The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-12-12
EFFICIENCY
OF THE BRITISH
ARTILLERY.
It Is Asserted, g All That Saved
General oataeEe's
Army From
BIC HUMlLIATING DISASTER
British Were Sent on An Impossible
Task and TreachsrOusly
Guided.

Nf- 1
LONDON. Dec. 12. 4:4o a. m.-No
further news has been received to re-
move the mystery overhanglng General
Gatacre's retreat from stormberg. He
has not yet forwarded the promised ad-
dltional message; and the censorship
has prevented the correspondents from
explaining the matter. While It ap-
pears to be generally admitted that
General Gatacre is inclined to oyerwork
his men. Lord Durham's remarks are
considered as In rather bad taste. I'm
til General Gatacre has given his ex-
PLANTATION, 1t is felt that considerable al
lowance must be made for the extreme
difficulty of getting intelligence in
country whose inhabitants are In
strong sympathy with the enemy.
stormberg Is described as a stronger
position than Lalng's Mex. The only
road winds through lofty hills and
fianlting IL impossible. colesburg Is
also said to be an almost impregnable
position; and as no troops are avail
able to reinforce the columns acting in
those directions, It becomes evident
that General Gatacre's misfortune or
error will delay the invasion Of the.
Free state, perhaps some weeks. It isI
exceedingly probable that he will be
compelled to retire on Queenstown and
to walt for reinforcements which can
hardly reach him until Sir Charles
warren's division arrives at the Cape.
The first detaehments viii sail SAT-
urday next. Even II General French is
not compelled to retreat he will be
obliged to pause in his advance.
It now seems certain that the Sew
enth division, which is being mobilized
at Aldershot, will also be sent to South
Africa.
No news has yet been received con-
firming the Boer report Of the capture
Of fifty prisoners at Modder river from
Lord Methuen's column. It is just two
months since the Transyaal ultimatunn
was delivered. Nine engagements have
been fought and the British have lost
bss killed, 2,0T7 wounded and 1.eT7 miss
ing or prisoners.
The war ONCE has issued a notice
that after January /, deduction will
be made from the pay of soldiers serv-
Ing in South Africa, in the cases Of
privates. four pence per day for wives
and a penny for each child. In the
case OF sergeants, eight pence for wives
and two pence for each child. These
sums have thus far been paid by the
government. The order indicates q be-
lief that the campaign win be a long
one.
1t is announced from Cape Town that
the Beers have succeeded in repairing
the Leeuwfonteln bridge. and then.
stormberg and Burghersdorp, which
the British destroyed on retiring,
PRETORIA, Dec. 11.-six hundred
and seventy-two British prisoners were
taken at stormberg.-
In the flghting at Modder river yes
terday evening General cronje main
talned his position and captured nifty
British soldiers.
LONDON, Dec. 1l.--Later details re-
garding the disaster to General Cat
acres column show that but for the
magnificent work OF the eager British
artillery the disaster would have been
far more extensive as the incessant
Boer shell FIRE in the midst Of the re-
pulsed infantry ultimately led to dis
order which only escaped developing
into n rout through the batteries Of ar
tlllery, occupying successive positions,
covering the retreat. thus drawing
portion of the Beers CALLING FIRE.
Apparently the British were sent on
an impossible task and were treacher-
ously guided. After a trying march,
and being under arms sixteen hours.
they attacked the wrong part Of the
Boer position, where the hill was Inn
pregnable and the burghers were esti-
mated to number 5000 men, instead of
$500 as the spies had reported.
There Is little in the story to mitigate
the intense humiliation occnsioned by
the episode, which was almost an exact
counterpart OF the battle Of Nichols
Mex. The war office was besleged with
anxious relatives, and the successive
editions of the newspapers were eager
ly scanned. Men and women were
equally persistent in pleading for In
formation, but the authorities either do
not possess any or are not prepared to
publish 1t at present.
The aflair has caused the most de-
pressing influence everywhere. not ex-
cepting the stock exchange, where con-
soils were at the lowest price in many
years, and South African securities
slumped, not 90 much on account Of the
/ military reverse, which IL retrievRble,
but owing to the profound apprehen-
sion as to It's political effect. No great
surprise would now be felt Il General
Gatncres reverse resulted in Cape Col
ony becoming nfnine from end to end,
MopDER RIVER, Cape Colony,
Sunday Evening, Dec, 1O.-The naval
~ gun again took up a position north
OF the camp this afternoon. while the
HowitSer battery was posted south
enst on the left of the Beers. Both
opened a hot fire with Lyddlte shells
ana shFapnel, TO which the Boers
sharply replied with a dosen guns,
thus unmasking their position, which