The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1899-12-22
BOERSBEATBULL[
British Commander Suffers a
Serious Reverse.
ENGAGEMENT o((uRS Oh TUGtlA RIVER
Each Time Driven Back-Furthcr
Fighting Useless Sa crifice of
L!fe-Lose Eleven Guns.

A London, December 10th special
says the war office has received dis
patch announcing that General Butler
has met with a serious reverse, losing
ten guns.
General Butler was attempting to
cross the Tugela river. Finding it i'm
possible to effect his object. he ordered
a retirement in order to avoid greater
losses He left eleven guns behind.
The following is the text of General
Buffers dispatch announcing his re-
verse:
Butler to Landsdowne:
''Chievelri Camp. December 15.-G:2O
p. MI regret to report serious re-
verse | moved in full strength from
our camp near Chicvclri at o'clock
this morning. There are two fordable
places in the Tugela river. and it was
my intention to force passage through
at one of them. They are about two
miles apart.
My intention was to force one or
the other with one brigade. supported
by central brigade. General Hart
was to attack 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 1 directed
him to withdraw. He had, however.
attacked with great gallantry and his
leading battalion, the Connaught ran
gers. fear. suffered a great deal. Col.
L. &. Brooke was seriously wounded
II then ordered General Hildyard to
advance, which he did, and his leading
regiment, the East Surry, occupied
Colenso station and the houses near the
bridge. At that moment l heard that
the whole artillery l had sent to sup
port the attack, the Fourteenth and
Sixty-sixth field batteries and six ma
val twelve-pounder rapid-firers, under
Colonel Long. had avanced close to the
river in Longs desire to be within eff
fectivc range. 1t proved to be full of
the enemy, who suddenly opened a
calling fire at close range, killing all
their horses, and the gunners were
compelled to stand to their guns. Some
OF the wagon teams got shelter for
troops in a 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
Scofeld and some drivers whose names
will furnish
Another most gallant attempt with
three teams was made by an officer
whose name l will obtain. OF the
eighteen horses thirteen were killed
and several drivers were wounded. 1
would not allow another attempt, as
it seemed that they would be a shell
mark sacrificing life to a gallant at
tempt to force the passage. Unsup-
ported by artillery, l directed the
troops to withdraw, which they did in
good order.
Throughout the day a considerab BILE
force of the enemy was pressing on
my right flank. but was kept back by
mounted men under Lord Dundonald
and part of Great Britain's brigade.
The day was intensely hot and most
trying on the troops, whose conduct
was excellent. We have abandoned
ten guns and lost by shell fire one. The
losses in General Hunts brigade are.
fear, heavy. although the proportion
of severely wounded, l hope, is not
large. The Fourteenth and Sixty
sixth field battalions also suffered
severe losses. We have retired in our
camp at Chievelri.'
No independent reports of the en-
gagement have yet been allowed to
come through to London, but General
Buffers own dispatch tells the sad tale
in sufficient outline to show that the
British have been entrapped again by
the astute Beers. 1t was not antici
pated that General Butler would make
frontal attack. No criticisms of his
movements are made. however, since
apparently he suffered arepulse rather
than defeat, and did not push the
attack home, but broke it off in the
middle so as to save a useless sacri-
fee. 1t is expected that he will renew
the attack shortly. Immediately on
receiving the news the war office de-
cided to mobolize still another division
and to replace the losses of artillery
The necessary reinforcements will be
hurried off as speedily as possible.