Connecticut western news., 1900-02-01
EULER TURNS BACK.
BRITISH FORCES COMPELLED TO RE.
 CROSS THE TuGELA.
omcinI Dispatch Tells of Terrible Disaster at spion I<op. Where War rem Lost, According to Boer Re ports, Fifteen Hundred Men.

Ohicinf Dispatch Tells or Terrible
 Disaster at spion Kop, Where War
 rem Lost, According to Boer Re
 ports, Fifteen Hundred Men.
 The war office In London on Sunday afternoon posted the following dispatch from General Butler:
 'On Jan. 20 Warren drove back the enemy and obtained possession of the southern crests of the high tableland ex tending from the line of Acton Homes and Hongers Poort to the western Lady smith hills. From then to Jan. 25 he re. mained ill close contact with the enemy.
 "The enemy held a strong position on a range of small kopjcs stretching from northwest to southeast across the pla. teau 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 ad vance, as the southern slopes were so steep that Warren could not get an eff fective artillery position, and water sup ply was a difficulty.
 ''On Jan. 23 assented to his attacking Spion kop, large hill, indeed a noun tain, which was evidently the key of the position, but was far more accessible from the north than from the south.
 "On the night of Jan. g he attacked Spion kop, but found it very difficult to hold, as its perimeter was too large and water. which he had been led to believe existed, in this extraordinarily dry sea. son was found very deficient.
 'The crests were held all that day against severe attacks and a heavy shell fire. Our men fought with great gallan- try. Would especially mention the con. duct of the Second Cameronians and the Third Kings rifles who supported the attack on the mountain from the steepest side and in each case fought their way to the top, and the Second Lancashire fusileers and Second Middlesex, who magnificently maintained the best tradi. tions of the British army throughout the trying day of Jan. 24. and Thornycroft's Mounted infantry, who fought through. out the day equally we'll alongside of them.
 General Woodgate. who was in com. mand at the summit having been wound. ed, the officer who succeeded him decided on the night of Jan. 24 to abandon the position and did so before dawn Jan. 9.
 '1 reached Warren's camp at a. m. on Jan. ? and decided that second at. tack upon Spion kop was useless and that the cnemy's right wing was too strong to allow me to force it.
 Accordingly I decided to withdraw the force to the south of the Tugela. At $ a. m. we commenced withdrawing the train, and by s a. m. Jan. 27 Warren E force was concentrated south of the Tu- gela without the loss of a man or a pound of stores.
 '"The fact that the force could with. draw from actual touch-in some cases the lines were less than 1000 yards -,th tb ,, al. {. did is, 1 think, sufficient evidence of the morale of the troops and that we were permitted to withdraw our cumbrous OK and mule transport across the river. &: yards broad, with 20 foot banks and a very swift current, unmolest,d is, l think. proof that the enemy has been taught to respect our soldiers fighting powers"
 General Butler cablcd on Monday a list of the casualties in the Fifth division (Warren'sl and the mounted brigade on Wednesday, the day of the fighting on Spion kop. A notable point in regard to it is the official news that General Wood gate, who was reported dead, is still alive, although dangerously wounded.
 The casualties among the officers were: Killed, p; wounded, 20; missing, 6. No report of the number of enlisted men lost has been received. A dispatch | from the Boer head laager at Ladysmith says Warren left 1 800 dead on Spion kop. Another report of doubtful origin | says 2,000 British soldiers were killed in | the attack and retreat.
 The consrernation caused in London by news of this disaster is beyond express | sion.
 The Daily Mails Cape Town core. | spondent, for whom that paper claims exceptionally good means of information cables that Butler in addressing his troops on Monday said that in his opinion the troops had gained the key to the road to Ladysmith, in which place he hoped tc | be within week.
 The obvious suggestion conveyed by these words is that there is to be fresh advance upon Ladysmith and a fresh crossing of the Tugela, but it is difficult to find any reasons for expecting success i after the recent severe repulse. Had large re-enforcements reached Butler he might renew the attack, but no such re endorsements, so far as known, have ar | rived in Natal