Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1900-02-01

L ne Official llSt Will give tnc lOSSeS
The defense of the hill by the Eng
fish infantry, particularly the Lanca-
shire Regiments. was glorious cpl
sode. The whole army is proud of it.
The Boer positions before Ladysmith
arc perhaps impregnable to $4,000 men,
but the troops are resolved to have an
other try. The public must initiate the
equanimity of the troops.
Spion kOp was not a disaster. Neither
guns were lost nor unwounded prison.
ers made. 1t was simply bloody ac-
ton in which Judgment in the enemy's
entertainments was affected, but which
proved untenable.
The Beers We're sometimes within 80
yards Of the British line. They have
also suffered. Their loss must be
greater. compared TO their strength,
than ours.
The process of attrition must ulti-
mately settle the war The British
troops bear the worst cheerfully and
the nation must remain cheerful. digni-
fled and determined.
London. Jan. 31.-When The nation
had almost resigned itself To the fall Of
tiers. today, an indication that Gen
Butler will make another attempt to re-
lieve the beseiged place. If the Daily
Mails report of Gen. Buffers state
ment, that he hoped to be in Ladysmith
within week. could be implicitly re-
lied on. news of further fighting would
be shortly expected But the papers
are loath to believe what the St
no
warrantable Boosting" if true. More
over. the war office throws cold water
on the dispatch, this afternoon by is
suing n statement that ii has no news
confirmatory Of such a move as Gen.
Buffers reported speech indicates.
Today's dispatches from Ladysmith
and Cape Town, however. give
strong impression that there is some
thing more than rumor in all these re-
ports. SO, while all definite opinion
must await further news, it does not
seem at all unlikely that another des-
perate effort will be made to succor
General White.
The latest advices from Ladysmith
showing the existence of better condi-
tons than were generally believed to
be the case. have been received with
intense Satisfaction, lllbuSn iHtIt 10 lit
unreasoning over-contidence as may be
judged from the Pail Mall Gazette's
remark: Let us, while preparing for
the worst, hope for the best.
The possibility of Gen. Buffers max
ing another dash appears to depend
greatly on the exact position of Gen.
Lyttleton's brigade. Beyond the un
der.tandnC that il is on the north side
of the Tugela river everything is
matter Of supposition 1t will easily be
seen that if Gen. Lyttleton still holds
the drifts on the north side Gen. Bull
Ter retains the openings and might at
tempt another advance by way of Pot
gicter's or some ncighboring drift.
From the other columns there is not
much news of any kind. and it would
require something Of overwhelming
Importance to distract from the alb
sorbing interest in Ladysmith's diem
ma. Presumably. there will come. dur
ing the day. some stereotyped message
from Lord Roberts saying there is no
change in the situation.
However, there are no interesting ca
Bile dispatches telling the story of
Spon kop. Winston Churchill says
that Capt. Thorneycroft, who replaced
the wounded Gen. Woodgate. is the
hitherto unnamed officer who gave the
order to retire. and fully justifies him
IN 50 doing Churchill says the Boer
losses We're greater than those Of the
British.
A dispatch from The Associated
Press representative at Spearman's
farm. dated Jan. %. describing the
fight and retirement from Spion kop.
says:
we filed down sadly but in perfec;
order The Kings Royal Rifles colonel
was struck down at the moment a hell
ograph message ordering the retire
ment was handed to him.
THE enemy is holding Thanksgiving
services, tonight.
THE surgeons who assembled the hill
We're allowed to remove our wounded.
The scene at the top was n fearful and
terrible witness to the destruct iveness
Of the artillery. All day our stretcher
bearers We're busy carrying down
men.
London. Jan. 3l.-Sudden orders Were
received at Aldershot. this afternoon, for
the immediate embarkation of the 18th
Cavalry Brigade for the Cape.
Ladysmith. Sunday. Jan. 2S.-OIeliO-
graphed to Swartz kop. north of the Tu-
CELIA river).-The news of the prolonga-
ton OF the siege. resulting from Gen. Bull
lers failure is received with fOrtitude
We can hold on. The garrison is health
Ter. CHEEKY ana confident. Disease is dis
appearing and there is no horse sickness.
The rains give plenty Of grass. We can
hear Cen Buffers guns still working and
il is rumored in camp that he is advance
ing along another line. The Boer laagers
around are again full of men, who have
returned from the upper Tugela. The
Beers have also taken up a new position
on the hills near Colenso. where they are
in great force. Reinforcements are APP
parently arriving from the Transvaal.
strong bodies of Beers are also visible
between here and Potgieter's drift.
London. Jan. 31.-A special dispatch
from cape Town says $50 American
scouts. who arrived here as muleteers,
have enlisted in the British forces.
Cape Town. Jan. Sl.-kimberley hello |
graphed To the Modder river, Friday, Jan. |
2s that all the British subjects in the !