supported by CEN
trail brigade. General Hart was to attend
the left drift, General Hildyard the right road
and General Lyttleton was to take the center
and to support either. Early in the day
saw that General Hart would not be able
to force a passage and / directed him to
withdraw. He had, however, attacked with
ore paI In antr md h hot alt
the Connaught Rangers, l fear suffered
great deal. Colonel /. G. Brooke was seri-
ously wounded.
Orders an Advance.
II then ordered General Hildyard to ad-
vance, which he did, and his leading regi-
ment, the East Surrey, occupied Colenso
station and the houses near the bridge. At
that moment I heard that the whole artl-
lery l had sent to support the nttack-the
Fourteenth and Sixty-sixth field batteries
and six naval 12-pounder quick -irers, under
Colonel Long-had advanced close to the
river, in Longs desire to be within effective
range 1t proved to be full Of the enemy
who suddenly opened a calling fire at close
range, killing all their horses, and the gun
ners were compelled to stand to their guns.
Some of the wagon teams got shelter for
troops 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 by Captain Schofeld and some
drivers whose names | will furnish
Another most gallant attempt, with three
teams, was made by an officer whose name
were killed and as several drivers were
wounded would not allow another attempt,
as it seemed that they would be a shell
mark, sacrificing life to a gallant attempt to
force the passage Unsupported by artillery,
directed the troops to withdraw, which
they did in good order.
Throughout the day considerable force
Of the enemy was pressing on my right
flank, but was kept back by mounted men
under Lord Dundonald and part of General
Bartons brigade. The day was intensely
hot and most trying for the troops, whose
conduct was excellent We have abandoned
ten guns and lest by shell fire one. The
losses in General Hart's brigade are,
heavy, although the proportion of severely
wounded | hope is not large. The Four
teenth and Sixty-six field batteries also
suffered severe losses. We have retired to
our camp at Cheveley. BULLER."
Fighting Mt ZOutspnn.
1t is understood that the first War ofice
dispatch announcing fighting at zoutspan
| drift Indicated that General Methuen had
been forced to return to the Orange river
But apparently 1t only involved a brush
with the troops protecting the line OF
communication, as zoutspan drift is con-
sideraby southeast of the Orange river
base
Some of the specials estimate the Boer
loss at Magersfontein at 1000 men.
Considerable satisfaction is felt both in
military and civilian circles by the announce
ment that General Hector Mcdonald, whose
splendid defeat of the dervshes' flank attack
at Omdurman turned a critical situation
into British victory. has been ordered to
leave India Immediately to succeed the late
General Wauchope, in command of the
Highland brigade General Tucker, com
manding at Zecunderabad, has also been
ordered to the cape to command division
The War office has a dispatch from
| Colonel Kekewich, dated Kimberley, Sun
day, December 10. saying: "Tbe Beers
have reattacked Kuruman and have again
been repulsed by loyalists and Bechuanas.
1.-THE Kimberley forces made demonstra-
tion northward December and drew 500
Beers and three guns. Fighting ensued
for several hours. The British casualties
we're one man killed and seven wounded"
Artillery Duel at Ladysmith.
a special dispatch received here today
from Frere camp says that simultaneously
with the bombardment OF Colenso a furious
artillery duel commenced between the garrl-
! son of Ladysmith and the Beers on Umbul-
wan hill.
| The following named officers OF the High
land brigade, who were reported missing
after the battle OF Magersfonteln, were
killed;
Captain Cumming Bruce, Captain MacFar-
lane, Lieutenant Ramsay and Captain Brodi3
Those who subsequently died Of their
wounds were:
Colonel bowman and Lieutenant Camp
| bell
| The war office this afternoon received an
unimportant dispatch from General Butler
under today's date. This indirectly gives