The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1900-02-08
BULLER IN RETREAT.
BRITISH TROOPS UNABLE TO FACE
DoERs AT sPION KoP.
1900 DEAD ON THE FIELD.
Lame Excuses of the Cominnndcr-A1v
War Office That He Approved Gen. War
ren's Movement. hut That "a Retreat He
came Necessary and Withdrew His whole
Horce South of the Tugeia River.

London. Eng, (By Gable. Gen. Sir
Charles Warren, with his Fri .ish army di-
vision, originally numbering about 16,e0O
troops, has been forced to retreat south OF
the Tugela river, Natal.
dispatch from the Boer head lsager.
near Ladysnitb, states that the British left
l,eO0 dead on tho battlefield Wednesday, the
day OF the lighting at Splon kop.
The news OF General Warren's retreat
comes In an official dispatch from Gen. Sir
Redvers Butler, British commander-in- chief
In Natal, sent from his headquarters at
Spearman's Camp.
Perhaps the remainder Of General Duller's
army, which was north OF the Tugela, hns
also retreated- Tho Generals dispatch snys
he decided to withdraw 'the force" to the
south side. This, taken with adjoining sem
tences, apparently refers only 10 Warren's
division, but Is construed In some quarters
In London to mean Buffers entire force.
1t Is believed in London that IL the re-
naming troops under Butler have not re-
treated already they must do 80 soon.
All or part OF General Lyttleton's brigade
it is now known, went to the help of Warren
at Spion kop and shared ia the reverse.
Signs indicate that Butler may have rlsked
all his available troops In trying to hold the
kop.
General Buller, 1t Is stated, will probably
try next to force his way to Ladysmith by
another route. He has tried the central and
western routes, and the only one left open
seems to be the one east of Colenso, by way
of weenen.
A change OF plans like this would prob
ably involve delay OF perhaps month. In
the meantime Ladysmith might be forced to
surrender
An opinion held In London is that Gen.
Sir George Stewart White, mt Ladysmith,
will fire of all his ammunition, blow up his
cannon, break his rifles and then walk out
to surrender to the Beers.
The dispatches from correspondents with
the British army give no estimates of the
losses In lighting. The Boer statement that
l,50O were left dead on the battlefield We'd
nesday, 1t is said In London, may include
the wounded also.
The Boer account Of the Spion kop battle
intimates that the British really surprised
the Beers when they ascended tho kop and
occupied one OF its ridges. The British also
intrenched themselves hurriedly, but the
Beers advanced on the trenches and after
desperate fight caused the British to abandon
the position. 'Many Beers were shot, "says
the dispatch, but 1t gives no figures.
Dispatches from Spearman's Camp give
the British account OF the fight
The accounts are important as tending 70
confirm tho generally accepted belief that
the whole affair was Boer trap. They
state that "the Boers had the ranges fixed
to nlcety" and that their first volley
"momentarily staggered the British" The
resistance OF the small force of Beers who
retreated from the position into which Gen
eral Warren advanced is described as dds
spirited which indicates that they were
leading him on.
The failure of General Warrens move
ment must have been n great surprise to
General Butler. In an order to his troops at
the beginning OF the movement he used
these words: "Our generals will be given
only one order, namely, advance. There
will be no turning back"