The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1900-02-08

Ladysmith Still Holds Out But 1t May be Flood
ed-The Queens Speech to
Parliament.

LONDON, Jan. 27.-Following is the
text of General Buffers dispatch, da-
ted Spearman's Camp, Saturday Janu-
ary az, $40 p. M:
ron 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
Homes and Hongerspoort to the West
ern 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 the northwest to the 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 aytillery 20
sition and water supplies were a diff
Guilty.
| ION January % l assented to his at
| tacking Spion KOp, a farge hill-in-
deed, a mountain-whichw was evident
| ly the key to the position, but was far
more accessible from the north than
from the south.
"On the night of January % he at
tackled Spion Kop, but found it very
difficult to hold. as it's perimeter was
toe large and water, which he had been
led to believe existed in this extraOT-
dinarily dry season, was found very
deficient
THE crests were held all that day
Iagainst severe attacks and a heavy
shell fire. Our men fought with great
gallantry. 1 would especially mention
the conduct of the Second Cameron In
dians and the Third Kings Rifles, who
Isupported the attack on the mountain
from the steepest side, and in each
case fought their way to the top, ant
the Second Lancashire Fusileers and
Second MiddleseX, who magnificently
maintained the best traditions of the
. British throughout the trying day o.
January "a, and Thornycroft's Mount
ed Infantry, who fought through the
~
General Woodgate, who was IL
command at the summit, having beer
: wounded, the officer who succeeded
: him decided on the night of January 2
, to abandon the position, and did 81
before dawn on January 25.
Il reached Warren's camp at a. m
: on January 25 and decided that sec
ond attack upon Spion Kop was use
: less and that the enemy's right was to-
strong to allow me to force it. Accord
irgly decided to withdraw the fore
to the south of the Tugela. At a. N
we commenced Withdrawing tn
train, and by a. m, January q (Sat
= urday), Warren's force was concentra
ted south of the Tugela without tn
, loss of man or pound of stores.
THE fact that the force should with
r draw from actual touch-in some cases
the lines were less than a thousan
yards apart-with the enemy in man
ner it did, is, 1 think, sufficient eYi
D dence of the morale of the troops, an
tHat we were permitted TO Withdraw
!, our cumbrous OK and mule transport
u J, across the river, eighty-ive yard
broad, with twenty-foot banks and
very swift current, unmolested Is,
think, proof that the enemy has bee
u taught to respect our soldiers fightin
: powers"
d Fifteen Hundred Dead.
BOER HEAD LAAGER, Ladysmitl
: Jan. 25. p. m.-The British dead let
2 on the battlefield yesterday numbere
n fifteen hundred.
r LONDON. Jan. 2S.-General Butler
s dispatch to the War Office states ths
Q Spion Kop was abandoned on accouI
Il OF lack of water, inability to bring a
) tillery there and the heavy Boer hr
= General Butler gives no list OF casua
ties. His whole force withdrew sout
of the Tugela River, with the evlde1
intention of reaching Ladysmith
It another route.
The Beers say the British lost 15(