The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1900-02-03
Sends a Long Dispatch In Which
He Gives His Reasons for
the Retreat.
Ee Says Nothing of Casualties, But Boer
Report Declares British Left 1900
Dead on the Field.
One Hundred md Fifty Prisoners
Are Taken on the Mountain
Other News.

London, Jan. 2o.--Gen. Butler says
that Warren's troops hareN retreated
south of the Tugela river The Beers
say that the British lost 1900 killed
Wednesday. 1t is believed here that
this includes the wounded. The Beers
also claim that $50 of the English troops
surrendered at Spion Kop.
Withdraws His Forces.
London, Jan. 29.=-Gen. Buffers dis
| patch to the war Office states that Spion
| kop was abandoned on account of lack
of water, inability to bring artillery
| there and the heavy Boer fire. Gen.
| Butler gives no list of casualties. His
whole force withdrew south of the
| Tugela river with the evident intention
of reaching Ladysmith by another
route.
Following is the text of Gen. Buffers
| Dispatch dated Spearman's Camp, Sat
| urday, January 81, 6:10 p. M:
BuIIer's Dispatch.
"On January 90 Warren drove back the
| enemy and obtained possession of the
| southern crests of the high table land ex-
| tending from the line OF Acton Homes and
| Honger's Poort to the western Ladysmith
| hills From then to January 25 he re-
| manned in close contact with the enemy.
| The enemy held n strong position on a
| range of small kopjes stretching from
| northwest to southeast across the plateau
| from Acton Homes, through Spon kop. to
| the left bank of the Tugela
THE actual position held was perfectly
| tenable. but did not lend itself to an ad
| vance. as the southern slopes were so steep
| that Warren could not get an effective ar
tillery position. and water supply was
difficulty.
/ Attack on Spion Kop.
ION January 90 assented to his attack
| Ing Spon kop, a large hill, indeed a noun
| tain, which was evidently the key of the
| position, but was far more accessible from
| the north than from the south On the
| night of January % he attacked Spion
| kop, but found it 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 a
| heavy shell fire.
Praise for the Troops.
"Our men fought with great gallantry
i would especially mention the conduct OF
| the Second Cameronians and the Third
| Kings Rifles. who supported the attack on
| the mountain from the steepest side a nd in
| each case fought their way to the top, and
| the Second Lancashire fusileers and Second
| MiddleseX, who magnificenty maintained
| the best traditions of the British army
| throughout the trying day of January "a
and Thornycroft's mounted infantry, who
| fought throughout the day equally well
| along side of them.
Gen. Woodgate, who was in command
! at the summit, having been wounded, the
officer who succeeded him decided on the
| night of January "a to abandon the posi-
| ton, and did so before dawn, January %.
Force Withdrawn.
81 reached Warren's camp at five a. m.
on January rs and decided that a second
attack upon Spion kop was useless and that
| the enemys right was too strong to al
low me to force It, Accordingly decided
| to withdraw the force to the south of the
| Tugela. At six a. m. we commenced with
| drawing the train and by eight a. M, Janu-
! airy q Saturday, Warren's force was con-
centrated south of the Tugela without the
loss of man or pound of stores.
THE fact that the force could withdraw
| from actual touch-in some cases the lines
were less than 1000 yards apart-with the
enemy in the manner it did is, | think
| sufficient evidence of the morale of the
troops, and that we were permitted to with
draw our cumbrous OK and mule transport
across the river, So yards broad with 20
| foot banks, and a very swift current I'M
molested, is, think, proof that the enemy
has been taught to respect our soldiers
lighting powers"
A BOer Report.
Boer Headquarters, Modder Spruit.
Upper Tugela, Wednesday, Jan. "a.
Midnight, via Lourenzo Marques,
Thursday, Jan. 2j.-Some Vryheid
burghers from the outposts on the high
est hills of the Spion kop group rushed
into the laager saying that the kop was
lost, and that the English had taken it.
Requirements were ordered up, but
nothing could be done for some time,
the hill being enveloped in thick mist.
AT dawn the Heidelberg and Carolina
contingents, supplemented from other
commanders, began the ascent of the
HIP Three spurs. PERCEPTIONS projec-
tons, faced the Boer positions. Up
these the advance was made. The horses
were left under the first terrace OF
rocks. Sealing the steep hill, the Beers
found that the English had improved
the opportunity and entrenched heav-
lily. Between the lines of trenches was
an open veldt, which had to be rushed
under heavy fire. not only from rifles
but of lyddite and shrapnel from field
guns. y
British Surrender.
Three forces assembled the three
spurs coordinately, under cover of fire
from The Free State krupps, creusot
and big maxim. The English tried
to rush the Beers with the bayonet,
but their infantry went down before
the Boer rifle fire as before a scythe.
The Boer investing party advanced
step by step until two in the after
noon, when a white flag went up and