Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1900-02-01
BUTLER DOES NOT EXPLAIN.
No Word to Show Why Warren
Retreated from Spion Kon
BRITAIN PLUNGED IN GLOOM.
Nswspapers Not Permitted to Hear frsn
Their Correspondent Belief
That Great Disaster Has Overtaken the
Army-Many Theories Advanced.

patches announcing the abandonment
OF Spion kop. which followed with
startling rapidity the intelligence Of its
capture, Is almost brutal In it's brevity.
Absolutely no light is thrown upon the
reasons for its evacuation. When the
first news spread throughout the city,
the involuntary exclamation, What,
| Majuba again." was heard frequently.
In fact, the parallel between Spion kop
and Majuba is rather startling. Both
were eminences. commanding the Boer
positions. Both were seized In the
| night In both cases the Beers at
tackled the position the next morning.
Here, for lack of definite news, the
parallel ceases.
ceived at the war Office at 10 o'clock
Friday morning, follows:
"Spearman's Camp, Jan 25, 1905
p. m.-Gen. Warren's garrison, I am
sorry to say, find this morning had in
the night abandoned Spion kop."
Not line has been received from
him since, nor have the newspapers
heard from any of the vast army Of
correspondents with the army in the
field.
There are two equally plausible theo-
ries for the retirement from Spion kop.
One is suggested by the fact Of the
mountain being so weakly held by the
Beers, and the other is that the posi-
ton had not the Importance which
Gen. Warren attributed to it, 1t Is
quite possible that there are other
heights near 1t or behind 1t, which
were not visible from the British lines.
From these eminences the Beers, with
their guns in position, could dominate
Spion kop and render it untenable, in
stead Of the British, by the capture OF
the kop, rendering the Boer position
untenable.
1t Is notorious that all the maps OF
Natal in the possession of the British
are exceedingly faulty.
In an interview with DR.. Leyds in
Paris, before Buffers last dispatch was
received, the Boer representative said
that Spion kop consisted Of series
of ridges or hills, rising behind each
other. II this proves to be the reason
for Gen. Warrens retreat, 1t shows
that DR.. Leyds knows more about the
British territory than the British
themselves.
The other and far more serious sup
position from a British standpoint is
that the position was Of Importance,
that the Beers made desperate efforts
to retake it, and that they succeeded in
was so vague, simply stating that he
was surprised to find that Gen. Warren
had retired, that such a thing Is quite
possible. If this Is correct, a serious
reverse has been suffered by Gen. War
ren's division, since 1t Is clear that
corresponding efforts would have been
made by the British to hold the kop.
We know that the Beers were attack
ing dsterminedly on Wednesday.
Should Buffers reverse be as serious
as It now seems. the probability of his
reaching Ladysmith by the western
route Is much diminished, as the Beers
undoubtedly confront the British in
great strength.
Warren's turning movement hay-
Ing failed, Gen. Butler may find him
self IN the same fix he was at Colenso,
and as Methuen Is now at Modder
river. Although Ladysmith Is said to
have been made impregnable and the
fever is abating, there must be de-
crease in the supply Of ammunition
and food. Moreover. the check to
Butler must have seriously depress-
ing effect upon the garrison, affecting
it's physical health.
The only news of any Importance in
the other fields of war indicates that
Gen. French is evidently pushing his
easterly lines out so as to get into
communication with Gen. Gatacre.