New-York tribune., 1900-05-13
KOORN SPRUIT.
DISASTER ARRIVE IN LONDON
AT LAST

London May 2-Eagerly England has waited a
month for the details of the disaster a Koorn
Spruit. 1t will be remembered that 1t there,
on March 81. that the British forces In the Free
State lost SIS men, seven guns and eighty
wagons full OF stores. Since that occurrence there
have been many insinuatons that the disaster was
due to gross carelessness. that the Duke of Teck
was In part or In whole responsible for the affair,
and that because of his royal blood he had been
screened from the serious effects of such action.
rather inaction. Thus Koorn Spruit, of the
most damaging reverses of the campaign, teemed
with personal and military points of interest
which continued to be privately discussed long
after it had ceased to appear prominently in the
public prints.
me arrival of the latest mails from South Africa
have once more brought the matter into public dis
cussion The great London papers within the last
rev days nave printed columns and columns of
detailed description of Koorn Spruit from their
correspondents. Private letters upon the
topic have arrived and been printed. Yet the only
mention of the Duke of Teck is recording
instance of his bravery. This is told by Lord
Cecil Manners, the correspondent of 1.-The Morning
POST and is follows:
Owing to their 0he Household Cavalry having
@ been IN IN the rear of the convoy, covering the re-
exist when the firing began (from the other side of
and Who M or a
win it1 the convoy had not been heavy: only one.
fSSrrtnnately in two paces-in the hand and the
o the easnrH of nee hS AonSuy
Of Teck who was one of the officers in charge of
ing himself unmounted for considerable time.
RESPONSIBILITY NOT YET FIXED
The phrase zone of the officers in charge" is am
biguous, though the personal bravery is pro-
nounced. The important statement in the first
sentence to the Dukes whereabouts, with the
cause for his being in the rear, when taken In
conjunction with the statements of the other
correspondents, leaves small ground for believing.
he for
convoy, that he committed any bunder grave
enough to entail reprimand TO justify the sup
preston of his name from the reports. So varied
and apparently untrammelled the sources of
the information available anent the engage
ment that it is impossible to consider feasible the
existence Of conspiracy. spreading from Com
mander-in-C Chief to correspondent and private,
which had for its object the exculpation of mem
ber of the royal family
While all the negative evidence of the mailed ac-
counts tends deny this intensely interesting per-
sonal phase which rumor had associated with
hoorn Sprut, the same accounts confirm many of
the severe military criticisms which had been
passed upon the action a whole. Briefly summed
up it is apparent that the SIS men. guns and
wagon train were captured by only 400 Beers. and
that the convoy had advance guard The lat
ter seemingly ineXcusable omission is mtigated
by knowledge of the fact that the convoy in
retreat. and that what would have been the ad-
vance guard busy in the operating
against the only visible enemy. and believing that
it was covering the retreat of the convoy 1.-The
Times, with perhaps undue severity commented
after reading Its correspondents accounts fol-
lows:
At Koorn Spruit We did oay. though perhaps
in full the penalty for neglect of the most ele-
mentary rules of Our correspondent is filled
with admiration for General Ovier's strategy His
plan was clever and it was well executed but it
not not yet been given to the pubc. though it must
of gross and culpabe carelessness. Explanations
of this officers conduct may be forthcoming. but
a yrnryr
merely fills in the outline of the discreditabe story
as we already know it. The convoy advanced
without precautions and without suspicion into the
pressly told that there was no advance guard, and
there is no mention of fanking parties of scout
ing of any sort
THE Times" makes the curious mistake of say
ing the convoy advancing, when all accounts,
including its own. agree that it hurriedy
treating into country that a few hours before
known to be clear of the enemy. While the
country undoubtedly should have been rescouted.
and small force sent to precede the convoy
its retreat it is quite easy understand that when
12O0 men. the total of the British command under
Colonel Broadwood, suddenly subjected
frontal attacks by 5000 Beers with guns the first
objective of the attacked is get their wag-
ons away to safety, and. both for the purpose of
resisting overwhelming attack and for covering the
| retreat of the wagons, retain many
possible that end of the convoy which is threat
ened.
That the adoption of this military maxim, in this
case almost a necessity produced such disastrous
| results due to extraordinary daring and
bility the part Of the Beers and. perhaps still
| more SO, to their remarkable luck. One slight
hitch. one turn of luck, and their daring would
have meant annhilation and the military
| mentator would have observed casually. that
plan so conceived could never in the world have
succeeded.
Though the main British plans may not have
been much at fault casual reading would
lead suppose, enough mistakes perpetrated
IN detail justify the annihilation of an army
corps. The story 1t is told by the various
respondents. is immensely interesting. THE Stand
follows:
plain looms Thaba Nchu-a hugh bastion of rock
Late Friday night there set out from the coun-
convoy Of ninety wagons. For guard they had
the Household Cavalry the 10th Hussars. Riming-
ions OF Mounted Infantry and the Burman Mount
ed Infantry. with L and @ batteries of the Royal
best that Britain and her colonies give.
under command of Colonel Broadwood, dis
Pitcher, who had been compelled to withdraw
from Ladybrand When General Broadwood made
that the enemy We're in strong force on the north
and east of his line of march to Boemfontein
with his small body of mounted men he could beat
back a determined attack He asked for REIN
forcements. but none sent, and he started on
his disastrous journey.
Here IT may be said that Broadwood, now Brig
adler General. gained distinction for bodness and
dash when accommodating successive Dervish posi-
tons. and is repuued of the daring and
at the same time shrewdest of cavalry leaders
He had visited Thaba Nchu with the object of
paving the for Lord Roberts's proclamation
to the Free State burghers
THE country" writes The Times" correspond
| IL ~fI a. s,.~s