The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-12-16
ANOTHER
SEVERE
DEFEAT
Suffered by General Butler IN an At
tempt to Cross Tugela
River.
ELEVEN GUNS ABANDONED,
And the British Force Retired In
Good Order to Camp at


LONDON, Dec. l5.-rhere was little
news this morning to throw fresh Light
on the situation at the seat Of war. The
artillery firing heard near cOIensO is
taken to indicate a preliminary to the
expected big battle. General Barton Is
reported to have thirty-eight guns in
good positions, and the Beers are APP
parently pursuing the same tactics as
at Magersfonteln, not replying, with
the view OF conceallng their position
until the infantry Is brought into play.
1t was feared that the first war Of
fce dispatch announcing tghting at
zoutspan indicated that General Net
huen had been forced to return to the
orange river, But apparently 1t only
involved & brush with the troops south-
west of the Orange river base. Some
Of the specials estimate the Boer losses
at MagersfonteIn at 1000 men.
Considerable satisfaction is felt In
military and civilian circles by the an
nouncement that General Hector Mac
Donald. whose splendid defeat OF the
Dervishes' flank attack at omdurman
turned a critical situation into Brit
ish victory, has been ordered to leave
India Immediately to succeed the late
General wnuchope in command OF the
Highland brigade. General Tucker,
commanding at zecundera5ad, has also
been ordered to the Cape to command
a division.
LONDON, Dec. 16, l2;7 a. m.-The
war office has received dispatch an
nouncing that General Butler has met
with a serious reverse, losing ten guns,
The following is the text OF Genera4
Buffers dispatch announcing his re-
verse:
Butler to Lansdowne: chieyel Camp
Dec. II, $50 p. NIL regret to report a
serious reverse. l moved in full strength
from our camp near chevly at :
o'clock this morning. There are TWO
fordable places in the Tugela river and
1t was my intention to force a passage
through one Of them. They are ABOUT
two miles apart.
my intention was to force one or the
other with one brigade, supported oY a
central brigade. General Hart was to
attack the left drift. General Htidyard
the right and General Lyttieton was to
take the csnte- and to support either.
Early in the day saw that General
Hart would not be able to force a pas
sage and directed him to withdraw.
He had, however, attacked with great
gallantry, and his leading battalion the
connaught Rangers fear, suheren a
great deal Colonel /. G. Brooke was
seriously wounded.
'I then ordered General Hlldyard to
advance, 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
support the attack-the Fourteenth and
sixty-sixth field batteries and six naval
twelve-pounder quick-arers, under Col
onel Long, had advanced close 70 the
river in Longs desire to be within ef-
fectIve range. 1t proved to be full OF
the enemy who suddenly opened a
CALLING tlre at close range, killing all
their horses and the gunners were COM
PEELED to stand to their guns Some OF
the wagon teams got shelter for troops
in donga, and desperate ettorts 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 otIieer
whose name Will obtain. n =, ,.,,,aS tns
a.t.,a.. ,,y,y-n tI,aUNdaH