The evening times., 1900-04-10
BOLLER'S BAD BLUNDERS
A British officer Criticises tbe Cam.
paign of the Tugela.
The March and the Struggle That
Led to Ladysmith-The british
Commander SubiimeIy Indifferent
To Topography and Reckless of
Strategy-The Tactics Employed.

A copy of the London Today Just re-
ceived in this city contains the following
letter from an officer in General Buffers
| srmy, or the Tugela:
The blind man has found his way home
| at last. With his stick he felt his way
| along the walls and cliffs, tapping, tap
| ping. tapping as he moved on, turning at
| the corners, and feeling along till at last
| his stick missing the wall. slipped into
| his own doorway. True, indeed. he had
| a few misfortunes, and was badly wounded
! by some lamp-posts flaming with light,
| but which TO him, poor soul, were all dark.
| He had been lost for many days, and few
| had kept up hope that he would ever ar
rive: but now there is rejoicing on all
| sides. and doubtless his wounds--the NOR
| al one at least-will be salved with the
| healing ointment of public applause.
Yes, Ladysmith has been relieved at
| last; we have been blundering along the
! line of hills that form that northern bGnk
J OF the Tugela for many months; attempt
! ing TO pass il at all sorts of impossible
! places. and suffering heavy loss each time
| That is an accurate description of the ten
weeks campaign on the Tugela. No one
! knew the ground or took the trouble 10
! learn it. As an example OF this sublime
| Indifference, General Butler was not aware
| that Hlangwani Mountain which COM
manded the crossing OF the Tugela vas on
| the southern side of the river till he had
| failed in three differen attempts. Yet he
| lived for weeks within three or four miles
| OF the hill. and al the battle of COlenso
his right flank extended beyond 1t. As 10
| strategy. there was none neither good
nor bad. The troops were moved along,
and when hill or an entrenchment APP
peared they were ordered TO take it.
I faiIaI fhpy
ceeded: often when they had succeeded.
after terrible loss the post was found to
be useless and was abandoned. This is the
blind folly in which We have been en-
gagged and which, more through good
luck than good management. has eventu-
ally succeeded. But had not Lord Roberts
victory drawn away great part OF the
Beers for the defence of their own Coun-
try il would never have succeeded, and
Ladysmith would have fallen. Thus weak
ened, the Beers had not force enough TO
occupy such a long defensive position, and
one by one their strong places fell into
our hands.
"Op Friday. February -. General Kart
was ordered to send up the COnnaugJt
Rangers, the Inniskiilings, and the Dubiins
along the line OF the railway 10 attack
some low hills where the river turned
again toward he east The operation was
iIbeA NIlliNA AAt dlsh biiit1 th'- sltsA NNA-A
panies of the Innisk.lings and Two COM
panies Of the Couusugat Rangers formed
the attacking line; me remainder of the
Rangers and half of the Dublins were in
support; the reserve consisted of the other
half OF the Dublins. In this order the
Irish Brigade recrosssd the railway and
began the attack. coming Z; under
severe cross FIRE from the Is on the
right and left 1t is at these times that
tl.ta Inc Ff
life Some troops bad indeed, been sent
TO the hills on the left. but they were not
ordered to push the attack, and they could
not from their position even see the
northern slopes; tney merely acted as SEN
tTies to prevent our being entirely cut on.
Anyone could see that IT was madness
10 send an attacking force up the central
hill while the liankiRg Mill was unoccupied.
aud the Beers thereon Were left. free TO
concentrate their fire Tor iis defence.
But stupid as was the scheme, The
method adopted for its execution was even
worse General Hart placed himself on a
neighboriug bill witl telescope and
bugier; he completely out of touch
with the attack, and could not know when
a rest was necessary or when. an attack
could proftably De pressed. These mat
ters are felt only by the officers on the
spot, and It is absolutely necessary to leave
III 10 ttEI uiSIFeilbH. htt tHtIt Ht Stbt'l
sounding at intervals the advance" then
the double" and then the charge"
When ii appeared TO him that the at
tack was not proceeding rapidly enough 10
suit his taste. the bugle rang out again
In peremprOry tones. Our artillery mean
while was shelling the trench at the top
of the hill, and kept down The enemy's
fire from that direction, so that the ad-
vancing line got TO within hundred yards
and waited for a moment to take breath
under cover of the steepness of the hill.
Then the generals bugler sounded the
three calls advance" double
charge" The word was passed along The
ranks; bayonets were fixed. and. springing
10 their feet the men dashed forward
with CheeT. Not a shot was fired by the
enemy. and the place seemed TO be de-
serted The crest was reached and passed
and the triumph seemed complete.
But. alas. that crest was false one;
there was slight dip behind. then an
other rise which constituted the real crest.
AS the men advanced over the skyline
and exposed themselves to full view the
BooTs suddenly stood up in their trenches
and fired in quick succession the five
rounds with which their Mausers were
charged. at a range of fifty yards. The
effect was TOO terrible to describe. That
great rush of men. confident and erect
as great wave nearing the shore, was
checked in a moment. There was stag
ger forward and then all that remained
was line of poor, hopeless human beings
struggling on the ground in agony. Some
rose again, perhaps not knowing what they
were doing. and fell. pierced in many in
stances with a dozen bullets. Those who
maTyelously escaped the murderous dis
charge could only lie with the others,