The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1900-01-31
l.soo DEAD BRITISH SOLDIERS LEFT ON
BLOODY BATTLEFIELD.
Capture $50 British Soldiers on splon Kop.

Capture $50 British Soldiers or spion Kop
BoER HEAD LAAGER. Ladysmith Jan
n 6 p. m.-The British dead lNft on th'
battlefield yesterday numbered iseO0.
LoNDos, Jan. > III the Boer report'
are 60 be zcce ted, The abandonment o
spion Kop was due 70 the inability o
the British to resist the Boer attack, tbs
Bosrs carrying the first trenches and
taking 80 prisoners"
The following despatch has been receiv'
in London from Pretoria, dated Jan. p
via Lourenzo Marques, Jan. 2S:
The government i advised thg, afteI
heavy lighting near Spion Kop, SONS
British on the kop icing stormed hoisted
white flag. One hundred and nifty pris.
oners. God be thanked, although we also
had to give brave and valuable lives"
Boer Headquarters, Modder Spruit. Up
per Tugela, Jan. q, midnight. via Lur-
emo Marques. Jan. 25-Some Nry
burghers from the outpOsis OF the high
est hills of the Spion Kop group rushed
into the laager. saying that the kop was
lost aud that the English had taken it.
Reinforcements were ordered up. but
nothing could be done for some time. the
hill being enveloPed in thick mist
AT dawn the Heidelberg and Carolin
contingents, supplemented from other
commanders, began the ascent Of the hill.
rhres spurs, precipitous projections
faced the Boer positions. Up these the
advance was made. The horses were left
under the first terrace Of rocks.
Sealing the steep bill. the Beers found
that the Euglish had improved he op-
portnniiy and entrenched heavily. Be-
tween the lines Of trenches was an open
veidt. which had To he rushed under a
heavy fire. not only from rifles, but of
lyddite and shrspnel from field guns.
Three forces assembled the three spurs
CO ordinately, under cover of fire from
the Free State Krupps, Creusot aud a
big Maxim. The English tried to rush
the Boer with the hayOuet. bTt their in
fantry went down before the Boer rifle
ire MS before a scysh-.
The Boer investing party advanced
step by step until , IN the afternoon, when
a white flag went up aud $50 men in the
front trenches surrendered, being sent as
prisoners 10 the head lager.
The Boer advance continued on the
two kopjes east OF Spion Kop. Many
Boers were shot, but so numerous wele
the burghers that the gaps filled auto
matically. Toward twilight they reach
ed the summit of the second kOpje but
did not geS further.
The British Maxims belched flame, but
a wall of fire from the Msusers held the
English back. Their centre, under this
pressure, gradually gave way and broke,
abandoning the position.
I, The prisoners speak highly of the
burghers, who, despising cover. stood
sgainst the skyline edges of the summit
10 shoot the Dublin Fusileers, sheltered
in the trenches.
Firing continued for some time. and
then the Fusileers aud the light horse
serving as infantry threw up their arms
and rushed out Of the trenches.
The effect of the abandonment OfSpion
Kop by the English can hardly be gang
ed as yet, but it must prove to be inn
mense.
The Times says: The most carefully
planned and executed movement of the
whole campaign has entirely failed, and
ii can hardly be necessary 10 dwell upon
the extreme probability that we shall
learn, little sooner or little later, of
catastrophe almost without precedent in
our military history-a catastrophe, in
deed, without a parallel except in the
surrender at Yorktown.
I'VE are checked at every point of the
campaign. In fact, the campaign is still
t. begin. We wish we had clearer proofs
that even now the government has any
adequate comprehension of the situation.
The utterances OF responsible ministers
have Zone nothing to reassure the coun-
try on this point"