Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1900-04-18
A BO0MSHELl
Thrown by Lord Roberts Into
Hopeful English Ranks.
Report on Spicn Kop Disaster Causes
a Great Sensation.
Generals hut Be Recalled and the Method
is Severely Criticized.

London, April 1.-THE war office, to-
night, published in the Gazette dis
patch from Lord Roberts. dated Feb.
II. submitting Gen. Buffers dispatches
describing the Spion Kop ana other
operations from Jan. IL to Jan. "a.
Lord Roberts deals severely with Gen.
Warren and some others. Even Gen.
Butler does not escape. Lord Roberts
complains that the plan Of operations
is not clearly described in the dis
patches. After sketchng Gen. Buffers
intentions. as communicated to Sir
Charles Warren. who commanded the
whole force, Lord Roberts points out
that Gen. Warren seems to have con-
cluded, after consultation Of his Off
GERS, that The thanking movement or
dered by Gen. Butler was impracti-
cable and, therefore, 50 changed the
plan Of advance as to necessitate the
capture ana retention Of Spion kop.
Lord Roberts continues: las Warren
considered it impossible to make the
wide flanking movement which was
recommended. If not actually prescrib-
"a in the secret instructions. he should
forthwith, have acquainted Butler with
the course ne proposed to adopt There
- Ilbllil4lSS 10 SHOW whether he uIl 50
Or not. But. it IL only fair to Warren
to point out that Butler appears
throughout to have been aware Of
what was happening"
Regarding the withdrawal from
Spion kop. the retention Of which had
become essential to the relief Of Lady
smith, Lord Roberts says: II regret
to be unable to concur with Butler in
thinking ThOrnycroft exercised wise
discretion in ordering the troops to re-
tire. | am Of the opinion that Thorny-
croft's assumption Of responsibility
and authority was wholly inexcusable.
During the night the enemy's fire could
not have been formidable and it would
not have taken more than two or
three hours for ThornycrOft to COM
municate by messenger with Major
General Coke or Warren Coke APP
pears to have left Spion Kop at $50
z. NJ. for the purpose Of consulting
with Warren. Up to that hour the
idea Of withdrawal had not been enter
tanned. Yet, almost Immediately after
Cokes departure Thornycroft issued
the order without reference to superior
authority. which upset the whole plan
Of operations and rendered unavailing
the sacrifices already made to carry it
into effect. Therefore it is only right
to state that Thornycroft appears to
have behaved in very gallant manner
throughout the day.
1T is to be regretted that Warren
did not himself visit Spion Kop in the
afternoon or evening. knowing. as he
did. that the state Of affairs was very
critical and that the loss of position
would involve the failure Of the opera
tons. He consequently was obliged to
summon Coke to his headquarters and
the command at Spion kop thus de-
volved on Th0rnycrOft. unknown to
Coke, who was under the impression
that the command devolved upon Col
Hill. a. senior officer Omission or
mistakes Of this nature may be trivial
in themselves vet they may exercise
an important influence on the course
Of events. and | believe Butler was JUS
tilted in remarking: There was
want Of organization and system
which acted most unfavorably on the
Defence
The attempt to relieve Ladysmith
VS. Wen devised and | agree with Bull
lcr in thinking it ought to have sue
.''i'h- llil ~ lalltN HAY Ill SUITE
measure nave been due to the difficult
ties Of the ground and the command
ing positions held by the enemy and
probably also To errors Of judgment
ana want Of administrative capacity
on the part Of Warren. But whatever
faults Warren may have committed,
the failure must also be attributed to
the Discrimination Of the officers in su-
prcme command to assert his author
ity and see that what he. thought best
was done ana also to the unwarrant
able ana needless assumption Of re
spnnsihilitY by A subordinate officer"
The dispatch concludes: The graft
flying feature Of these dispatches in the
admirable behavior Of the troops
throughout the operation"
Gen. Buffers report commenting on
Gen. Warren's reports of the capture
and evacuation Of Spion Kop. after dis
putting the correctness Of some Of War
ren's assertions and describing the dan
gerous situation occupied by Warren's
force tells that he saw the force at
Spion kop had given way before War
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