The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1900-02-02

Daily Record Of the Great Events That are Trans
pirng in South Africa
MONDAY REPORT

no news, hung on the IRON railing
in front of the war office; and the
shivering sentries who stood guard on
Pail Mall i'm the rain and sleet had the
district all to themselves About three
p. M, however, the pacard was taken
in and on the bulletin boards inside
Gen Buffers long dispatch was dis
played.
The Sunday papers issued extras,
but only the faintest interest was
manifested in the streets. At the
service clubs the situation revealed
by Gen. Butler was considered very
unpleasant. His excuses or eNplana-
tions were characterized as very
weak. The absence of water, which
Sir Charles Warren was led to be-
lieve" existed. and the facts that
SpionlSop was "indeed a mountain"
and that its 'permeter was too
large" are all matters which even
Gen. Buffers warmest admirers hold
should have been ascertained before
the attack. The splendid gallantry
of the men in capturing Spionkop is
read of with great pride and satisfac-
ton. 1t is taken as an assurance of
Ine ulIluluIt SUCCESS VI l'llllSu dllllSs
Text Of Gen. Buffers Dispatch.
London, Jan. Following is the
text of Gen. Buffers dispatch, dated
Spearmans camp, January 27, 6:10 p.
m: "On January 20 Warren drove
back the enemy and obtained posses
sion of the southern crests of the
high table land extending from the
line of Acton Homes and Honger's
Poort to the western Ladysmth hills.
From then to January % he remained
in close contact with the enemy. On
January 90 | aSsented TO his attack
ing Spionkop, a large hill, indeed
mountain, which was evidently the
key to the position, but was far more
successful from the north than from
the south. On the night of January
% he attacked Spionliop, but found 1T
very difficult TO hold, as its perimeter
was too large and water, which he
had been led to believe existed in this
extraordinary dry season, was found
very deficient. The crests were held
all that day against severe attacks
and heavy shell fire. Our men
fought with great gallantry.
II.
mand at the summit. having been
wounded, the officer who succeeded
him decided on the night of January
"a to abandon the position, and dad
SO before dawn January 25. l reached
Warren's camp at five n. m, on Janu-
airy 20 and decided that second at
tack upon Spionkop was useless and
that the enemys right was too strong
to allow me to force it. Accordingly
l decided to withdraw the force to
the south of the Tugela. At six a. M
we commenced withdrawing the train
and by eight a. m, January y (Satur-
day), Warren's force was concentrated
south of the Tugcla without the loss
OF man or a pound of stores
Isoer Account of the spionk"p Battle.
Boer Headquarters, Modder Spruit,
via Lourenzo Marques, Jan. 90
"Some Nryhcid burghers from the
outposts on the highest hills Of the
Spionkop group rushed into the laa-
ger saying that the kop was lost and
that the English had taken it. Re
Endorsements were ordered up, but
nothing could he done for some time,
the hill being cnvcloped in thick mist.
Horses were left under the first ter
race Of rocks Sealing the steep hill
the Beers found that the English
had improved the opportunity and en-
trenched heavily. Between the lines
of trenches was an open Ncldt which
had to be rushed under heavy fire
not only from rifles but lyddite and
shrapncl from guns. The English tried
10 rush the Beers with the bayonet, but
their infantry went down before the
Boer rifle fire as before scNthe.
"The Bocr investing party advanced
step by step until two in the after
noon, when a white flag went up and
$50 men in the front trenches sur
rendered being sent as prisoners to
the head lager. The Bocr advance
continued on the two kopics east of
Spionkop. Many Beers were shot, but
so numerous were the burghers that
the gaps filled automatically. 10,
ward twilight they reached the sum
nit of the second llopic but did not
get further. The British MaXims
beched flame but a wall of fire from
the Mausers held the English back
Their center, under this pressure
gradually Ne way and broke, aban-
douing IL tition.'
II. nsDAY's REPORT
London, Jan. 3O.-History pauses
for a time in South Africa. 1t is one
of those unsatisfactory pauses that
are nearly as trying to British nerves
as sequence of reverses and appar'
emily it will terminate only when
Lord Roberts gives the word for the
forward movement into the Free
State, which, according to the most
cheerful view, he will be unable to
do for fortnight. Whether he will
permit Gen. Butler TO make another
attempt to relieve Ladysmith is quite
..nntriln Ahn l.nn,ln.l1rn n,.n, u 90.