The Elbert County tribune., 1899-12-21
ANOTHER DISASTER,
BuLLER BEATEN THIS TIME
After = Desperate Attempt to ror,. H..
Boer Position 1t rugela River. "a.
WithdrAws With Heavy Loss.

Boer Position 1t Tugela River. n.
withdrnws With Heavy Loss.
London, Dec 16--The war Office b,,
received a dispatch announcing ,has
General Butler has met with ser,or.
reverse. losing eleven guns and manv
men killed.
General Butler was ATTEMPTING 4,
cross the Tugela river. Finding ii i'm,
possible to effect his object he ordera,
a retirement in order to avoid greater
losses.
The following is the text Of General
Buffers dispatch announcing his ra.
verse:
"Chieveley Camp. Dec. 15, go n. M
Butler to Landsdowne: regret to
report serious reverse. l moved In
full strength from our camp near
Chieveley at 4 o'clock this morning.
There are two fordabIe places In the
Tugela river and 1t was my intention
to force passage through at one OF
them. They are two miles apart
Intention was to force one or the
other with one brigade, supported by
n central brigade. General Hart wns
to attack the left drift, General Hilyard
the right road and General Littletou
was to take the center and to support
either. Early in the day saw that
General Hart would not be able to
force n passage and directed him to
| withdraw. He had, however, attacked
with great gallant-y, and his leading
battalion. the Connaught Rangers,
fear, suffered great deal Colonel l.
| G. Brooke was seriously wounded.
81 then ordered General Hilyard to
advance. which he did, and his leading
regiment, the East Surrey, occupied
Colenso station, and the houses near
| the bridge. At that moment I heard
that the whole artillery had sent to
support the attack-the Fourteenth AMI
| Sixty-fifth field batteries and six naval
twelve-pounder quick-firers, under Col
onel Long-had advanced close TO the
river in Longs desire to be within ef-
| fective range. 1t proved to be full II
the enemy, who suddenly opened gall
ing fire Mt close range, killing all thei.
horses and the gunners were COM
peeled to stand to their arms. Some of
the wagon teams got shelter for troops
IL n donga and desperate efforts We're
being made to bring out the field guns.
'The fire, however, was too severe
and only two were saved by Captain
Scholficld and some drivers whose
names will furnish.
Another most gallant attempt with
| three teams was made by an officer
| whose name I Will obtain. OF the
eighteen horses, thirteen were killed
and as several drivers were wounded.
| I would not allow another attempt as
1t seemed that they would be n shell
riark, sacrificing life to a gallant Mt
tempt to force the passage. Unsup-
ported by artillery, | directed the
troops to withdraw, which they did in
| good order.
"Throughout the day n considerable
force of the enemy was pressing on my
right flank, but kept back by mounted
men under Lord Dundonald and part Of
General Barton's brigade. The day
was intensely hot and most trying on
the troops, whose conduct was excel
lent. We have abandoned ten guns and
lost by shell fire one. The losses In
| General Hunts brigade, | fear, are
very heavy, although the proportion OF
severely wounded, hope, is not large.
| The Fourteenth and Sixty-fifth field
batteries also suffered severe losses.
We have retired to our camp at Chieve-
ley"
London, Dec. 16.-The news OF Gen
eral Buffers reverse was received so
late this morning newspaper comment
to-day Is confined to perfunct0ry ex-
/ DTtSSlOuS Ol cAtItlut ltEitt anu hiF"P
pointment and of the necessity of calm
ness and redoubled efforts to retrieve
the position. This latest check is re-
garded as the most serious event In
Great Britnin's military history since
the Indian mutiny.
The Standard says: General Bull
ler's dispatch Is deplorable reading. 1t
is the now familiar story of concealed
Beers and of British troops marching
up blindly almost to the very muzzies
of the enemy's rifles. 1t cannot be
doubted that the moral effect will be
to aggravate our difficulties over the
whole field of operations.
"The country has discovered with
annoyance and surprise that subduing
Boer farmers is about the hardest work
we have entered upon since the Indian
mutiny. Their commandants have
shown themselves able to give our gen
erals useful. but expensive. lessons IN
modern tactics"
The Times says: "Since the day OF
the Indian mutiny the nation has not
been confronted with so painful and
anxious situation. Plainly. General
Buffers advance is paralyzed for the
moment as completely as LORD Me-
thuens and General Gatacre's."
Immediately on receiving the news
the war office decided to mobilize still
another division and to replace the
losses OF artillery. The necessary re-
Inducements will be hurried of as
speedily as possible.
Fifteen transports are due to arrive
at Cape Town between December lin
and January sth, with about l5VV
troops of all arms. but unless General
Butler Is able to renew the attack,
which is exceedingly doubtful, the
British generals will be compelled Tor
another fortnight or more TO remain
on the defensive.
The latest dispatches indicate me
continued bombardment of Ladysmitn'
whose position Is now perilous.