Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-01-30
BACK ACROSS
The TUCELA
RIM
General Butler and Entire c
ish Army Forced to Ret Y;
Beyond the River.
LONDON IS DIsGOs1k

The British Loss % Unknown but Roer
Reports Place II at 500 Dead
There's No Hope Now for
Ladysmith.
London, Jan. 29-Had London been
struck by cyclone it could not have
been more dazed than it was by Gen
eral Buffers announcement of a re-
treat across the Tugela, told in an eN-
planation which does not explain. The
blow is doubly severe in view of Bull
ler's admonition to his troops less than
q week ago that there would be no
turning back this time. The news is
received everywhere with disgust.
Buffers losses are untold. Boer
sources report that 1900 British sol
diers died in the attempt to reach
-, smith.
That the continental powers may
now take a hand is the expressed
view Of most of the military experts.
The confession of inability to relieve
the sorely distressed Ladysmith garri-
son and the retreat are more far
reaching, both from moral and phys
ical standpoint, than all the other re-
verses OF the war combined.
The fall of Ladysmith, all admit, is
now inevitable. With Buffers forces
again and again repulsed and this time
forced to flee, the ability of the Beers
to take Ladysmith at their pleasure is
not questioned. Experts agree that in
every probability the Beers will again
assault the garrison; and that this time
the garrison, in its weakened condition,
will stand little show to beat off the
enemy.
Even il the Beers do not attack Gem
4 eral White must surely be near the
! end of his fether in matters OF food
and ammunition, and may be driven
to last desperate sortie after blowing
up his guns and abandoning the sick
and wounded, as he did at Dundee
OF course, the British people cling
to the faint hope that General White
may be able to fight his way thru the
Boer lines, but the accomplishment of
this. feat, the experts say, would be
( nothing short of miracle.
Buller's Story of Disaster.
Following is the text of General
Buffers dispatch, dated Spearman's 5
Camp, Saturday, January 81, 6:10
p. M:
'On January 20 Warren drove back
the enemy and obtained possession of
the southern crests of the high table
land extending from the line of Acton
Homes and Honger's Poort to the
western Ladysmith hills. From then
to January 25 he remained in close
contact with the enemy.
The enemy held a strong position
on range of small kopjes stretching
fr \ northwest to southeast across
the lateau from Acton Homes, thru
Spyo Kopf to the left bank of the
Tugela.
"The actual position held was per-
fectably tenable, but did not lend it
self to an advance, as the southern
slopes were so steep that Warren
could not get an effective artillery
4 position, and water supply was diff
I fculty.
On January 90 I assented to his at
tacking Spyon Kopf, large hill--in-
deed, a mountain which was evidently
the key of the position, but was far
more accessible from the north than
from the south.
ION the night of January % he at
tackled Spyon Kopf, but found it diff
ficult to hold, as its perimeter was too
large, and water, which he had been
led to believe existed, in this extraor-
binary dry season was found deficient
"Fhe crests were held all that day
against severe attacks and a heavy shell
fire.
sour men fought with great gal
lantry. l would especially mention
ians, and the Third Kings Rifles, who
from the steepest side, and in each case
Second Lancashire Fusileers and Sec
ond Middlesex, who magnificently
maintained the best traditions of the
British army thruout the trying day
{ of January "a; and Thornycroft's
mounted infantry, who fought thru
out the day equally we'll alongside o1
4 them.
General Woodgate, who was in com.
mand at the summit, having been
wounded, the officer who succeeded
him decided on the night of January
"a to abandon the position, and did sc
before dawn, January 25.
i reached Warrens camp at 5 a. m
on Jan. 25, and decided that second
/ attack on, Spyon's Kop was useless
@ and that the enemy's right was toe
I strong to allow me to force it.
Accordingly decided to withdraw
the force to the south of the Tugela
At a. m. we commenced withdraw
: ing the train, and by sAa. M, January
< 81 Saturday Warren's force was con
centrated south of the Tugela without
the loss OF man or pound O
stores.
.The fact that the force could
withdraw from actual touch-in some