The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1900-02-03
BATTLE OF SPION KOP.

N Diil'oi ulluel DulleT mad to
abandon Spion Kop after occupying it
for twenty-iour hours. They crept UP
the hill iii the night time and took the
Beers by surprise, but they came down
the next niglt-al that was left Of
them According to reliable reports
the British lost 1900 killed and
wounded, and 21o were taken prisoners
after hosting the white flag. Battal-
ion after battalion was rushed against
the Beers, but they were hurled back
by the unerring bullets of the brave
burghers, and finally Butler decided to
Withdraw his forces to the south OF
the Tugela and left Ladysmitli to its
late, 1t was the most crushing defeat
the British ever sustained in war. After
turning tail he boasts OF the bravery
and morale" of his troops. One of
the British correspondents says that
mortal men could not hold the Kop.
Our gallant fellows held it tenaciously
for twenty-four hours" he says, "and
then, taking advantage of the dark
night, abandoned it to the enemy"
1t will be remembered that the Brit
ish accused the Beers of cowardice and
declared they would not fight in the
open but sought refuge behind boulders
and in trenches. They cannot make
such charge again, for the Beers fol-
lowed the British to the very top of the
hill and exposed themselves to their
fire. According to statement made
by British prisoner in the hands of the
Beers, "the burghers, despising cover,
stood against the skyline of the sum-
NIT to shoot the Dublin Fusileers shell
tered in the trenches" "The English
tried to rush the Boers," says the same
prisoner, "but their infantry went down
before the Boer rifle fire as before a
scythe. Firing continued for some
time and then the Fusileers and the
Light Horse serving as infantry threw
UP their arms and rushed out of the
trenches" Winston Churchill pays
high tribute to the reckless bravery OF
the Beers fighting in the open, but says
the hill was not of much advantage to
the English anyway. The correspond
cnt of the London Times, writing from
Frere Camp, says ''it is impossible to
exaggerate the stragetic Importance of
the hill,' but he had sent the dispatch
before the British had given it UP and
fled across the river.
The London Times realizes the loss
of Spion Kop, and compares Buffers
retreat or flight across the Tugela with
the surrender to the American hus-
bandmen at Saratoga of Burgoynes
troops. 1t is one of the darkest chap
tiers i'll the military annals of the en-
pire-this terrific setback from the
Dutch farmers. The Berlin press tells
England to make peace with the Beers
before it is too late, but England is
stubborn and will keep UP the fight
until she is thrashed to finish. Lady
smith will receive no succor from Bull
er, ana IN FEW days we shall probably
hear that Sir George White and his
10000 troops will surrender to escape
the horrors of famine.
After two defeats on the banks of the
Tugela it is reported that in a speech
to his men Butler declared he would be
in Ladysmith within week; but as he
had told the men fortnight before that
there would be "no turning back" they
evidently don't believe he can perform
the arduous task. 1t is more likely
that he will not cross the river any
more with his present force. Thus far
the Beers are masters OF the situation,
and at the present rate of progress the
British will not reach Pretoria before
next Christmas unless they enter it as
prisoners of war.