Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1899-11-18

the admiralty returns. assured them
that 6.i2i men had landed and REIN
forced the garrisons IN lower Natal
which previously had a strength Of over
1900 men, including the naval brigade
With this evidence that the British
forces could not be less than u. 900 men
they could not comprehend how there
could be any rlfk ~ the isolation and
Investment " Estcourt or any ncccasl-
~ for retreat.
The situation In lower Natal was not
20 obscure as the panic mongcra imnE-
incd. General Hlldyafd'E second bri-
gude had been sent 10 Durham with the
Colhatreama from the first brigade, and
the sixth brigade and fusliecr bat
TALON from the third division. and alt
had arrived except tho Coldstrcama
ana the second Dcvonshircs. This was
a strong Infantry force OF which the
second West iofkshirca had reached
Estcuurt. The garrison there was weak
In artillery. unless the naval brigade
had brought up It's guns from the ships
and on this account II might not be
prepared for attack from uoer guns
Three batteries Of held artillery were
disembafkcd from the Armenian az
Durham yesterday. but they would be
required Tor carrying them M the couu-
ny and -ottlng the horses into condi-
uon after their long voyage.
Cool military experts IN whom have
could not be done In a day. that the
mon ana stores must be taken on the
ships, that ARRANGEMENTS must br
made FOR feeding the troops and AMI
mails, and PletermarltzburE was 20
miles inland They also predicted with
confidence that the Beers would retire
when the relief column was ready TO
advance In earnest but would be like.
~ to destroy brides aud break up
the railways behind them. The Bocrs
IN this respect Will be less confederate
and serviceahlc 10 their foes than Gen.
Yule was when he retreatod from
Glencoe upon f.adyumith without blow.
Ing W bridges or interfering with the
railway service Tor Iouborta camp be-
fore f.adyamith.
The war ofice issued yesterday Gen.
Buffers account or the urmors1 train
amhuscadc, confirming press dis
patches, minimizing the affair. but adj
hitting that 100 mon were missing.
Comments upon this episode in the
clubs were bitter, although every one
had a good word Tor the callantry Of
Lieut. Winchoil Spencer Churchill "Eu
/ trapped again. and "Will our ONCE .
ever be on their guard against the he
tors Htratagcma7" were the excla -
tons heard on every side. Tho
point OF the criticism was the go .
good scouting. which hns been -.
teal defect In the British car IA
from 'ho outset as Carleton Wylie and
Yule could testify
The commander NJ Eatcourt was,
however, forced 20 rccnnnuitcr with an
armnrcd train from lack OF effective
cavalry. The only mounted force which
could be- sent out after the return 81
the battered engine and tender cone
sisted Of "a troop OF Natal carhlneerH
and Of the light horse. These troops
retired after an Ineffective sklrmlsh
with the enemy The only cavalry re-
serves at Cppetown are the Aldgrshot
Company OF mounted Infantry fith a
machine gun section and q force of 600
iancers thriving yesterday. Thr admir-
atty has something TO answer for In
sending cavalry and Held artillery on
slow ships, but acant provision has
been made by the military stan for So
curing good scouting against an OK
cccdlngly mobile enemy, consisting
mainly ~ mounted Infantry.
The tone u the war office authorities
remains confident, and n ~ estimated
that Gen. Butler knows what IL going
on In LadyAmith from day 10 day. This
~ hardly credible since ~ single oihclal
sentence denotlng that all was well
with Gen. White would cause great re-
lief throughout England without giving
aid or comfort to the enemy,
Meanwhile there are many rumora
! from Boer sources respecting the con-
tlnuance Of the bomhardmcnt from the
hills and investment of the town with.
! In "a narrow range OF fro, ana Natal
stories and native missionary legends
Of ncrco lighting this week and last,
and the successful repulseH and nank
attacks by Gen, whites force.
Public anxiety IL Increasing with
| lack Of authentic news from Lady
smith. but there II hopeful feeling re-
| speeding the western border. Col.
Baden-Poweli IA considered more than
| n match Cor the Beers In craft, and.
| Indeed, n the only commander on the
British side who can fight them In their
| own way,
There are also signs that the column
| for tho relief Of Kimberley n well on It's
way and within 80 miles Of the town.
Gen Butler with 1900 frcah troops at
| Cnpetown, has ample resources for a
decisive attempt to raise the Siege OF
Kimberley.
south Africans now IN London have
| been seeking TO Identify the Boer spy
for whose life Secretary Reiz has
threatened reprisal against slx British
officers Some o. them assert that there
was rich man named Marks, who had
acted az a private banker or money
lender 10 President Kruger on various
occasions. and who had placed him
under pressing obligations, They md
| II hard 10 believe that this IN the Nath-
an Marks who Ia described from Pre-
tUriu nH an Illicit tnlu ufhl'it bNt w
plain that the SPY under arrest at Lady
smith IL probably a near relative OF
| President Kruger's moneyed friend,
| and that from gratitude the president
ordered Mr.. Reltz 10 take strong meas
urea for preventing the execution OF
a possible sentence by court martial
| The whole affnir has seemed incredible
| from the wanton harbarity OF reprlsals
al the rate OF six men to one, but
| South Africans here accept the story
Implicitly and have indeed official con-
| firmation Of II,
The Times and Mail publish graphic
accounts Of the battle OF Elandalaagte,
received by letter from war correspond
ents at the front. The Times corres-
| pendent also gives a stirring descrin-
| lion OF the stormlng Of Talana Hill,
and mentions that Gen. symons fell
| MORALLY wounded when galloping
along the line 10 tell the troops that tho
| hill must be taken. He describes the
| stormlng OF the hill as one OF the
greatest achievements OF the British
infantry.
New York, Nov. ia dispatch 20 the
! Herald from London says;
Tho Daily Telegraph publishes the
| following from It's special correspond
| ont, "PletermarltAburg Nov. IL
| The natives report that tha enemy
| have drawn a complete Gordon around
| Ladysmith and ingreas II now most