The daily morning journal and courier., 1900-01-29
GEN. EULER RETREATS Withdraws His Entire Army to the South Side of
 The Tuge|a.
 FOUND ENEMY TOO STRONG FORCING OF1HE BOER RIGHT WING
 IMPOSSIBLE.


 out the Loss of a Man or Pound oi
 stores-Causes for Abandoning spion
 Kop-Tribute to the Behavior of the
 Troops-Boer Report That British Left
 1,50O Dead on the Field in the Spion
 Kop Fight-An End to Unpleasant
 Rumors.
 London, Jan. 2S.-A dispatch from General Butler to the war office states that Spion Kop was abandoned on &C., count of lack of water, inability to bring artillery there and the heavy Boer fire. General Butler gives no cas- ualties. His whole force has withdrawn south of the Tugela river with the evil dent intention of reaching Ladysmith by another route.
 Text of the Dispatch.
 The following is the text of General Buffers dispatch dater Spearman's Camp, Saturday, January 27, 6:1O p. m.
 "On January 20 Warren drove back the enemy and obtained possession of the southern crests of the high table, land extending from the line of Acton flames and Hongor's Poort to the western Ladysmith hills. From then to January 25 he remained in close con- tact with the enemy The enemy held a strong position on a range of small kopjes stretching from northwest to southeast across the plateau from Acton Homes through Spion Kop, to the left bank of the Tugela. The actual position held was perfectly tenable, but did not lend itself to an advance, as the southern slopes were so steep that Warren could not get an effective ar- tillery position and water supply was a difficulty.
 "On January 23 I assented to his at. tacking Spion Kop, large hill, indeed a mountain, which was evidently the key of the position, but was far more accessible from the north than from the south. On the night of January B he attacked Spion Kop, but found it very difficult to hold as it's perimeter was too large and water, which he had been led to believe existed, in this ex- traordinarily dry season, was found very deficient.
 ',The crests were held all that day against the severe attacks and heavy shell fire. Our men fought with great gallantry. Would especially mention the conduct of the Second Cameronians and the Third Kings Rifles who sup ported the attack on the mountain from the steep side and in each case fought their way to the top, and the Second Lanca shire Fusiliers and Second Mid- dlesex, who magniticently maintained the best traditions of the British army throughout the trying day of January "A. and Thornycroft's mounted tnfan- try, who fought throughout the day equally we'll along side of them.
 General Woodgate, who was in command at the summit, having been wounded the officer who succeeded him decided on the night of January "A to abandon the position and did so be- fore dawn of January 25.
 .'I reached Warren's camp at 5 a. m. on January 25 and decided that a sec ond attack upon Spion Kop was useless and that the enemy's right was too strong to allow me to force it.
 Accordingly I decided to withdraw the force to the south of the Tugela. At 6 a. m we commenced withdrawing the train and by 8 a. m. January 27 Saturday, Warren's force was con- centrated south of the Tugela without the loss of a man or pound of stores. | "The fact that the force could with draw from actual touch-in some cases the lines were less than 1000 yards apart-with the enemy in the manner it did is, I think, sufficient evidence of the morale of the troops and that we were permitted to withdraw our o,,y{{hro,1s ox and mule tranSnOrt acr0sS the river, eighty-five yards broad, with twenty foot banks, and 8 very swift | current, unmolested, is, think, proof | that the enemy has been taught to re- spect our soldiers fighting powers.,'