Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1900-02-13
Exclamation Of Gen, Butler at His
Defeat on the TugeIa,
THE SITUATION IN NATAL.
British soldier Tells the unprepared-
ness Of Ills own Army aud the
Readiness of che Boers.
tEarly Dispatchesl

t-'H' 49, fNfNH''r"fA
Chicago, Feb. l3--A special 10 the
Record from Victoria. 3. c., says:
A letter received by Mrs. A. a.
Humphreys OF his city from a captain
Of a border regiment, since wounded at
spion Kop gives graphic description
Of the loss OF the British guns at the
Tugela river The letter was dated at
Frere, December q, and IN part says.
People hardly realize yet what
big undertaking this Is turning out to
be. Everything points 10 the Beers
having not LEES than 10000 men IN the
field, with guns superior 10 ours IN
range and little behind us IN marks
manshlp, and until We get out lot
more troops there Is no likelihood Of our
doing much more than hold them In
cheek.
They are undoubtedly following out
plan OF campaign which they have
worked out In an details I'm peace times
and they are carrying u out most per-
fectly They have spies everywhere
and are always prepared 10 meet any
move on our part almost before we haze
begun. We are exactly the reverse. and
never seem to know what they are do
ms nor how many there are Of them In
any direction. We won't trust single
colonial Cape Colonist)
I'VE have a first class Typographical
map OF the frontier. but no military
map Of these parts. and no one knows
which Hill commands another, or what
kind OF positions there are on the other
sdie Of the mountains facing US. We
are exactly like the French In the
Franc0-German war, with excellent
maps Of the enemy's country but with
none Of our own. The Boer positions
are on all the high ridges and hills
! They extend FOR miles and command
every BIZ Of ground IN front.
The hills behind are prepared for de-
Tense II they are driven back from one
position they don't have TO go very far
20 get behind a new line OF resistance
Water Is far from plentiful and the
transports scarce. so We have to stick
pretty well TO the railway Butler has
a hard nut 10 crack In the Boer posi-
ton IN front Of us-Colenso hills defend
ing the river Tugela. which we must
cross and which is only forbade In
places few and far between.
I'VE tried 10 do go last Friday and
had a battle. We were 10000 strong
and the Beers between 10000 and Il 600
| Our brigade. nth. attacked on the left
but our brigadier made an awful mess Of
II. and Butler ordered him TO withdraw
which we aid after 532 were killed and
wounded Something went wrong with
the right brigade and the officer COM
mandng the royal artillery advanced
his guns up % within 700 yards OF the
/ Boer position and trenches long before
the infantry were at hand 10 support
! him. The Boers allowed the guns 10 be
! uulimhered and then poured such a hail
| OF bullets that the teams Of two batter
/ les were killed In a very short time.
| When the gunuers were shot down the
attack could not be carried out, and
1 Butler had 70 give the order TO retire
/ and ten guns had 10 be abandoned Our
total loss was Ia, and all for nothing.
"Buller almost went and was heard
TO exelalm; My brigadlers have sold
| me-
we shall have another division here
| shortly and Will then have 30 900 men,
and as the Beers have been receiving
re-enforcemeuts they will number not
7 far from 1000 and all In splendid posi-
tlons The shrieklng and bursting OF
1 shells and the roar of battle and the
! thousands OF M7users, Lee Metfords ana
Maxlms last Friday was something aw-
| full. The heat, too. was dreadful, but
the men behaved splendidly.'