New-York tribune., 1900-03-04

According 70 another account the attack Spion
Kop which was believed dominate the Boer po-
sitions was not decided until after a council OF
war in which General Butler, while personally ia
voring an immediate retreat across the Tugela
allowed himself to be governed by the entreaties Of
his su5ordinates. OF the ascent Of spion Kop The
Standard" correspondent writes:
The night was intensely dark The troops were
led BY the guides rocky ridges and through
dOneas. The men being warned 10 make as little
Of he B5fs posted on the mountan that toWered
above T. The west the htful crack Of rife fire.
showed that the enemy there was sniping at
Led by General Woodgate and Colonel Bloomfield
the Fusil.ers began the arduous ascent Slowly but
f55qy pressing on On, n & slnge me the tusilieEs
height Lecge after ledge was passed in silence
the orders being that no shots were TO be fired
oayone: Colonel Thorneycroft now pressed 10 the
front and led the way. The crest Of the mountain
about $50 O'clock in the morning Of Wednesday
January q Far below could be seen the lights of
the field hospitals dotted the plain. The night
Signals on Three Tree Hill hung like arc Of light
The crest having been gained the leading files of
Thorneyeroft's Mounted Infantry and the Fusiliers
tzeG t75G and the men Peered intently through the
LhyIEing when a third Of the entire length OF the
piateau had been cautiously traversed. Ka1fir
C!a-lsLlgeo ana the Fusers. levelling bayone.s.
enetgea Eith q cheer. An offcer bayoneted the
ne l1o5fs i1ereupon clutched their Weap-
Es oi-s. hTed wild Yolley ana boited into the dark
The first trench had been won without the loss
u q man On OUT side and the column up
,--.-'s cHtfr tnat pea ID like bell through the
About .. n. he second trench was taken. Here
tE C''i7 silently awaited the grim work before
r,at a5out o'clock the misty cloud cap over spion
hop melted away sufficiently to enable the Beers
L9 "i.9 were now crowding in thousands the ridge
fT+cl r-aI IA hLnareos behind the rocks and In the
l---i-1S across the northern extremity. well
L.aiy uD 70 the centre Of the mountain crest. 20
Tl gdsA d concentrated fire devoted battaons
rs--S IaItle OF the I5oer rife was vigorously
fz Co., SSfnefaI Noodgate who was detailed
whistle Of vine bullets m t aIa Inc b never Ssas1g s
Tas hi there being no breathing space allowed to
General was Shot over ba IN ef, fe eng m 1ae
cooily watching the effect of our fire He was car
Ing. Let alonei Let me aloner'
Of the fierce fighting that followed all that day
on spion Kop there many brilliant accounts
oui none more so than that Of Winston Churchill
who writes as follows:
ma ne Troops @ were driven almost entirely off the
ing some of their trenches. A frightful disaster
OF the captured trenches abandoned their m resist
s,hce- threw up their hands and called out that
a-ey would surrender. Colonel Thorneycroft whose
sfeat stature made him everywhere conspicuous
1 Tha who was from dawn TIL dusk in the first firing
...he rushed 10 the spot. The Beers advancing to
80 sehe The prisoners-as at Nicholson Nek-were
to the Beer leader: You may 20 10 he'll snoa.eo @
id msnd on this hill and allow no surrender Go on
pc effect. killing many. The survivors with the
@ atsI Of the firing line. fed two hundred Yards
hSEie rallied by their ndomitabe commander and
VIZ VIZ reinforced by two brave companies OF the
ialedlesex Regiment, charged back recovering All
- ~ ground and the position maintained until
tnsntlal No words In these days Of extrayagent
ysssslon can do justice TO the glorious endurance
riaiea the English Recommendation they were aI
tEngsh-dispayed throughout the long Srae, al,
hours Of helihFe S "t"ssihs
faat Wi,age Of ambulance wagons grew up at the
sSnpssLol, Lol the mountain. The dead and iniured
elroIai,o and broken by the shells, Uttered the
TF1irs,a ln u was bloody reekine shamhie
al 1a,s s9fiaeied the soldier for though water was
give CO. ne i.ght was too close and furious TO
fne cesi5h moments breathing space But NO, h
the srttsaken tMseaken the stubborn vgor of the defence
ssss oaliiiery, unable 10 find reach the enem,'a
could only tear ~ the ground in impotesnf