Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1899-12-22
his GREAT ARMY REFUSED
Gen. Butler, the Pride of all En-
gland, Is Obliged to Retreat
R.fore the Boer Forces.
GUNS AND UKCOUaTED MEN LOST.
What Was Thought Would Prove Bril-
liant Move to Relieve LaGysmith Has
for a Time Met IngioriOus Defeat
London Wonders If the American Rev
olution Is Being Repeated.

revolution to be repeated in South
Africa? This question can be asked
seriously, for Gen. Butler, like Gems.
Gatacre and Methuen, has met with
a serious defeat at the hands of the
Beers. Butler, the idol of the British
army, the man on whom the hopes of
the nation rested to retrieve the glory
lost at Reitfontein, Stormberg and Ma
gersfontein, has been ingloriously
routed by Gen. Joubert, with loss of
IL guns and SO many men that they
are still uncounted.
Gen. Butler has been preparing the
move that proved so disastrous for al
most a month. When he decided to
divide the British army into three col
umns, he considered the relief of Lady
smith the most serious task of the
three, and he elected to accomplish it
himself. He worked very quietly and
carefully, and not until the report of
his reverse was received did even the
war Office know what his plans were.
No doubt the attack was well thought
out, but the Beers, with their almost
magical spy system, knew everything
and were alert. To their prepared
ness was added powerful ally in the
Tugela river, which is sometimes bad
1y swollen. This combination defeat
ed Gen. Buffers plans. both in the
beginning and at the end.
Col. Long, commanding the guns,
sin his desire to be within effective
range" as Butler puts it, advanced
close to the river, which proved to be
overrun by the Beers. Joubert's men
suddenly opened CALLING fire, and
the close range in which the British
gunners were caught almost resulted
in their humiliation. AS it was, IS
out of the Is horses used to drag the
cannon were killed and several of the
drivers wounded.
After the engagement, Gen. Butler
retired to his camp at Cheveley, mi
nus his guns. This places him in Sc
rious predicament. He can, perhaps,
replace the naval guns in fortnight's
time from the warships at the cape,
or at Durham, and it may require a
much longer time to get more field
guns. OF course he has some guns
left, but they are far from enough
with which to venture another attack.
Thus, the Beers to-day are in 4 bet
ter position to take Ladysmith than
ever before. The only way in which
Butler can possibly go to Whites as
sistance is over the Tugela, even if he
had the men and guns needed.
veritabIe Panic in London.
London, Dec. 17.-As might have
been expected, the desperate state of
the British arms in South Africa, as
revealed by the defeat of Gen. Butler
at Tugela river, where at one stroke
he lost treble the number of guns
al Loft in ho of
con during the six years fighting in the
peninsula, while adding to the deter
minaton of the authorities to send
every available man to the front, caus-
ed something in the nature of a mon
etary panic among the public, which
was reflected on the stock exchange.
1t is long since the tone of the
newspapers and the comment in the
clubs and other resorts has been so
chastened and pessimistic. Some of
the comments go SO far as to say the
crisis is so far reaching that Great
Britain stands where she stood over
century back, when the American
colonists, men of British and Dutch
blood, were in arms"
The Evening Standard declares the
situation calls for all the equanimity,
empire and demands the immediate
calling out of all the volunteers, en-
bodying all the outlanders expelled
from the TransvaaI, to guart; the lines
of communication, thus freeing all the
regulars for service in the fighting
line.
The Pail Mall Gazettes review of
the situation: 1T is no use crying
over split milk. Surprises OF all kinds
must be expected in war. Our posi-
ton for the advance is intact. Moth
ing has occurred to shake our belief in
Gen. Butler. Let us steadily trust him
and furnish him as rapidly as possible
with more guns and more horses and
men,"
"A Sad and Terrible Slaughter"
Pretoria, Dec. 17.-An official dis
patch from Modder river says: 1.-The
Beers captured great quantity of
loot, including 200 Lee-Metfords,
cases of cartridges and hundreds of
bayonets. A great number of the
British have retired in the direction
OF Belmont. The loss of the British
was very great. There were heaps of
dead on the field. The wounded are
being attended to, temporarily, at Bis
seFs farm. The sappers a. d miners
must have suffered severely. The
Beers suffered heavy losses in horses
cannot otherwise describe the bat
tleheld than sad and terrible
slaughter. Monday was, for us, a
brilliant victory. 1t has infused new
spirit into our men, and Will enable
them to achieve greater deeds''
Lieut. Churchin Captured.
Lorenzo Marques, Dec. LIT is
rumored that Winston Churchill, the
newspaper correspondent who recent
~ escaped from Pretoria, has been
captured at Waterfalboyen. about half