The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1900-01-09
FIERCE ATTACK
On General Whites Position BY the
Beers IN Great Numbers.
THREE TINES DRIVEN OUT
Were the Enemy From Some Of the
Positions, the British Troops Ex-
hibiting the Greatest CALAMITY,
Driving the Beers From One Posi-
ton at the Point Of the Bayonst-


LONDON, Jan. s.-It-was not ILL the
middle OF the afternoon that there was
an oaielaI confirmation forthcoming Of
Frere camp rumors Of General Whites
success At Ladysrnlth. But ut a;40 p,
M, the. war ONCE relieved the extreme
tension Of the waiting crowds by post
ing the following dispatch from the
front;
The war office has Just published the
following dispatch from General Butler;
FRERE CAMP, Natal, Jan. S.-The
following is from White, dated p. M,
yesterday:
An attack was commenced on my
position, but WIS chiefly against
Caesars camp ard Wagon hill. The
enemy was in great strength and
pushed the attack with great courage
and energy. Some Of the entrench-
ments on Wagon hill were three times
taken by the enemy and retaken by us.
The attack continued until 1880 p. m.
one point in our position was occupied
by the enemy the whole day. But at
dusk. IN a very heavy rain storm, they
were turned out of this position at the
point Of the bayonet, in II most gall
liant manner, by the Deyons, led by Col
onel park. Colonel Ian Hamilton
commanded on Wagon hill. and render
ed valuable service. The troops had a
very trying time and behaved excel
lently. They are elated at the service
they have rendered the queen.
"The enemy were repulsed every
where with heavy loss greatly exceed
ing that on my side, which viii be re-
ported as soon as the lists are complet-
ed
Kilograms from Rensberg say seven
oficers aud thirty men Of the suholks
were killed, and that about fifty were
captured. General French's announce
nent that the Essex regiment had been
sent to replace the sunolks is more
bitter to the lstter's friends than the
list Of casualties, as tn" only inference
Heducible from tn iaet Is that the
suRolks dlsgrar themselves and their
nag by boiling and leaving a few Of
their more staunch comrades to I'LL the
Pretoria tails.
Lord De La War; in graPhie de-
scriptIon Of the battle of Magerston-
tein, says:
Troops Losing Heart,
ut is ussles to disguise tina, large
percentage of the troops are losing
heart for a campaign comprised of a
succession of frontal attacks on an In
visible foe, securely entrenched and
unreachabie. Our men fought admir-
ably, hut they were asked to perform
miracles. Don't blame them, and don't
blame the gallant general who was the
first victim Of the terrible disaster
which overcame the Highland brigade.
They marched in quarter column TO
their doom. General Wauchope's last
words, For Gods sake. men. don't
blame me for this. will gladden. the
hearts of his numberless friends. There
was no accord between General
Methuen and General wauchope in re-
gard to the best method of attack.
General Methuen's plan prevailed, and
the mistake lost 200 men"
The arst account giving any adequate
explanation of General Buffers defeat
at the Tugela river comes by mail
from Bennett BurleIght, the Daily
Telegraph's correspondent. It appears
that the battle orders, drawn up by
General clery, provided for the effect
i've support of the artillery by Harris.
Barton's and Dundonaid's briEades,
These were never completed. General
Hart missed his way. Lord Dundon-
aid failed to support, and General Bar
ton got part of his forces in an unten-
able position. Colonel Long. with the
artillery. outpaced the escort of the
guns and they were lost. Briefly, that
seems to be the story of the Tugela
river. But through graphic columns
there continually recurs the discovery
of unexpected entertainments and awful
fusiilades from hidden Beers and gal
lantry such as has seldom marked
British battlehelds.
After describing how the British
force began their advance at daylight,