Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1900-02-02
BUTLER TURNS BACK
Recrosses the Tugela With
Entire Army.
TWO THOUSAND KILLED AT SpI0y K0p
Description of the Fieht-To Hold
The Exposed Position Taken by
Warrcn's Men Was beyond
Mortal Power.


sequence of reverse, and apparently ii
will terminate only when Lord Roberts
gives the word for the forward move.
ment into the Free state, which, accord.
ing to the most cheerful view, he will be
uiS5le to do for IL fortnight.
The latest reports from the fighting
around about Spion kop show that
1000 men were killed in the assault on
the hill by the British and its recapture
by the Beers. The Beers report that
1,50O British dead were left on the field
after Spon kop was abandoned. Whole
regiments were annhilated.
The Bocr losses, too, were heavy, and
q conservative estimate of their dead is
500. No estimates of the wounded have
come through. but the list must be a ter
rible one. Enough is known to mark
Spion kop as one of the bloodicst battle.
fields of recent wars.
The losses at Spion kop make the total
British killed, wounded and missing thus
far in the war number 10,2GS. or this
Leavy total G,93S were lost in the cam
paign NJ Ladysmith.
Great anxiety has been removed by
The announcement that Lord Dundon-
aids cavalry forces, which it was feared
were isolated among the hills i'll the
ncighh1rhood Of Acton Homes, are safe
on the south bank Of the Tuscla river.
a special dispatch from Frcrc camp
dated Friday, IAN. % $40 p. M. says:
Il have just ridden in here, having left
General Buffers forces i'm thc new posi-
tons south of the Tugola to which they
retired in consequence of the reverse at
Spion kop.
The fighting, both before and after
the Occupation of the mountain. was of
desperate character. Spiou kop is Il pre-
cipitouS mountain overlapping the whole
line of kopics along the upper Tusela
On the eastern side the mountain faces
Mount Alice and Polgiotor's drift. stand
ing ut right angles To the Borr central
position and I.yttlcton's advanced posi-.
ton. The southern point dcscCnds in alb.
rupt steps to the lower line of kopics
On the western side, Opposite the right
outpoSts of Warrcn's force it is mae.
ccssihly steep until the point where the
mex joins the kop to the main range.
Then there is gentle slope which allows
easy access to the summit.
"A narrow footpath admitting men in
single file only to the summit. opens into
a perfectly Hat tableland probably 300 O.
square yards area. upon which the Beers
had hastily commenced 10 make a trans
verse trench. Our men We're able to oc-
cupy the farther end of this tableland
where the ridge descended to another
fat, which was again succeeded by
round, stony cminence held by the Beers
in great strength
''1he ridge held by our men was faced
by number of strong little kopjes at all
angles. whence the Beers sent II concen.
tratcd fire from their rifles, supported by
n Maxim Nordenfeldt and big long
range gun. What with the rifles, the
machine guns and the big gun, the sum-
nit was converted into Il perfect hell
The shells exploded continually in oul
ranks. and the rifle fire from an absolute.
~ unseen enemy was perfectly appalling
"Rc-enforccmcntS were hurried up by
General Warren. but they had to cross a
stretch of Hat ground which was literally
torn up by the flying lead of the enemy
The unfinished trench on the summit
gave very questionable shelter. as the
encmy'S machine guns were 50 accurately
ranged upon the place that often Ii shells
fell in the trench in a single minute.
Mortal men could not permanently
hold such Il position. Our gallant feel.
lows held it tenaciously for ~ hours and
then taking advantage of the dark night
abandoned it to the enemy"
The following is the text of General
Buffers dispatch. giving an account of
the advance on Spion k0p and the sulse.
Quent retreat across the Tugela river:
"On Jan. 20 Warren drove back the
ehcmy and obtained possession of the
southern crcstS of the high tublcland eX.
tending from the line of Acton Homes
AMI IIongcrS Poort to the western Lady.
smith hills. From then to Jan. - he re.
manned in close contact with the enemy.
"Thc enemy held strong position on a
range of small kopjeS stretching from
northwest To southeast across the pla.
teau from Acton Homes through Spion
kop to the left bank of the Tugola.
"Thc actual position held was perfectly
tcnablc, but did not lend itself to an ad.
vance. as the southern slopes were 50
steep that Warren could not get an eff
f"ctivc artillery position, and water sup
ply was Il difficulty.
"On Jan. % | assentcd to his attacking
Spion kop, Il 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.
ION the night of Jan. % he attacked
Spon kop. but found it very difficult tc
hold, as its perimeter was too large and
water, which hc had been led to believe
existed. in this extraordinarily dry sea
son was found very deficient.
The crcSts were held all that day
against severe attacks and Il heavy shell
fire. Our men fought with great gallant.
Ty. Would especially mention the con
duct of the Second Camcronians and the
Third Kings rifles, who supported tha
attack on the mountain from the steepesl
side and in each case fought their way tC
the top, and the Second Lancashire fusi
lcers and Second MiddleseX, who magnif
Gently maintained the best traditions OF
the british army throughout the trying
day of Jan. 81. and Thornycroft's Mount
ed infantry, who fought throughout the
day equally well alongside of them.
General Woodgate, who was in com
mand at the summit, having been wound
ed, the officer who succeeded him decide,
On the night of Jan. "a to abandon tb,
position, and did so before dawn Jan. 20.
81 reached Warren's camp at a. m
LII hat a