The evening times., 1900-02-28


was announced half a century ago, to
heart-bTeaking suspense-that is the story
Of the past twenty-four hours in London.
While the cool Judgment of Roberts and
Kitchener was prevailing in the Orange
Free State. il seems almost certain that az
fairs in Natal are being mismanaged. "he
War Office today publishes an official Ges-
patch from General Butler, but it With
holds any list or even an estimate of the
tremendous losses az which the despatch
hints darkiy The report Of General Bull
Ter says;
"HLANGWANE PLAIN, Feb. 2S-
(S:C5 a. m.).-Finding that strong en-
trenchments commanded Langewatche
Spruit | reconnOitred for another posi-
ton. Colonel Sandbach found one. and
on February . / commenced making
an approach. On February 20, finding
that the approach was practical, l
crossed the guns and baggage back TO
the south OF the Tugela We took up
the pontoon on the night OF February
26 and relaid il in a new position.
During all this time the troops had
been scattered. Crouching under hasti-
reconstructed small stone shelters. and
exposed to a CALLING shell and rife fire,
but maintained throughout an excellent
spirit On February q General Bar
ton. with two battalions OF the Sixth
Brigade and the Royal Dublins crept
one and One-half miles down the bank
south Of the river. and. ascending an
almost pTeCipitOus cliff for five hun
dred feet. he assaulted and carried
Pieters Hill. This. to a certain extent,
turned the enemys left flank.
"The Fourth Brigade, under Colonel
Norcott. and the Eleventh, under Col
Onel Kitchener, the whole under Gen
eral Warren. assailed TIE main posi-
tion which the South Lancashires car
ried about sunset. We took sixty pris-
oners and scattered the enemy in all
directions. There seems still 20 be
considerable body left under Bulwano
Mountain. / hope our loss was not
large and certainly it was less than it
would have been only for the admira-
Bile manner in which the artillery was
served especially the guns manned by
the men OF the Royal Navy and the
Natal Volunteers"
II is believed in London that the losses.
which General Butler hopes are not large,
will reach an appalling total. This fear is
based on the character Of the tactics en-
ployed by the British commander and also
upon General Buffers almost preparatory
allusion to the subject This fear is in
part substantiated by the fact that the
Queen cabled General Butler as follows:
u have heard with the deepest con-
Germ OF the heavy losses sustained by
my brave Irish soldiers. / desire 10
express my sympathy and admirsti tiOn
for the splendid lighting s--lities they
have exhibited Throughout the trying
operations"
London. in the midst Of rejoicing at the
victory OF General Roberts over Cronje,
awakens this morning to a realization OF
the fact that Butler. while the British
were circumventing the Beers at Paarde-
berg. made a desperate attempt 20 cap
ture a minor position OF the Beers near
Pieters Station, and. as in many former
similar attempts. failed and that the PEN
atty his men have paid for what people
are beginning TO call biu1dering is almost
as severe as that at Spion Kop. The Dub
lin Fusiliers. the Innlskilling Dragons
and the Connaught Rangers-all Irish regi-
ments-were ordered TO take Railway Hill
not Groblers Klof. as at first reported
They tried it, fought for four hours in the
face Of a murderous Boer fire. and then
quit, more than half of them killed OF
wounded
The Queen was so concerned about the
reported losses that she requested the War
Office to ask for details, and Butler replied
under today's date, February 2S, from
Hlangwane Plain, claiming that he had
Just fought a successful action, had scat
tered the enemy. and had captured sixty
prisoners"
Notwithstanding this despatch from BulI=
or, several reports show that i'm previous
engagements he met with tremendous
losses. Several dispatches state that when
the advance Of the Inniskilings reached a
ravine in front of the Boer position they
were subjected to cross FIRE which NOV
ed them down in dozens. The Dublins and
Connaughts went to the aid Of the Innis-
killings. but they too were torn by the
awful rain OF Boer bullets, so that they
had actually to dig burrows in the face OF
the hill to escape annihilatiOn.
Here they remained all night, the Beers
keeping up a terrific fire. General Lyttle-
tons brigade was sent to the relief of
Hart's men, and the terrible duel contin-
ued throughout Saturday. An armistice on
Sunday permitted both sides to bury their
dead. In the Inniskilllngs alone fourteen
Of the seventeen officers we're killed or
wounded and fifty non commissioned Off
GERS and men were KILLED or wounded. The
Dublins we're almost wiped out, not more
than a hundred Of them remaining.
Alter the armistice. the Beers made a
savage attack in force upon the British
positions at Fort Wylie and fought for
hours, even attempting to rush the Brit
ish trenches. The English kept the po-
sitiOn. but at a terrible cost.
It is believed in London that Buffers
losses, when made known, will appall the
English people. There is muSh criticism
Of his tactics. and especially IN view of
the plans followed by Roberts end Kitche-
ner having been successful. Buller's at
Jack on Friday was what is called frontal
attack, and he has never won one Of tIese
from the Beers. The War Ofic, undoubt-
edly has full reports from Butler as to his
losses, but is keeping them back.
----
The Canadian Losses.
LONDON. Feb. 2s.-The War Office has
issued list Of casualties among the Ca