One thing is made perfectly clear by the Aispatches, and that is that the failure of the Spion Kop attempt to relief smith was due not solely to the difficulties of the ground and the strength of the enemy, but to blundering and inetticiency on someone's part. Sir Charles Warren says the fault was that of Colonel Thurneycroft, who ordered the abandonment of Sir Redvers Buller absolves ne, declaring that he exercised a wis discre ion in ordering the retreat, and throws the whole blame upon Sir Chares Warren, who failed to reinforce Colonel Thorueyeroft and strengthen his position as he should have And Lord Roberts, after express-'General Buller's opinion on Colonel Thorneycroft, whose abandonment of the hill the Cominandercondemns in unmeasured terms, not only himself, who, he says, failed to assert: his authority and see what he thought best was done. At the same time Lord Roberts praises Sir Redvers' strategy and agrees with han in thinking that his plan ought to have succeeded. "Everybody feels sorry for Colonel Thorneyeroft, whose gallantry had at an earlier point saved the whole situation. He was no doubt exasperated wud discouraged at not the support he hi ight to but the point of the censure is ere was time for him to consult his and that the order for the retirement was therefore **an wowarrantable and needless assumption of authority subordinate officer." As to Sir ries Warren, both Roberts and Buller report that © there was a want of organi: tion and system that acted most unfavourably on the defence; and for this Sir Charles must be held responsible.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.