The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-12-21
HOW BOERS DEFEATED
CEN. BULLER'S TROOPS
Story of Terrible Battle At Tugela River In Which
the British Were Repulsed.
Deadly Hail of Shells From the Trenches of the TranSvaa
Forces Could Not Be Faced.

New York, Dec 2O.-A dispatch 20 the
Herald from London gives the follow
ing account OF the battle of Tusela, sent
TO the London Daily Telegraph by It's
war correspondent:
The action which was fought today
between the British forces and the
Beers was a very severely contested
affair. Losses on both sides were
heavy
General Butler, who commanded,
was repeatedly under a deadly fire. Ma
jor Hodges of his staff was killed,
while Lieutenant the Hon. A H. s.
Roberts was wounded. Other officers
had narrow escapes, their horses being
shot under them
THE object of General Buffers adj
vance was to force the passage of the
Tugela, carry the Beer entrenchments
and open up a road to Ladysmith
across the ridges.
General Harts brigade. comprising
the First battalion of the Connaught
Rangers, the First battalion of the
Royal Innissikilling Fusiliers. the
First battalion of the border regiment
and the First battalion of the Royal
Dublin Fusiliers, was sent TO ford what
is known as Bride Drift, situated west
Of Doornkopspruit.
Composition of Brigades.
ing of the Second battalion of the
Devonshire regiment, the Second bat
talon of the Queens Royal West Sur
rey regiment, the Second battalion or
the West Yorkshire regiment and the
Second battalion of the East Surrey
regiment, was directed to proceed TO
Colenso and cross the river near the
iron bridge.
General Littleton's brigade, which
was composed of the Second battalion
of the Cameronians, the Third battal-
ion of the Kings Royal Rifle corps, the
First battalion of the Durham Light
infantry and the First battalion of the
Rifle Brigade, was ordered to support
either Hildyard or Hart as occasion
might arise, while General Barton's
Union Fusiliers brigade, consisting OF
the Second battalion of the Royal Flu
siliers, the First battalion of the Royal
Welsh Fusiliers. the Second battalion
of the Royal Scots Fusiliers and the
Second battalion of the Royal Irish
FusilierS, proceeded to the east of the
railway toward Mount Dangwane to
protect the British flank and threaten
that of the enemy.
Our cavalry and field guns were sta
toned on either wing. The naval guns
were posted in a central position on the
west side of the railway, while Colonel
Long. with his artillery. went to the
east side of the railway on the right of
the infantry
General Hildyard sent ahead the
Queens Royal West Surveys on the
right and the DevonS on the left of his
front, while General Hart pushed on
the Innisslxillings. Connaught Rangers
and Dublin Fusiliers. Our front ex
tended for a distance of about six
miles.
Beers Front In the Air.
"The Beers had evidently fully ex-
tended their lines. Their extreme mo-
bility almost gave them a front in air
Their guns were booming around Lady
smith when ours broke the silence of
ColensO by shelling the foothills north
of the Tugela river and Fort Wiley.
which stands upon q ridge near the
bridge With skill and labor the
Beers had built walls and forts and
had dug successive trenches on the
road commanding every lire of ap-
proach from Estcourt TO ColenSo- The
country is bare and generally undu-
lating, similar indeed, to our downs.
Our troops. therefore, had TO advance
to the Tugela without any cover.
"The battle commenced before s
in the morning. but the Beers made no
reply to the heavy cannonade which our
blueiackets directed upon them. Few
of the enemy was visible. They lay hid
den behind their hillworks, but on our
infantry and batteries and cavalry
nearing Colenso a sharp musketIy fire
was opened on them by the Beers from
the houses on the river bank, behind
which many of the enemy had been
concealed for hours.
1T was twenty minutes after when
the Beer batteries opened fire at our
field artillery. cavalry and infantry on
the east of the railway. Their cannon
included a Creosut fifty-pounder,