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Show BULLER DEFEATED. Engagement Naur Coleuso Results 1b a Decided Boer Qlctory. London. Dec. 17. The war office has received a dispatch announcing- that General Buller has met with a serious reverse, losings eleven guns. General Buller was attempting to cross the Tugela river. Finding it impossible im-possible to accomplish his object, ha ordered a retirement in order to avoid greater losses. lie left eleven guns behind. The following is the text of General Boiler's dispatch announcing his reverse: re-verse: "Chieveley Carap, Dec 19, 6:20 p.m. I regret to report a serious reverse. I moved in full strength from our camp near Chieveley at 4 o'clock this morning. morn-ing. There are two fordable places on the Tug-ela river, and it was my intention inten-tion to force a passage through at one of them, They are about two miles apart. "My intention was to force one or the other with one brigade. General Hart was to attack the left drift, General Gen-eral Hilyard the right road, and Gen. eral Littleton was to take the center and to support either. Early in the day I saw that General Hart would not be able to force a passag-e, and I directed direc-ted him to withdraw. He had, however, how-ever, attacked with great gallantry, and his leading battalion, the Con-nautrht Con-nautrht ranirers. I fear, suffered a p-reafc deal. Colonel I. G. Brooke was severely se-verely wounded. "I then ordered General Hilyard to advance, which he did' and his leading regiment, the East Surrey, occupied Colenso station and the houses near the bridge. "At that moment I heard that the whole artillery I had sent to support the attack the Fourteenth and sixty-sixth sixty-sixth field batteries and six naval twelve-pounder quick flrers under Col onel Long, had advanced close to the river in Long's desire to be at close range. It proved to be full of the enemy ene-my who suddenly opened a galling fire at close range, killing all their horses and the gunners were compelled com-pelled to stand to their guns, Some of the wagon teams got shelter for troops In a donga, and dosperate efforts were being made to bring out the field guns. "The fire, however, was too severe, and only two were saved." |