The National tribune., 1900-02-01

Gen. Woodgate, who was in command
OF the summit, having been wounded, the
officers who succeeded him decided on the
night OF Jan: "a to abandon the position,
and did so before dawn, Jan. %.
81 reached Warren's camp at ) a. m. on
Jan. %, and decided that a second attack
upon Spion Kop was useless, and that
the cnemy's right was too strong to allow
me TO force it.
Accordingly l decided TO withdraw
the force TO the south Of the Tugela. Al
6 a. m. we commenced Withdrawing the
train, and by a. m, Jan. - Saturday.
Narrcn's force was concentrated south
Of the Tugela without the loss of a man
or a pound of Sto.c IS.
"The fact that the force could withdraw
from actual touch-in some cases the lines
were less than / 900 yards apalt-with the
enemy III the manner it did, is, think,
sufficient evidence of the morale of the
troops, and that we were permitted to with
diaw our cumbrous OK and mule transport
across the river, So yards broad, with Co
foot banks and n very swift current, IN
mo!estcd, is, think, proof that the enemy
has been taught to respect ouI soldie. s.
fighting powers"
OF course, Butler is the object of much
reproach and snee,s, and military men
in England are much given to this fegaId-
ing the commanders in the field; his expia-
nation is deemed inadequate; the absence
of water and the facts that Spion Kop
'Tas indeed mountain" and that its
''perimetei was too large" aie all matters
which even Gen. Buffers waImest admirers
hold should have been ascertained before
he attacked.
The Beers say that /. 500 British dead on
Jan. "A were left on the battlefield One
hundred and fifty prisoners were taken
by the Beers at Spion Kop.
Open talk IS heard of the absolute ne
n ~ 10
fate, while Lord Robots revefts to the
original plan of an advance over the Orange
River upon Bloemfontein.
1t appears that Gen. Butler had alto
gcthoT five brigades wholly or partly en-
gagednGen. Coke's, Gen. HiIdyardG,
Iyttieton's-a 270 casualties already
announced in Lyttleton's Brigade are
explained. Much mystery still sur
rounds the retreat.
The story from the Boer side of the field
is told in a disptach from tho Beer camp
at Modder Sb:-uit, Uppei Tugela, Jan. 2i:
"At A o'clock this morning some VryhcId
burghers forming the outposts on the
highest hills of the Spion Kop group
rushed into the iaager announcing that the
British had taken SpiOn kop. Reinforce
mcnts were summonded, but nothing could
lie done for some time, as the hill was en-
veloped in mist At dawn there was "a
significant sign, the kaffirs fleeing TO theit
kraals from the hills. Telegraphic com
munication from the head laager was also
cut Off. AT daylight the Heidelberg and
Carolina contingents, who were supple
mcntcd, commenced the ascent.
There arc three spurs. rather precipitouc
projections, facing the Boer position. Up
these the burghers, leaving their horse,
at the first bank of rocks, ascended. At
the summit they found the British heavily
intrenched. Between the British trenches
and the Boer commands there was a
stretch Of open veldt. which had to be
rushed under heavy rifle, lyddite. and
shrapnel fire. Meanwhile two parties of
burghers assembled the other two spurs,
covered by the Free State Krupp, Cruesot
and Maxim guns. The British tried to
rush them, but their Infantry fell as before
"a scythe.
The firing continued with undimin-
ished fury, the Beers advancing step by
step until 2 o'clock. Then a white flag
was displayed and 150 British in the first
trenches surrendered. They were sent
10 the head laager.
The storming of the rest of the summit